The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-16
THE INDIAN ADMINISTRATION.

| HE INDIAN ADMINISTRATION.
The executive committee of the Indian
Rights association, national organization
having it's headquarters in Philadelphia,
has addressed an appeal to the citizens OF
the United States in behalf of the Indians.
Why the appeal is addressed to the people
does not appear, inasmuch as the people
are powerless in the matter, Congress alone
having the authority to act If
the people had been given their way
we believe the Indian problem would
have been solved long ago. and in
a manner acceptable to the Rights
association and to the great advantage of
the redskins.
But the appeal displays fairly correct
knowledge of the shameless manner in
which the Indians have been treated, and
good understanding of what will remedy
the manifest evils. 1t says:
The first and most important requisite is
single, responsible, competent head for the
management of Indian affairs and he who is
| charged with that duty should report directly
to the President and be looked to by the
country at large for the successful Indian man
agement. The Indian service should be wholly
free from interference of partisan politics 1t
should continue its policy and carry on it's edu-
cational work undisturbed by changing admin
lstrations. While we do not advocate COM
plete transfer of the Indian management to the
war department, we believe that all the adv an
tages which the advocates of that plan desire
could be obtained by the naming of able and
experienced army officers to serve as Indian
agents, with counterbalancing the disadvant-
l,inl, holt ,I+
radical change.
1t is not the agency system, nor is it the
reservation system, which is ohargeable
with the perpetual bad state of affairs pre-
vailing among the Indians. 1t is not be-
cause the Indians have been deprived Of
their lands that they are disconnected.
For many years the government has taken
no land from the natives which. has not
been paid for, the price being ten times
what the soil was worth to the original in
habitants. The money has been wisely in
vested for the indians, who have plenty of
land left-more, in fact, than they can
utilize Here in Utah we believe the In
dams own about z, 1000 acres for every man,
woman and child on the reservation. and
this in addition to the cash which gov RI
ment holds for them. The indians are
well enough provided for in the matter of
earthly possessions, but the trouble
almost invariably comes from a
failure of the unfortunate crea-
lures to obtain what belongs to
them The government is not to be
censured on the ground OF stigin ,ss, for it is
almost recklessly generous in making pro-
vision for the support, comfort, educ ltion
and training OF the savages, paying for food
blankets and clothing in abundance, and
employing teachers and practical instruc-
tors whenever they are needed. But the
Indians do not get all that is intended for
them. The iood and the goods are stolen.
the simple-minded savages are cheated by
scoundrelly whites, the nation breaks faith
with its wards, and the latter, made
desperate by the swindling, lose confidence
when promises are flagrantly broken, aud
becoming cold and hungry they revolt be-
cause nature tells them to.
The Indian Rights association, in its ap-
peal above quoted, indicates, as we have
frequently indicated, plan by which some
at least of the evils complained of may
be cured. The Indian bureau,
from it's chief down to the black
smith who sharpens the spades and
picks on the reservation, should be abso-
lutely out of the field of politics No man
having any thing to do with the Indians,
either as a distributor of rations, an in
structor in agriculture, teacher in schools
or an official CT employee in any capacity,
should be dependent upon political party
for his appointment or the term Of his
Office or employment So far as his own
pay and tenure are concerned he should be
as free from disturbance by the administra-
ton as are officers of the army or the
federal judges. If the agent knows that
his position will be retained during his
good behavior and while he is honest, he
will not make 400 pounds of beef weigh
600 pounds. He will not feel that he lust
so out of office when new national ad-
ministration il inaugurated, and that to get
even for the money it cost him or bis
friends to get the appointment he must put
in four years of swinding the Indians.
We believe it would be better if the
management of the Indians were
given over to the army. The savages en-
tertaln degree Oh respect Tor soldiers
which they cannot feel for civilians, and
the honesty and fair dealing on the part OF
army officers would soon convince the
Indians that they were not being robbed by
the representatives of the government
We hope the Rights association will
press its petition upon Congress and if pos
sible lift the Indian bureau administration
out of politics, when there will be an end
of Indian wars and the poor savage will
make rapid progress in civilization.