The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-12-06
Reform of Indian Service.


varied work of the department begin
ming with the Indian service and calls
atten zion to the strict enforcement,
which has been given to civil service
reform, both as to those places cover
ed by the classified service and t, ose
to which the rules of this service do
not apply.
The secretary dwells upon the nee
essity of eliminating politics from the
management of Indian affairs and of
conducting each reservation upon
strictly business principles, the object
being to make every Indian who re-
mains upon the reservation self-sup-
porting and ready, as soon as possible.
to assume the duties of the citizen
ship and be freed from the paternal
care of the government.
The secretary is of the opinion that
the resources of each reservation are
treated intelligently and the Indians
required to labor in the pursuits which
are adopted to particular reservations,
and in few years practically all the
Indians can be made self supporting.
The secretary recommends the reOr-
ganization of the bureau as follows:
First.-That instead of single COM
missioner of Indian affairs the Indian
service be placed in charge of three
commissioners, two of them to be
civilians-to be appointed from differ
ent political parties-and one to be
a detailed army officer.
Second-That the tenur of office
of an Indian agent be dependent upon
the faithful discharge of his duties
and appointments and removals be
made by the president upon the rec
ommendation of the three commits
sioners of Indian affairs.
Third.-That the classified service
be extended over all the subordinate
positions, both at the agencies and at
the schools The reduction of 90 per
cent, which the law required to be
made in connection with the Indian
contract schools, has been strictly car
ried out and the secretary adds that
there seems to be no reason why such
reductions should not continue from
year to year until the system of gov
eminent aid to sectarian schools shall
terminate.
Referring to the subject of allot-
ments, the secretary says there are a
number of changes which should be
made in the present allotment system,
which require congressional action.
According to the present law, an In
dian becomes citizen of the United
States upon receiving his allotment.
In any case he is ready to receive land
before he is prepared for the conse-
quences of citizenship. Allotments
should be made long before reserva-
lions are opened. Each Indian should
be settled upon his homestead and be
self-supporting before citizenship is
conferred upon him. When citizen
ship is conferred, the government
ought to let him alone and allow him
to take his place, surrounding him
with no more restraint and giving him
no more help than is accorded to other
citizens. Under the present system
Indians to whom allotments have been
made and upon whom citizenship has
been conferred. still receive enormous
gratultles and need every dollar they
receive. Upon each reservation a
part of the Indians will be ready fol-
citizenship before others and all are
ready to own land and work it before
they are ready for citizenship.
The law should be changed so that
allotment can be made upon the rec
ommendation of the agent TO those
who are ready for it, and patents
should be issued later, with the ap-
/ prevail of the secretary of interior, to
those Indians showing themselves fit
ted to receive the lands so assigned.
/ The secretary also recommends that
general authority with the approval
of the president be given to the In
dian bureau to sell parts of Indian
reservations: the money to be used ex-
clusively in the improvement of allot-
ted lands for the purpose of furnish
ing agricultural implements and cattle
to the Indians who may reside upon
the remaining lands.
The Chicago Chronicle says: "The
American people have struck the era
of colossal rascality. Theft of public
| property is as common as slupginu of