The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-12-07
SHELTON COUNTY, WASHINGTON FRIDAY DECEMBER : e
The Indians Land.

history of the progress of the Indian
bureau during the last twelve months,
the secretary reviews the problem of
effective work for the advancement of
the Indians. He discusses the sub
Ject of education and of allotments of
lands In severalty, and urges that the
education of Indians should be for the
purpose of fitting them to perform the
particular responsibilities most likely
to fall to their after lot. He presents
the possibilities of the reservation as
land to be improved and developed, to
which the Indians should be taught
to apply those modes of agriculture
recognized in civilized life. Education
should fit them for this work, and they
should be led on with the assurance
that the government in dealing with
this land will treat the Indians with
perfect honesty and make no further
effort to trade them out of it for the
benefit of those who wish to settle
upon it. Upon the subject of allot-
ments, he says:
81 do not question the advisability
of allotting land to Indians in sever
atty, but do most seriously question
the propriety of this course before the
Indians have progressed sufficiently to
utilize the land when taken. The al
lOtments should be made to Indians
in severalty for the good of the Ind
ians. for the advancement of the Ind
ians, not for the purpose of obtaining
land connected with the Indian reser-
vaton to satisfy the Unsuitable desire
OF bordermen, who obtain it frequent
ly not for homes but for speculation.
| urge a treatment of Indian lands
based solely upon the purpose of
realizing from it, for its own highest
possible value. What is best for the
Indians, to keep their land or sell it?
If the members of tribe have reach
ed a state sufficiently civilized to be
able to progress still further by selling
a portion of their land, the sales should
be made, but the land should not be
purchased from the Indians at the
best bargain the United States can
make. 1t should be sold for the In
dians BY the United States, the part
ment acting acting as faithful trus-
tee and obtaining for the Indians every
dollar which the land will bring The
policy of the government should be to
recognize the land of the Indian res
ervation as the property of the parti
cular Indians who own it. The diff
ferent lands should be studied to see
how best their value can be increased
There are ample public land in the
United States for homeseekers; can
we not be satisfied to the administra
ton on behalf of the Indians the little
we have left them?"
With reference to the development
of the resources of the agencies and
the character of the employees, he ur-
ges that each reservation must be
treated in view of its resources as a
separate business problem.
II believe it is possible to develop a
complete, permanent, non-partisan
Indian service, and hope before the
end of another year that such progress
will have been made in that direction
that its realization will be assured"
Among other things in connection
with the education of the Indians, the
secretary says:
ain the management of the Indian
schools, definite plan for the Indians
when school is finished, must always
be kept in view, when practical results
are expected from his education.
Their education should be practically
directed with view to the probable
future OF the Indians. If he is to re-
main away from his former home and
enter the struggle of life in our cities
and towns, as any other citizen, then
his education should be as broad and
as liberal as uossible But if he is to
return to the reservation, to the place
of his birth, and to commence his
active life in the development of the
resources of his reservation, then his
education should be directed especially
with a view to the life he would lead
upon the reservation and to the possl-
b;l;ties of the reservation itself. If
the lands are agricultural, he woulp be
taught the methods and mode OF life
followed by the ordinary American
citizen engaged in agriculture. He
cbould not be accustomed to life far
above it. to tastes more liberal than
would be possible for that"
A profane coachman, pointing to
of h;S horses. said to a traveller