Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17

nave not become hve times worse than they
would otherwise have been after going back to
the reservations AS matter of fact we spend
five or six millions of dollars yearly practically
to preserve the tribal relations Of the Indians
that Ii. to keep them in q condition of saw
agery."
CIVIL, NOT MILITARY. CONTROL
Representative Picker of South Dakota,
| another member of the Indian affairs commit
tee. said:
Il think il most undesirable that the Indians
should be placed in charge of the army. What
We want is that the Indian should be civilized,
taught TO work. and encouraged to dwell upon
land duly allotted TO him and in house of his
own. Under such conditions it is proper that
like the white man. he should be under civil
and not under military control. The army, in
the nature of things, cannot do this sort of
| thing so well. Its business is not to administer
ciSi affairs; Its work is to keep the peace and
not TO study the development of people.
The red man is not likely to enjoy bsyo.iet rule
any more than does his white brother. We
In our state have to live in company with the
Indians. and they will be readily absorbed into
the population as whole when they
| placed on the same footing with other people.
| know the Indian agents by experience. and l
can truthfully say that they are honest men.
Considering what their responsibility is they
| ger less pay than any other employees Of the
| 81 Is DlSltst salary palu,
l think. The condition of the Indians il being
steadily improved. Only the other day a bill
was passed providing for the establishment Of
thirty school houses within the limits Of the
Sioux reservation. This is most desirable, in
asmueh as the children instructed will be near
| their parents and the latter will become inter-
| ested In the schools and in what schools bring"
NO POLITICS IN THE ARMY.
Said Representative Darwin S. Hall Of Min
nesota:
II think that the Indians ought to be placed
under the care Of the army. There is no poll
tics in the army. The army officer is an edu-
Gated man, he knows the Indians, and he is not
to be removed by political changes. In my
opinion outbreaks, like this recent one. would
be prevented by direct army control. As
things are. the methods of conducting things is
too roundabout. Trouble occurs, or is threat
ened. and the agent must communicate with
the Indian bureau. the bureau must report to
the Secretary of the Interior, and the latter
must bestir himself before either the general Of
the army or the President is notified Of the
necessity FOR taking steps. By all means let us
get the Indian out of politics. One great Diff
Guilty IN our dealings with the Indians arises
from the parsimony Of Congress i'll their re-
gard. Take an instance in point: Recently
We sent agents representing the
government to formulate an agreement
with the Sissetons and Wahpetons in South
Dakota. What our agents proposed was ac-
cepted by those tribes and they had right to
believe that the az. cement was as good as car
RED out The agreement was ratified by the
House committee on Indian affairs. Then what
happens? Why the House refuses to appro-
PIRATE the small amount of money necessary to
carry out the coqAract and the result is that
these unfortunate People-the most civilized Of
all the Indians-are at present actually starry
ing. Is it possible that because we are dealing
with Indians we do not consider it necessary to
behave as gentlemen? Such seems TO be the
case. And yet that is rather a humiliating
position for Uncle Sam to be placed in
THE INDIAN SHOULD BE ELEVATED.
1t seemed rather necessary to ask the commits
sioner of Indian affairs, Gen. Morgan, what he
thought on the subject. Naturally, his view
was adverse to the proposition of handing over
the Indians to the War Department. Said he:
"The idea of the American people is to ele-
vate the Indian. With this end in view. he
should be educated and his children should be
taught to speak English and to be self-reliant
and industrious. man trained in civil life
therefore in touch with civil institutions. the
home. the church, trade and agriculture-is
more likely to be fitted to be successful as gov
ernor of a tribe of Indians than the man who
has been educated merely to the profession of
arms. The lands for the Indians ought to be
allotted in severalty rapidly as possible, with
the object in view that the Indian shall develop
the idea OF the home. of personal property. of
individual responsibility, of earning his living
and OF standing alone as a man. Regarding
the recent excitement, it ought to be borne in
mind that out of the $50 900 Indians in the coun-
try only very few are hostil,. The Indians are
making progress steadily: the only need that
We shall be patient. But let me emphasize this
proposition: If wish to perpetuate the
present condition of things and to have always
an Indian question on our hands, we have only
to continue to huddle these people upon the
reservations, feed them on rations and turn
| them over to the army"