Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-11-22
THE INDIAN SITUATION


depends very largely on the class OF
men the government sends OUT o.
agonts or members Of commissions.
IL tho official 10 fair minded and pos
'esaos kindly nature, these charao'
teristlcs are exhibited 10 his treatment
" The q isstiou; 10 lac T. severely parti'
san anu s1ldsh, hls report takes ON
coloring oi that hue. THIS lie clearly
set forth In the official reports sent out
by telegraph on tne .lsi anu 22nd Of
this mouth. The latter date has two
reports from New Mexico resUf.
vaiiona One, from Captain Balis,
s,hl,s that thu Pucbla lndiant ATE pro.
grossinF ihvopDly toward civilizations
the other, from Captain Burnett req
tesents Tue opposite b be the condition
at Mescalero. Captain BaIlis's report
indicates patience, fairness, aud pfac-
IDEAL belief IN tho Idea that The
ab0flginu can be- educate i1a stand.
ard VI usefulness a. a citzsn, therefore
the fruits u bis work AZ agent are IN
harmony with that view. Captain
Bufno,ps report shows a dispoiltlon to
ue mo1dltsome, irritable ani tyfan-
nical, anu the scenes ho describes
accord win that policy. The reports
of the 2lu, likewise represent nnlag.
onlstic conditions. That from Mon.
taua IL Of a most encouraging anu
cJmmenjatofy charac,eg whllo the
report 10 the secretary Of the interior
by the c1mmission sent to tho ave ulv.
iIiled tfibts IN the Iudian Territory
must be- placed ia the opposite olNss.
Tho report last named Il worthy Of
special attention because II Il likely 10
receive particular notice from the
government Toe I've civil zud tribes
visited by tue commissi1n nre tue
Chet1Kess, Choctaws, Chickasaws,
Greeks AID s lminoles. Tue full oloods
among these, the commission de-
olsrci, "atr les. ~ TOT citizenship than
they were twenty years ago, aud thofo
l. little hope they Will lmprovo." Up-
on the general findings, the com mis-.
sion recommends that tho lands now
held In common by the tribes DO taken
control OF by tue United States, aud
that "tho power Of self government In
the tribes be- revoked" In supper,
OF these recommendation II IL
urged that the tribes have dem.
onstraied their inoipaolty to govern
themselves, anu that lawlrss con.
dition Of affairs exists In the territory;
that the treaty stipulation for equal
division OF land Is fiagrsntly aud wide
ly violated, large tracts bring In the
control Of leaders, while the real Indi-
an IL powerluss TO secure any part Of
his common property; and finally, that
the Indians refused to accept an allol.
ment VI their lands, anu the sale Of the
balance, comprising ,ownsiles, coal
aud mineral lands, the proceeds 10 be
divided among the members Of the
tribes.
Ts the uniformed, II might seem,
from the reports that come In the dis.
patches, that there Is n measure OF
truth In these statements which JUST.
ties tho recommendation Of
tho commission. An inquiry IN.
to the actual state Of Affairs,
however, will reveal to any
man who sincerely desires to deal
fairly ami honestly by the Indians
the fact that the recommendations
made are OF tho most unjust aud .epru.
heusib.o character THIS Wow eE.
pressed with due confederation ior the
high political standing Of those who
made up the cJmmi6sion, and who, Il
might be- charitable to say, probably
were mlsled by designiug persons dur
ing their brief stay In the Indian
Territory.
Taking up the proposition that the
treaty stipulation lot equal division 10
flagranlly violated by whom? The
reply 10, by white men principally; anu
Instances may be cited where the
largest tracts OF land, teus Of thou.
sauds Of acres In extent, are held
by United States officials. IL
the possession 10 unlawful, the
government should purge iA own
representative. And ~ TO the lawloss
c9uui.ion o., affairs described, It Is due
chiefly " white thieves who have gone
in " rob the Indians u the money
recently distributed, aui whom II 10
the duty Of the government peace
officers iu The territory to deal with.
| Upon these propositions, then, u be-
upon the general government rather
than upon the dvo trlboa that tho Uug,
den OF blame should rest.
AZ 10 tue statement that the tribes
have lomoaalra,oI tneir inoapaoity to
govern themselves iu local matter,
anu Therefore should Uo deprived OF
the small posvu tugy now exercise 10
that direction, dir8o. Issue, based upon
ana undertaking OF tho conditions,
among those tribes, must be-
taken with the commission,
The capacity Of tho i've civilized
tribes, b., lar az they haya opportunity
TO show %, 60 govern thoutslves Il
equally Ne good a. In many Of the COM
muuit.us esst Ut the MissspM whom
II would Ue Eog .rIeiusa crying sham1
TO treat asst is proposed TO treat ghess
lndaus. Amoug the ,uUes referred
tp llsrv has usouayist WORK accom-.