Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-06-15
10, THU POOR indian
TO BE UEHOUSED AND MOVED TO OTHER
HUNTING GROUNDS
.ABiu to Remove the Colorado Indians From Their
Present Rsssrvatioa-Ihs CHRISTIANS Thirst
for Gold 50 the Indian Must No7e-A
Bio. On tbs United States

movaI is now before Congress.
Members Of the Indian Rights ASSOcl-
alton. after personal investigation OF
the facts both ON the present reSerFa-
Non and on the proposed reservation,
published a report on January 20, lsg2,
a coDv OF which should be In the hands
of every Congressman, as 70 fully shows
the meaning OF this particular bill
This pamphlet Is entitled, "A turthef
Rpport 90 the Indian Rights Association
on the Proposed Removal or the south
ern Utes." Address, Office OF the Indian
Rights Association, 1905 Arch street.
Philadelphia, Pa.
This report shows that the conditions
n present existing on their reservation
IN Southern Colorado are extremely
favorable 90 the work Of ctvilizing
these Indians, and that the conditions
which will be- encountered, II they are
removed 90 the proposed reservation,
will be equally uuiavoraoIe.
There Is an abundance or lrrigaole
land on the present reservation, ana
there is almost a lack Of 10 on the pro-
rosed reservation. This fact tn itself
sueaks volumes, inasmuch as agricul-
tpre in that part OF the west Is aoso-
lutely depaudeDt on irrigation. Roughly
sDeakipg. the present reservation OF the
Southern Utes contains two hundred
and fftv thousand acres OF lrrigaole
land. The proposed reservation In
Southeast Utah, although three times
large as the present reserve, contains
probably less than one thousand acres
fairly susceptible OF cultivation. This
extreme limit OF one thousand out OF
total of nearly three milliOn-the pro-
Dosed reservation will consist or nearly
three million acreS-Can only be eX-
tended hy a large expenditure or money
nv the government, and 10 is not rea-
s0nabIe 90 expect that the latter will
spDropriate much larger amount OF
money 90 enable these Indians % farm
their lands than it is willing to appro-
priate for the benefit of other Indians
Itcannot be doubted, says the report
that the shortest and best way OF
making these Indians civilized Is TO
make them farmers, as has been done
I'm the case OF other Indians. This is the
most direct and satisfactory way to-
ward sell-supp0rt and land in severalty,
and. as land in severalty is the one al
Tentative Co the present tribal system,
and therefore the chief desideratum for
the Ctes, 10 is strange that any one can
question for one moment the advisable
ity of keeping the Indians where they
are.
The report states that "the proposed
reservation is not only a piece OF terri
tory in which springs or drinking holes
are exceedingly rare, but large p0r-
lion of it is so broken and irregular as
10 make 10 fearful district for Indian
fighting"
The Blue mountains indeed, and the
country beyond them, as every lnhao-
liant OF western Colorado knows, are q
secure retreat for iugitives from JUS
tice."
This OF itself would seem good
reason why the Government should not
remove these Indians TO the proposed
It's indeed urged in support OF the
bin that the Indians themselves desire
the removal, and that in 1SSs three
fourths OF them signed a treaty TO this
efiect-the treaty which it is now pro-
posed to ratify. The report says that
tt IS probably true that one-half of them
the WeeminUcheS, among whom there
are no iarmers-deSire the removal 10
is, however, true that the consent OF
rhree-fourths Of all the tribes who sign
ed the treaty was not obtained until
after years OF agitation, and until three
United States Commissioners had spent
four months among the Indians urging
upon them the supposed benefits
that would accrue 20 them from the
change. They we're told, In substance,
that IL moved 20 the proposed reserva-
ton they would have better oppOrtuni-
ties for hunting, and the general
impression was made on them
that In Utah they would be
more free 20 continue their old Indian
life. The supposed advantages were
made the subject of appeals % their
wild Instincts, and were utterly uu-
worthy TO be put forward by the repre-
OF am honorable govern
ment having the welfare OF It's wards az
heart III the Indians Of their own ac-
cord desired the removal, tits strange
NMH NAN yum lll ISL NANAH AI4 nAa az al
themselves OF the opportunity 90 obtain
from the Indians promises OF their will
ingness on the proposed reservation 10
send their children 20 school Why did
the Commissioners not incorporate IN
the treaty some conditions looking to-
wards the Indians civilization? As a
matter OF fac, not a word as 90 their al
lowing their children ia future % 90 %
United States schools, and not 8 word
rs % their ultimate self-SuppOrt aud cit
iZcuship was said 20 them.
EThe honorable Commissioner of Indian
Affairs has already advised the Presi-
dent 90 allot land in Severalty TO these
Indians where they now are, and TO
throw open the surplus OF their reSerYa-
zion TO the whites around them. In
This way the government will be put 20
no expense, large amount OF valuable
territory will be opened % settlement
and the Indians themselves given the
best opportunities for civilization. IL
may 60 hard with the more lazy and
shiitiesS, but there can be no doubt
that the government is bound 70 take
this course in justice 20 the others.
+-''- s@ttueiue tu1l al the southern
Jtes really desired TO change their
reservation, the government as their
guardian would not be justified ia grant
lug q wish that would be so Breiudicial
70 their interests and so destructive OF
their progress. InaSmuch as IL removed
70 the proposed reservation they cannot
De made Selt-suppOrtiug, the fuldllment
or the wish, such as 10 is, means simply
their continued pauperization By The
government
Many believe that Indians cannot be
ciVuiled, Judging, no doubt, from the
accounts Of The cruelty OF Indian war
rare and retaliation. Such people think
only OF the outbreaks which have o.
CURED among our savage Indians. They
do not think OF the thousands who are