The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-16
EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
He Tells of the vilIainies Practiced ON the
Indians-Large Audience at Congress
Square Church Last Evening

'.When it becomes necessary to G1ld
gold or paint the lily it will be necessary
to introduce Edward Everett Hale to
an American audience were the words
of Rev. DR.. Asa Dalton last evening as
he introduced DR.. Hale to large audi
ence in Congress Square church.
Mr.. Hale said he had not come to re-
cite any poetry about the Indian; but to
deliver an address within the lines of
thought laid down by the deliberations
of the Mohonk conference. This con-
ference was a gathering of about 2o0
persons collected from all portions OF
the country for their special knowledge
of the Indians. The conference had its
origin in an inspiration of Gen. Grant,
who was man of much common sense.
At that time the Indian ring in Wash
ington was all-powerful, controlling con-
tracts, and rolling in wealth extorted by
dishonest methods. So Gen. Grant crea-
ted the Indian Commission, self-per-
petuating board of - gentlemen, who
should serve for nothing, control con-
tracts. hold Office for life and choose their
own successors. At first the Indian ring
shifted at these honest gentlemen; but
they soon found that this commission
were supplying the Indians with cloth
ing, ETC., of the best quality at the low
est prices. Now one of these commits
sioners conceived of the idea of sum-
moning 200 experts on the Indian ques-
ton to meet every year and discuss it.
This is the Mohonk conference. DR..
Hale considers this a forecast of how this
country is to be governed in the Goth
century. He belives that the men who
know about things will manage things.
At the end of each session of the con-
ference, the results of its deliberations
are condensed into short resolutions.
DR.. Hale said he intended to follow
the line of thought of these resolutions.
The first thing the friends of the Indians
ask is that money enough be appropria-
ted TO send "a 900 more Indian children
to school. This money once appropriate
ed, the expenditure is the next question.
We have about so Indian agents, each alb
sOlute in his own domain as the Gar or
Sultan. If they are bad, drunken or
dishonest, it Is bad for the Indian. The
speaker knew of one agent to come to
his, post with not $500 in the world, and
when he was turned out at the end of his
term he had 100000 He had squeezed
it out of the Indians. Therefore the
Monhonk conference demands honest
agents, who will not be turned out with
every change of administration as is the
case now.
There is a trust fund $30,OO0,O0o held
by the government for the benefit of the
Indians. The Indian ring got its eye on
this money, and had an act passed
through Congress that any man who had
claim against an Indian, could bring
suit in Washington in the Court of
CLAIMS, and in case he should win his
suit, could collect the indemnity from
the trust fund. There was no statute of
limitation for such suits except the pro-
vision that they could not go back be-
yond the time of George Washington. So
it happened that if man should pre-
sent proof that in 1899 an Indian stole a
pair of boots from great grandfather,
and bring his proof to the Court of
Claims with the demand for the worth of
the boots with compound interest up to
Gate, the claimant would be apt to get
his case. since the Indian could not APP
pear to defend. Laws permitting such
things as this should be repealed.
The meeting last evening was held I'M
der the auspices of the Maine Woman s
Indian Association.