Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-26

them. THAT" says our correspondent, sis
the unwritten law of the system of COM
petitive and proft-making trade on which
the Government policy is founded" This is
striking illustration of the loose assertions
on which indictments against the present so.
cial system are often founded. The fact is that
the Government system of furnishing sup
plies and carrying out-or not carrying
Quits agreements with the Indians, is
equally removed from the principle of thiev-
ing competition to which our correspondent
refers, and from the principle of honest com
petition, which really means that the mer-
chant who gives the best value for the money
he resolves, and makes it most advantageous
for people to deal with him, shall do the
business. If the Indians were given the
money that is appropriated for their benefit
and left subject to the depredations of
whisky sellers, gamblers and landsharks
they would doubtless be robbed by thievIng
competition; although it may be doubted
whether, even in that case, they would be
subjected to such swindles as being charged
by the post traders go cents per pound for
pork worth about 10 cents. If they were in
structed to use judgment, intelligence and
industry, as the system of civilization does
in the case of infants, it is possible that the
principles of honest competition, which
rules trade where it is not hampered by in
judicious or dishonest legislation, would
prevail in their case.
But what is the system by which the
Indians are supposed to be guarded? 1t is
from first to last based on the principle of
having all the business operations necessa-
ry for their subsistence carried on by the Gov
ernment. The meat and groceries which are
furnished them must be obtained on Gov
ernment contracts. If they want imple-
ments to commence agricultural labor or
cattle to raise on their lands their needs
must be passed upon by Government au-
thority, and the purchase made by Govern
ment agents. Whatever they get must be
distributed to them by an agent of the Gov
ernment and if any goods are sold to them it
can only be done through single authorized
Indian trader at each post. In short, the
entire Indian system is the most thorough
illustration OF State socialism existing in
this country to-day; and its practical results
furnish the most complete commentary on
the proposal to make a similar system con-
troll the business of civilization.
1t is true that the necessity of keeping the
savages under tutelage until they are edu-
Gated to discretion renders certain degree
of this Government control inevitable in
their case. But the practical workings Of
the system show beyond question what the
actual results would be of placing under
Government control the operations of busi-
ness that can be performed under free COM
petition. The politicians find in such sys-
tenn almost unchecked opportunities for per-
sonal enrichment, while those who are sup
posed to be cared for are left to suffer for the
need of what the Government undertakes to
furnish them No gain is to be made, as
under the competitive system, by per-
forming the operations economically, |
and honestly. The consequence |
is that beef bought by the million pounds |
costs more when distributed to the Indians |
at the agencies within hundred miles or so
Of the cattle ranges, than the working people |
Va ibboodiS haNS w Poy ioA ~ az thO ASehAi
butcher shops; and similar result is seen |
in the fact that two years after it has been
decided that the Sioux Indians are to have |
agricultural implements and farm stock, |
neither implements nor stock have reached |
the Indians. Such things are the natural |
result OF placing business operations Under |
political control, instead ofmaking business |
success dependent on the intelligence,
activity, economy and honesty of those who |
engage in it.
The practical results of State socialism
which appear in our Indian system, furnish
the strongest possible argument for raising
the Indians to degree of Intelligence which
will enable them to be emancipated from
such tutelage; and at the same time the most
crushing disproof of the idea that to put the
business operations of civilized society under
political control would mean anything but
Unlimited opportunities of plunder for the
politicians and grievous increase of the
burdens of the common people.