Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-10

The Government Method Of Counting
"One Little, Two Little, Three little
Vnfnns


IDJuns."
The result Of an apparently fair eff
fort to count the Indians I'm this cOun'
try is published in the preliminary bull
letlns of the Census Bureau. 1t is the
work OF one Thomas Donaldson, who
reports the total number Of red men tc
be 249, 273, aud declares that there has
been an apparent decrease OF 1,121 In a
total Of 1873, 3S3 reservation indians since
1889 In the mind Of any one acQuaint-
ed with the subject two doubts arise. II
does not seem possible that the decrease
has been so slight, and it is not alto
Rether likely that q Jealous effort 20 ar
rive at the actual number Of the a0orig-
ines has now, for the first time, been
attempted.
The census statistician reports that
"many Of the special agents engaged 10
the work met with serious and danger
Gus oppOSit'On. The enumeratOrS OF
the five civilized tribes 10 the Indian
Territory were mostly Indians appoint
ed on the recommendation OF the prln-
cipal chiefs. At Oraibe, in Arizona,
trouble was threatened, and atactlonal
disturbance occurred over the question
OF enrolment or nOn-enrollmenL one
of the enumerators was confined Tor
several weeks in a M0Qui town, but was
finally released. In some localities
meetings were held and native clergy
men advised the people against enroll
ment."
The report says further that the port
foli0s of the enumeratOrs 'were sug-
Qestive OF books, and muuy OF the In
dians considered them books Of new re-
ligiout creeds and refused TO answer
the questions. Others advised resist
ance, claiming that the enrolment was
a scheme 70 get their names, which
would then be attached 70 an alleged
treaty, and they would be robbed Of
their right TO remain on their lands.
Naturally suspicious Of a white man,
and dOubiy so Of a government ohclaI,
il was only by the cool Judgment and
patience Of the special agents that the
WORK was performed.
There Is a great deal of naivete In the
suggestion that the Indians were afraid
of the Introduction Of new religious
creeds, and there Is frankneSS perhaps
more than was intended-in the state
ment that the red men are "GOubly sus-
picious OF a government official" In-
dian lands have been stolen before this
with less trouble than a pretended
enumeration Of a tribe. Nearly every
candid man not In government employ,
and q great many soldiers and others
not connected with either the Census
the or Indian Bureau, who has written
about the Indians, has shown that there
"a good reason why tho red man should
suspect the government and It's em-
ployes. Col. Richard Irving Dodge, in
his book on "Our Wind Indians" as
serts that 'all Indians have strong
superstitlous repugnanCe against being
counted, aud this OF late years since
the government has been issuing ra-
tions1 Is liable to a suspicion Of self
interest. They entirely appreciate the
advantage of getting five hundred ra-
tiOns tor three hundred or less mouths. y
In another place be says that it is im-
possible 90 get at the correct number OF
Indians while the government makes 10
TO the advantage Of both the Indians
and the Indian agents to sxaggerate the
numbers. The vanity Of the Indians
used 20 help 70 deceive all who tried to
measure their numbers. "We are as
the leaves on the trees" they used to De
foGd-Of-sNying.< Now that they have
./6een corralled on reservations the lying
is ably continued by those who live
upon them.
Capt. Lewis and Clarke, in their re-
port OF their heroic journey to the Pa
ci6c coast, gave figures as to the ex-
tent of the various tribes they saw or
heard OF. They calculated that, be-
tween st. Louis and the west coast,
they met with tribes composed OF So
900 souls in all. They estimated that
there were as many Indians as that on
the further side Of the Rockies, and
that there were 80, 600 in the Oregon
Territory Of that time, which was the
opening of this country. When il is
remem bered how small a part OF the
United States they became familiar
with IL, it will be seen that, at their
rate OF calculation, the whole number
of red people would have been very
great. Catlin, the best informed man
IN his time upon this subject, rated the
number o. Blackfeet at 90, 600 in his
day. IL is said that they did not num-
Der quarter Of that sum, and Catlin
says that he got his Squire from an In
dian agent.
As Col. Dodge says, the estimates
upon the subject OF she total number Of
Indians when the first settlements were
made by the whites range from 800, 600
10 5000, 900. He takes account of their
wars, Of the great territory each band
required, and Of the universal lack Of
fecundity among their women" and
reaches the conclusion that the Indian
population of the country never at any
time much exceeded 500, 600 souls. Col.
DOdge's book was published In 1885, and
he says that the last official report OF
the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs,
which be had before him, credited the
red race with 253, 900 souls within our
borders "Thls is at least On6-ffth too
great a figure" he adds. And yet In
1850, after half dozen years of that
ratio OF decrease which most Western
men believe to be very rapid, the Gov
eminent returns determine the Indian
population to be 249, 273.
Tue Indians, the Indian agents, the
beef contractors, and the traders around
each reservation are interested in exag-
gsrSting the number OF men, women
and children in each band, and unless
the last enumeratOrs paid no heed 10
what any of these persons said, but act
ually counted noses" we know no
more about the Indian population than
We did before. There is such a cloud
OF Justification over the whole subject,
and such a good reason why the white
men who know the truth should conceal
it, that the chances are ten TO one
against the reliability of any official re-
port upon the subject