The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-26
A SAMPLE OF PATERNALIsM.


A SAMPLE OF PATERNALISM
Those who are urging that the gov
eminent extend it's paternalistic care
over other great institutions and in
dustries Of the nation, and assume to
believe that it can manage matters
better than individual enterprise, with
Individual conscience and individual
responsibility behind it. might profita-
bly, consider the conclusions reached
by the Indian educators. who have been
in session, during the last week, in this
city. The whole Indian question is a
sample Of the way that the govern
ment manages things when it has I'M
disturbed control. If there is in the
whole history of the United States, in
Guiding even the slave-holding era, a
blacker page than that upon which is
recorded the unutterable crimes of our
dealings with the Indian. we do not
know where it will be found. There
was some excuse for misman-
agement, and some explanation of
indifference to gross fraud during the
period when the Indians were still hos
tile tribes, against whom our armies
might at any time have to be directed.
The passions stirred by outbreaks and
outrages were not conducive to a calm.
thoughtful and honorable treatment Of
the Indian question. But all that is
hostile. Even the reservation system
has been practically broken up, tribal
relations have been, as far as possible.
ext1nguished, and every right-thinking
person knows that the duty of the ma
ton toward the Indian is to change
him as quickly as possible into
worthy citizen and a self-supporting
man.
The means to do this are wholly
within the governments reach. It
has supreme power over the Indians
affairs. It has charged itself in the
past with his maintenance. IT is still
administrator Of the remnants of his
landed estates. 1t makes and breaks
"
1t pays him such portions of his in
come as do not cling to the itching
palms through which they pass. IF
furnishes him with such supplies as
greedy contractors think nroner for
INN TO consume. And most of all, be-
cause 1t touches the interests of the
future generation, and governs the de-
Velopment of mind and soul. it has
taken charge of the education of Tn
uidn children. So tender, indeed. is ia
regard Tor the red man in this respect
mat 1t has ordered the banisbment of
the denominational schools that v,ara
established to aid in this work. The
separation Of church and state mus+
so our lawgivers have decread ha 90
fieo out to the farthest theoretical
limit, by having Indian education taken
In charge wholly by the state Now
this Is unquestionably proper. provided
the state is ready to do It's dutv R,,+
these Indian educators, who know
what they are talking about. whose
hVes nave been devoted to caring for
this unhappy and largely degraded
people, are full of complaint of the in
adequacy and inefficiency of the gov
ernments educational machinery. AS
Tar as this department of it's work is
concerned, they are ready to say that
paternallsm is fiat failure.
The government gives utterly ins,f-
ficient aDDrOnria flor, 90, 1...
'ioh' ana is 1nattentfve to the admin
fstration of Indian affairs. The whole
constitution of the Indian bureau re-
tains many of the Objectionable
features that have prevailed In
1t from the first You can get
an appropriation for spending 500
100000 on new ironclads- through
congress with much greater ease than
you can authorize the expenditure of
$4,000 for Indian schools There are
says one of these missionary instruct
ors, whose word is absolutely good, a
dozen agencies and other places In this
state where, out of from 100 to 900
Indian children, not more than one in
of a discharge of duty is this? What
account shall the nation render of its
stewardship toward the Indian? Not
only has it made alleged treaties"
with him that were intended to be
broken, and torn them to tatters when
ever self-interest required; not only
has 1t written this chapter of shame
into its history, but it is as incompe-
tent or as untrustworthy as ever when
1t is changed from the role of con-
queror to that of guardian and steward
It is still unfaithful to its trust. It
cares little or nothing about the vel
fare or the future of the Indian. and
IS either unable or unwilling itself
10 perform the first duty of the state
toward those whose custody it has as