The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-27
THE TRUE INDIAN POLICY.

Senator Pettigrew, of Dakota, the other
day made a sound speech, in which he de-
clared that the true Indian policy was to
break up the reservations and allot lands
in severalty to the Indians as fast as pos
sible. Senator Pettigrew knows the Indian
character thoroughly; he describes the
Sioux Indians as manly race, capable of
good degree of civilization.
The young generation of these Indians
favor the policy of Senator Pettigrew,
which is resisted by the old 'war" chiefs
who know that the extinction of tribal
government means loss to the chiefs OF
influence and consequence. In the mean
time congress shows an ignorant DISPOSE
ton 10 cut down the appropriation for
education of the Indians. The sum ap-
propriated for the entire Indian service for
the fiscal year ending June so next was
$S,036.944 that reported in the new bill for
the year ending June 30, 1898, is s.. 236, 1877
"a decrease of over $4,000. The able
commissioner of Indian affairs asked for
S., 603, 90S-S1, 1861, 121 more than is now re-
ported. The sum which it is proposed to
give for industrial schools and other edu-
cational purposes is sis. 1855 less than the
amount asked for.
The Indian is now universally anxious
for education; the adults of every tribe sec
that their day as tribes or nations is gone
by, and they desire education and wish to
take their place with the white people as
citizens of the United States, subject to its
laws, protected by its courts and holding
property rs its other citizens hold prop
erty. Besides the reactionary effort to de-
crease the appropriations for the Indian
bureau, the Colorado land grabbers are
trying to get the Southern Utes removed
from their present reservation 10 new
one in the mountains Of Utah. The
speedy allotment of lands in severalty to
the Utes would be an effective defea; OF
this proposition, against which the Ina
dian Rights Association has protested as
follows:
Such action will remove these Indians from
srable lands-capabls OF rendering them self
supporting. and from civilized surroundings to
lands for the most part sterile, mountainous
ami inaccessible; admirably suited as = fastncss
will tempt these Indians 10 become, and from
which with great cost and bloodshed could
they be dislOdged), but wholly uuiayorable 10
the civilization OF an Ignorant and naturally
restless people. The removal will, moreover
impose great and unnecessary expense on the
government, since It VIII Involve the erection
o. an entirely new plant in agency buildings,
SID the creation OF new military post Ii
seems to US unfair TO impose this expense upoa
tho taxpayers of the country for the sole benefit
otlocal land Spectators.
The policy of Senator Pettigrew is to
educate the Indian industrially, and allot
lands in seyeralty, thus converting PEN
stoned savage into . seIf-supporting citizen
This policy has always been advocated by
Generals Crook, Howard and Miles as the
most economical solution Of the Indian
problem.
The Ute reservation is q strip ITO by
fifteen miles in extent, on the southwestern
edge OF Colorado containing rich farming
lsisa- adequate 10 ali the needs of these
indians, and it is traversed by eight rivers
and some smaller streams, making light
the eost of the needed irrigation. When
the utes were restricted to this remainder
OF their Original range, the government, in