The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-03
ODD ITEMS OF EXPENSE.
some Little Known Uses to Which the M.
tiOn's Money Is Put.

Some CIRCUS items entering into
the expense account OF Uncle Sam
are mentioned by the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. Away down in Arizona,
near the city of Florence, there is a
ruin of the dwelling place of some
prehistoric people. 1t is called Casa
Grande. The government pays a
man $3.50 a year to watch Casa
Grande and see that some archHolo-
gist doesn't carry it away for exhibit
tion purposes.
Secretary Gresham has tried to get
along this year with 81, 900 for bring
ing home the remains of diplomatic
and consular officers Of this country
who died abroad. In view Of the
probable increase of mortality among
the unusually large number of these
patriots who have responded to the
call Of Josiah Quincy and have gone
to places where the climate is bad,
Mr.. Gresham asks $40, 900 the COM
ing year for diplomatic mortality.
Another item of close relationship to
the last mentioned is So, 900 to bring
home the widows of those diplomats
who die abroad. The vaccination of
Indians is a charge of 81, 600 a year
on the United States Treasury. The
condit on of LO, the poor Indian, is
the inspiration Of much sympathy
among certain Caucasian philanthropy.
lists. The regular budget for the
red man this year reaches Sc, 931,-
1876. 81. Next year year it is eXpected
to 60 to 81, 09S, 6ll.44 This covers a
multitude Of things which civilized
people have never thought of. For
instance every one Of the 600 men
Crows gets a $40 suit of ''gOOd WOOL
Ell clothing, consisting Of a coat, hat,
pa%ntaloOns, flannel shirt, and WOODEN
socks" Every one OF the 700 women
Crows gets "a flannel skirt, a pair Of
WOODEN hose, twelve yards of calico,
and twelve yards Of Gotten domestic"
The end of the Indian budget is
not in sight. The Indian is as good
a slayer as the pensioner. Away
back in 1894 the Government stipu.
lated to pay the Six Nations OF New
York state a certain sum-several
thousand dOllars-every year, and it
Is still dong it, There are annuI-
Ties which have been paid to the
Senecas religiously since 1877. The
Shawnees have been getting a good
..,und sum yearly since 1894. These
and many like them are permanent
annuities. Some Of them have run a
hundred years. Most of them have
been in operation fifty years. They
seem to be just as good for another
century. There are toe Pottawa-
tonnes of Indiana and Michigan.
They have worked the white man
beautifully. In 1896 they got one
permanent annuity, which has been
paid regularly ever since. In 1909
they soaked it to our grandfathers for
another annuity. In 1918 the Pot
tawatomies came again, and this
Government agreed to pay them an
other so-much-a-year without any
limitation of time, The fourth per-
manent annuity for this thrifty
tribe was fastened upon the Treas
ury ia 1928. Between that time
and 1886 four more permanent an
nuities were added to the Pottawat-
omies' list. And they have been
paid faithfully every year. They
will be paid next year and the year
after, and nobody knows where the
obligation will cease. Three of these
annuities are payable in ''silver," and
silver it Was for the Indian all
through the war and afterward.
when folks never saw the color
of coin. Another annuity is in
.'specie;" two more in money" The
other two %annuities illustrate
forcibiy the farcical. Every year
since 1926 the Government has SOL
EMMY delivered TO the Pottawato-
MES fifty barrels of salt. And every
year since 1926 this Government has
maintained a blacksmith's shop with
equipments and supplies for three
blacksmiths at a cost of 81, 00s. so a
year for the Pottawatomies.
The disbursements to these Patta-
watOmies. who long ago ceased to be
Indians in all but name, amount to
$40, 647. IS. They must, according to
the treaties. 20 on forever. They are
''permanent."
The Creeks have the oldest Of these
annuities. Itlstarted in 1870. The
Chickasaws began to draw a perma-
nent annuity in 1899. The Chock-
taws were put on the roll for SO, 900 a
year as early as 1905. Is it any won
der that the more civilized he gets
the more tenacious the Indian grows
of his tribal relation and Of Uncle
Sans paternalism?