The record-union., 1893-01-11
RIGHT DEALING WITH THE INDIAN.
The Secretary of the Interior in his re-
cent report says:


The reservation system and the continu-
alton of tribal relations have been broken to
such degree that what remains Of these ob-
staeles TO the Indians progress is light and
easily removed. The reservations have been
purchased and converted into settlements,
after due allOtmentS to the Indians in suff-
cient quantities 10 enable them each to have a
farn, and this with a sufficient suppression
OF the influence attempted to be exercised by
the chiefs or head men, has developed amonsr
these people sense of the Importance of the
individual an appreciation OF his power to
take care Of himself and Of the necessity that
Il should be exercised. 1t has been the aim
not only to teach the Indian that he must de
pend upOu his own labor for his support but
10 place each individual in a position where.
with the means at his command to cultivate
a farm or engage IN herdIng cattle he could
not well refuse to do something for himself
IN large part the experiment has been success
1ul, and although the assisting hand of the
Government may be needed from time to
lime, thlnk II may be said with confidence
that the tribes that are now being led into this
path OF I'm provement will proceed upon it.
continuously and safely. The Indian has
shown himself capable in most Instances Of
supporting himself in this way, and | believe
tie policy will prove not only successful. but
one Of great humanity.
This is the result of a policy entered
upon actively about eleven years ago. At
that time it met with storm of disap-
proval;snot only did the interested Indian
agents foment it, but the traders, and to a
great extent the army officers and many
civilians. 1t was held that the only good
Indian is the dead Indian; that exter-
mination was the right policy wherever
it was found impossible to keep the In
dian upon reservations.
But education has again asserted itself
and proved its potency as a civilizing
factor. The Indian schools as much, if
not more than any other influence, have
contributed to the gratifying result we
now have. The young Indians first
placed in these schools on attaining ma
Jority have uniformly proved the most
efficient agents in carrying out the peace
ful and civilizing policy we are now pur-
suing.
There is but one more step to be taken:
that is the complete abandonment of the
contract school system under which
churches receivegGovernnent money in
aid of schools conducted under churchly
auspices. We need now to cut ourselves
wholly free from such agencies. Not one
dollar more of the money of the Govern
ment should be allowed to priests.or mis-
sionaries. The Government schools are
all sufficient for the education of the
young Indian men and women.
The attendance of Indian children in
schools has increased over 13 per cent,
and there are now no less than 10, 1913 of
these children enrolled Not 2 per cent.
of those educated at these schools have
gone back TO savagery. The result is,
that not only the moral but the physical
condition of the Indians has been greatly
improved. They have now better food,
shelter and clothing than ever before;
they have been taught that they have the
self-supporting capacity without follow
ing the chase, and that every right
worthy to be enjoyed can be secured
without taking to the wsrpath. The re-
suit of the efforts oft the Government, says
the Secretary, has been the lifting of the
Indian nearer to civilization from the
barbarism in which he was found.
BY the abolition of the bayonet system
and the breaking up of the power of the
chiefs and medicine men, immense areas
heretofore held for Indian purposes have
been restored to the public domain.
By the new dealing with fourteen tribes
no less than 26,9OO,OOO acres of land have
been restored, and the greater bulk of the
land opened to public settlement. Nego-
tiations now in progress will add I0,OO0,-
600 acres more to the restoration.
The>result of the allotment of lands in
severalty has been the admission of
$500 Indians to citizenship already, and
allotments now being arranged will
bring 900 others within the pale of citi-
zenship. Along with these. good accom-
plishments has been radical reform in the
agency business, by which the reserya-
tions still maintained are of greatly less
acreage and cost the Government for
supervision much less than formerly.
The scandals connected with Indian
agencies are disappearing, fair dealing
has taken the place largely of swindling
and imposition; the quality of goods
served to the Indians has been very
much improved, and distribution more
sficiently and honestly conducted. Con-