Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-10-02
UNCLESAM's WARDS.
Census Office Estimate of What
tile Indian Has Cost.
About 10000 Whites Killed in
war With Redskins.

port. justpublished, an Interesting at
tempt is made for the first time to
cast upinlfgures an aggregate of the
governments expenditures on account
of the red men residing within our
borders since the Union was estab-
lished in 1889. The result of this
remarkable attempt, says the Washing
ton Star indicates in the statistics
presented that the gigantic sum OF one
billion one hundred md five million
odd dollass (s1, 1o5, 219.362) was spent
by the goTernment up to the year 1890,
either upon the Indians directly, or
indirectly because of Indians. Count
ing in, however, the civil and military
expensessfor Indians sincs then, to-
gether. With incidental expenses not
recognized in the official figures given
;tis safeto say that up to June 80.
1895, further sum of s144, 7So, ,62S
may be added to the foregoing figures,
making 4 grand aggregate of $l,25o,
100000 chargeable to Indians to date.
OF course, u large amount of treas
ure wasgpent in wars with the Ameri-
can Indians prior to the establish
ment Of the federal government in
1889. Indeed, ever since the white
man appeared within thepresent terri
tory of the United States there has
been war almost continually, begin
ming onEthe Pacific side in 1883 and
on the Atlantic side soon after the
year 1900. Since the founding of our
government the United States army,
except when engaged in the wars with
Great Britain and Mexico, and during
the ciyilwar has been used almost ex-
clusiyely in the Indian service, and
has been stationed largely in the In
dian country or along the frontier.
In thef calculation the Indian CEN
sus experts omit the army expenses
incident toahe wars with England and
Mexico, and the civil war with its
sequel 81 reconstruction, and safely
count two:thirds of the total expenses
of the array as chargeable directly or
indirectly to the Indians. The total
expensesof the army from 17ss to
1880 ,wpre found to be "a, ,725, 52l,si.
4s55 !; hlf deducting .$3, 5l4 q q !, h ooE 9
for the foreign wars and the.cfvif war
the remainder is 81, ,201, ,601, 4S7.
Fully two-thirds OF this sum, or SSO7,-
073, 1858, it is estimated, was expended
for Indian wars and for army service
against the Indians.
To this sum the census experts add
the expenses of the Indian civil adj
ministration for the period between
1889 and 1890, amounting to $685.
944, ,OS2, and $40, 100000 more to re-
imburse particular states for expenses
incurred by them in Indian wars, and
$2S, POI, ,632 more for pensions to sur
yiyors or widows of Indian wars, and
then the total foots up to 81, 1O5, ,219,-
372. Counting in, as suggested above,
$144, 7sO, ,62S for civil administration
expenses and proportionate share OF
the army expenses since 1890, the
grand total becomes 81, $50, 900, OO0-
a billion and a quarter of dollars.
The Indian wars under the govern
ment of the United States are stated
to have numbered more than forty and
to have cost the lives of about $4,000
white men, women and children, in
cluding about 5000 killed in individ-
ual encounters, of which history takes
no note, and of 10000 Indians, IN
cluding $500 killed in personal en-
counters.
1t has been the policy of the nation
al government since the year 1928 to
refund to the states and territories
the money paid out by them in sup
pressing Indian hostilities. The liza
bility is based on the fact that the
federal government has treated the
Indians either as nations OF as wards
of the nation, thus keeping them from
control by the several states.
Speaking of the number of Indian
now in the United States, as shown
by the reports of special agents, and
the number supposed to have lived in
the past, the census editor says:," 1t
is not probable that the present area
of the United States since the white
man came has contained at one time
more than 100000 Indians. High
estimates were made in the early
days, but the average even then was
about 1000, 900. In 1890 we have
248, ,253 civilized and uncivilized In.
dians. Through almost four centu-
ries warlike bands have resisted, and
many of these Indians are still resist
ing progress. There are not ten
tribes out of any of the 200 or more
now in the United States but that
have been in revolt, and those exist
ing as tribes are now remnants, with
q few exceptions, too poor or too few
to fight, or they consider it too dan
gerous."