The St. Johns herald., 1895-09-12
UNCLE SAM'S INDIANS.
An Official Estimate of Their Cost
 to the Government.
A Diflcrlt and Intricate Problem That Has Never Been Attempted Before
 Warfare wttI the
IeIIOal-

z just published. an Interesting attempt is made for the first time to. cast up in ! fcures Ga aggregate cfthe government expenditures CT account of the red men l rossidir@ within cur borders since the union vas established in 1TS9. The re- suit cf this remarkable attempt indi- catcs i1 the statistics presented that | the gigantic sum of one billion one 1 hundred and five million odd dollars l (Sf, ,105, ,e19, ,327) was spent by the govern ment up to tae year 1890, either upon the Indian directly, or indirectly be- cause of Indians Counting in, how ever, the civil and military expenses for Indians since then, together with in cidental expenses not recognized in the official figures given, it is safe to say that up to June 30, 1895. a further surn of S114,780,6 ,628 may be added to the foregoing figures, making grand ag- gregate of s1.250, ,OO0, O6O chargeable to Indians to date.
 The problem, says the Washington Star, is suca a difficult and intricate one that 1t has never been attempted before. The prime factors entering in to the problem are: CD The expenses of the wars waged between the federal government and the Indian tribes since the date mentioned and the mainten- ance of our standing army in the vicin- 1 ity of the reso-va tions; @ the claims of the states for indemnity for ex- penses incurred in repclling Indian in vasions; (3) the civil and educational ex- penses incurred on account of Indians, and (4) the cost of pensions to the sur vivors or widows of soldiers serving in Indian wars.
 Of course, a large amount of treasure was spent in wars with the American Indians prior to the esta blishnont of the federal government in 1789. In deed, eyer since the white man ap- peGred within the present territory of the United States there has been war almost continually beginning on the Pacific side in 1530, and oa the Atlantic side soon after the year 1j00 Since the nited States army. except when eu- gcGed in the wars with Great Britain and Mexico, and during tho civil war, has been used almost exclusively in the Indian service. and has been sta tio2cd largely il the Indian country or along thc frontier.
 Tn their calculation the Indian census experts omit the army expenses incl dent to tllo wars with England and Mexico, and the civil war, with is sequel of reconstruction, and safely coants t,y0-thirl5 of the total ex- pepses of the army a5 cbargaable di- rectly or indirectly to thc Indians. The total expenses of the army from 1733 to 1890 were found to tc $tT25, ,5.1 ,4G5; but deducting 63,5i4,G1t,037 for the for eiga wars and the civil WAT, the re- naindcr is 91.210,G1o,4 go. Fully two thirds of this suu,, or &9C7, ,Q79, ,C5S, it is estimated, was expended for Indian wars and for army service against tae Indians.
 To this sun the census experts add the expenses of tlc Indian civil admin istration fer the period between 1789 and 1890, amounting to 2a50, ,94A,G ,GS3, and SIC, ,000, ,C00 more to reimburse particular states for expenses incurred by them in Indian wars, and &23,254 ,G32 more for pensions to survivors or widows of Indian wars, and then the total foots up to s1,105, ,219.S72. Counting i.l, as suggested above, S144, 760,G2S for civil administration expenses and a propCr- tionate share of the army expenses since 1899, the grand total becomes Sf.250, eco, ,G00-a billion and a quarter of dollars
 The Indian wars under the govern ment of tho United States ere stated to have numbered more than 4o, and to have cost the lives of about tG, ,0GO white men, women and children, including about 5.G00 killed in individual encoun- ters, of which history takes no note. and of 33,G00 Indians. including $500 killed in personal encounters.
 It has been the policy of the national government since the year 1928 to re- fund to the states and territories the moneys paid out by them in supprcssing Indian ho3tiiitics. This liability is based d-op the fact that the federal gov ernment has treated the Indians either as nations CT as wards of the nation. thus keeping them from control by the several states.
 Speaking of the number of Indians now ia the United States, as shown by the reports of special agents, and the number supposed to have livcd in tic past, tho census editor says: 1t is rot probable that the present area of the United States since the white mcn ca.Cc has contained at ono time moro than 500,00o Indians. High estimates were made in the early days, but the average even then was about 1.909,030. In t591 we have 246, 253 civilized end uncivilized Indians. Through almost four ccn- turies varlike bands have resisted, and many Of these Indiansare still resi-, ng progress. There are not 10 tribes ort Of any Of the 200 or more now in the United States but that have been in revolt, and those existing as tribes are now remnants, with few exceptions, too poor or too few to fight, or they con- slider it too dangerous"
 Alexander Fad Tender Heart.
 Two weeks before the sickness of the czar Of Russia toclz turn for the