The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-22
MUST HELP HIMSELF
Congress is Rapidly Coming to
the Conclusion
That the Indian Should Work
Like Others.
MONEY CUT OFF.
IndianApprOpriatiOnsAreBeing
GrodnoIlu Rodn0od

Judge Holman thinks that his lines were
east in very unpleasant places when he
was put in charge of Indian appropriations
Just at the time when the Indians were in
the most troublesome stage of their transi-
ton and when the necessity for economy
was most severely felt Although we have
all known in a general way that the situa-
ton in the far west had radically changed
in the last 20 years, wc did not realize how
completely the old Indian problem had be-
come obsolete and how pulling the new
problem had become until the recent discus
sion. For over a week it ragged with almost
internecine fury, and nobody can even
guess how long it might have gone on If
tho committee on rules had not peremptO
rily put end TO it, 1t would consume
many columns to report what Judge Hol-
man, Mr. Lynch of Wisconsin, Mr. Hun
ter of Illinois and other members of the
Indian committee say in defense Of their
bill and the new departure (for it amounts
TO that, but the gist of it may be summed
up thus:
The Extinct BunaIoes-
AS late as 1866 all the Indians of the
great plains and Rocky mountains were
practically self supporting for the buffa-
loes in uncounted millions still roamed
from the staked plains nearly to the Sas-
katchewan. In 1867 there were still 300
miles of hostile Indian country between
the most easterly settlement in Colorado
sas. Even in 1871 it was estimated that
there were buffaloes enough to consume
the pasture of an area 300 miles wide and
1900 miles from north to south-that is
TO say, about 5, 600, 900 buffaloes- Within
five years thereafter all those herds had
disappeared as completely as if the earth
had swallowed them, and the new Indian
problem began On the part of the In
dams it was fight for subsistence; on
the part of the border men, of exter-
-.
Indian wars are over, and now the queS-
ton is, Must the remaining wild Indians
be supported indefinitely or be forced to
become self supporting? The committee
has made an effort to steer between extreme
views, adopting this general policy: All
the tribes to be located on lands of their
own choice, with limited reservations, all
other Indian lands to be thrown open to
settlement, Indian education to be con-
Quoted at home that the whole tribe
may be elevated instead of a few individ-
uals, and all allowances to be cut down to
the narrOwest possible limit, SO that the In
dians may learn at once that they must
depend upon themselves.
Indians and Religion.
1t is needless to name the various par
ties combined against this policy for
thy or unworthy reasons The Quakers
protested in a memorial of singular force
against any reduction in the educational
fund. Friends of the teachers and super
intendenus pointed out that salaries al
ready too low for men Of ability were to be
further reduced Some far western men
wanted moro money for their localities
and others were savage against the prac-
tice of taking Indians east to be educated,
while Johnnie Wilson, Mr.. Picker, Mr.
Curtis and other far western men urged
that If radical change was to be made it
should be made rapidly possible and
the Indians started on their new road in
good shape On this subject Colonel J.
j. Noah, now a journalist, but formerly
chief of division of Indian affairs under
the Harrison administration, says: ''An
the difficulties of dealing with the Indians
In the transition state of which Judge HOl-
man speaks are not only great as he
thinks, but very much greater. That,
however, does not account for the furious
acrimOny shown in this debate. Reduc-
ton of the salaries of some appointees
counts for part of it, but back of it all is
really the religious question President
Grant ihauguratef the practice of handing
over several tribes to the various religious
denominations, and although there was
some grumbling over it there never was
heated discussion on the religious issue
till Hon T. J. Morgan became commits
sioner. OF course you remember what a
racket there was over some of his doings.
he tried to set up these local schools for
Indians-fancy schools, we called them
and the question as to the religious man
hSenlenC Oh CnOSo SCHOOLS Is STlll ranking
In many minds Secretary Noble then
did all he could to equalize matters and so
does Commissioner Browning, but Gen
eral Armstrong, who acted commits
sioner for some time, has really had most
to do with it, and he has advocated abol-
ishing these fancy schools and giving the
Indians a more practical education
The Universal Problem.
The commissioners annual report shows
the strength of the Catholic interest in In
dian schools, and that of the Quakers is
historically known to every schOolboy, but
Democratic members OF the committee are
loath to admit that religious prejudice is
potent factor in the discussion. They pre-
fer TO charge it all to the natural enmity
of a certain class against economy, to the
desire of special interests for more money
and to the general wish of Republicans to
put the Democrats in hole Without GO
ing into details, suffice it to say that on
the principles of this bill appropriations
for the Indians are hereafter to be rapidly
reduced; that they are to be educated as
farmers and herders rather than in books,
and that in a very few years they will get
no money except the interest on those
bonds which they own in fee and will be
confronted with the universal problem of
root, hog, OF de-
While the Holman and anti-Hollnan
storm ragged in the house the senate
drOned along on the wool tariff and the
three Investigations dragged as tediously
as ever About every third day on an av-
erage the committee ON sugar discovers
something really worth reading. The
Havemeyers have told a great deal more
than anybody expected they would, and the
committee followed their testimony with
performance which has excited much
amneeTnanf Of he five eap atorS in,