Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-24
RESULT IS DISAPPOINTING
Leasing Of Indian Lands Proves an Evil
Instead. of Blessing.
'OlsNsss ryF's sEsETr'Ns SIN
Learns the kEtH and Not the Good
Habits Of fke Whites He Comes In
Contact H3tk--ProposnI- TO In
crease D. ia 90 the Miiiti".

'..,s., s... 'ssrs.rS.",s e. ts .S. s,,,,. TO In
WASHINGTON. Nov. .-(Special.)-Com-
missioner of Indian Affairs Browning looks
upon the leasing of Indian lands as feature
not to be countenanced by the government OF
the United States. Instead of being the OBJ
ject lesson which II was originally intended,
1t has become more Of a disposition to make
money on the part OF the Indians than home
and place which they might enjoy in their
old age. While wards of the government en-
joyng all the right OF a Child the Indians
have failed signally. far as can be ascer-
tained, In appreciating the kindly spirit shown
to them by an indulgent father. This Is par
| ticularly the case with the Omaha Indians In
Thurston county. II had been hoped that
this band OF Indians would be self-assertive.
strong and upright In the enjoyment, not only
Of citizenship in the state Of Nebraska but in
keeping that faith which had been expected
OF them from the Indian office. Instead, how
| ever. word comes from Thurston county that
| the Omahas are retrograding; that whisky,
avarice and countless other evils associated
with the white man are playing havoc in the
tribe. and instead of being cited as an in
stance of betterment by the government they
are In a worse state than during savagery.
The commissioner, in talking OF these mat
| ters. gave In detail the number Of leaseholds
held by the white man from the Indians, and
was In very grave doubt as to just what
action should be taken by congress at the
coming session to correct the evils that now
exist. He doubted very much IL the plan
adopted by eastern senators and representa-
| tives giving the Indian a certain allotment
| TO do with what he pleased was the proper
what inclined to the idea that the Indian
| should be treated a ward and not enjoy
any OF the rights and privileges Of American
citizenship until SUCH time he had proven
| his ability to enjoy citizenship.
| IDLENESS BESETTING SIN.
While 1t was the original intention of the
government to give the Indian land and to
| associate him with the white man, It has been
| universally found, according to the report of
the Department of the Interior, and particu-
lariy the commissioner of Indian affairs, that
the Indians p! known propensity for
idleness stands a barrier toward the
working out of the benefcent pro-
vision Of the government. In one in
stance the commissioner cited, where $500
allotments were made it now transpires that
| 33OO or these allotments are subleased, the
Indians retaining from forty to eighty acres
| OF land. while white men are farming the
balance, running'into thousands of acres 1t
is asserted, and not without some show of
reason, that the white man commands the
| Indians attention during a period when the
l
tracts, and the result is strongly against the
leasehold principle las now obtains. In the
Omaha and Winnebago reservations certain
| numbers Of acres of land remain to be al
lotted. these lands being held by the tribes
| In common, but according to the request of
Senator Allen the alotments have not been
| made for the reason that it would work a
hardship upon the Indian at this time and
introduce into Thurston county an element
which the senator did not desire to cope with
| There strong reasons for helipvipp ar
unless other legislation is taken this winter
| that the allotmentS to the Omaha Indians
| will not be made for several years to come.
HALTING BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS.
The Indian office is hesitating between two
!, opinions az to which is the proper course, to
1 pursue. They recognize that the Indian has
| rights. and, like parent nurturing child.
| they believe the government should deal with
| the Indian, but conditions are such that the
Indian seems to be his own worst enemy,
and the time has come when, without any
| more allotments to be made, he will be given
an education and then allowed to drift
whittier he pleases tribal relations broken up,
| families sundered, and he an outcast, to travel
| over the face Of the country which he once
| owned by right of first possession.
| There will doubtless be strong legislation
at the coming session of congress relative to
| the National Guard of the United States
From sources believed to be entirely trust
worthy 1t Is learned that the War depart
! ment looks favorably upon the scheme of
| the mobilization of the army at certain
strategic points, and through this mobilization
a considerable reduction, 1t is thought can
be made in the yearly appropriation for the
maintenance of the military arm of the
service. Until within the past few years the
appropriation made by congress annually for
! the support of the militia aggregated 5000 OOO
but this was doubled some five or six years
| ago, and now amounts to 100000. This is
painfully insufficient to put the service upon
| anything like fighting footing and no one
better understands this than the present sec
| retary Of war. The appropriation last year
| for the support Of the military estabshm ent
| was $2S, 900 900. 1t is estimated by those
| competent to judge that II the old frontier
| posts were abandoned and the troops centered
| near the large cities that the cost of main
tanning the army in its present shape could
be reduced to SIC. .0000 000 and that the SS, 600,-
| 900 that are further required for the main
tenance of the army could be applied toward
increasing the efficiency of the militia.
| STRENGTH OF THE MILITIA.
The effective military strength of the
United States according to latest reports,
| that is to say, the number of men under
arms in all of the forty-four states and four
| territories of the United States, is set down
at 100000, exclusive of the regular army.
| The best troops are those embraced in the
| states OF New York and Pennsylvania. With
this appropriation of $4,000 900 that could be
saved by the Capitalization of the military
arm of the service, the militia force could
| be increased from 100000 to 5000 men,
| and that therefore the United States would
have in constant training, with the standing
army of the United States, 100000 men
available at a moments notice for the field
| to resist any foreign foe.
This matter was discussed at the meeting
| of the army surgeons at Buffalo last summer,
and II is thought that some decisive action
will be taken by this body which includes
surgeons of both the army and the militia,
at their meeting In Philadelphia next May.
1t is possible, however, that a bill will be
introduced by Some one Of the representa-
tives or senatoys rfTpm the west looking to
the betterment, ,9t the militia, with view of
making It the reserve force Of great stand
ing army to be, utilized upon any sudden
call. Sh- ~
WESTERN LAND DECISIONS.
Secretary OFF the Interior Renders
Judgment In Several Cases.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 23.-(special Tele-