The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-23
10 THE POOR RED NAN
Better Things In Store For His
Untutored Mind.
REFORM IN TINE INDIAN BUREAU.
Secretary Hoke smith Relieves In Putting
Uncle Sans Wards To work-The DE.
partment to He Taken Out OF Politics.
New Methods.

i
partment tai He Taken Out OF Politics
New Methods
WASHINGTON. March 2l.-tSpecial T.
One of the most important bills now pend.
ing in congress is one designed 10 effect
great reforms in the management Of the
Indian bureau Secretary Hoke Smith OF
the interior department. Is earnestly In
favor of this measure, and. indeed it was
from him that the suggestion came Many
OF the prominent leaders of both houses
and OF both political parties have expressed
themselves as favoring II, and il is believed
IL will become law The proposition Is
TO create board Of Indian commissioners
In place of the single commissioner who
| now has charge of the work of the bureau
The new commission, IL authorized, will
be appointed by the president, but will be
| nonpartisan In its character. consisting OF
one Republican, one Democrat and an
| army officer. In this way IL is hoped 20
take the Indian service wholly out Of poll.
| tics, and to create "a permanent institution
that will study the Indian problem and
make the best possible arrangements for
| the work, without any fear that party
changes are likely TO upset the whole thing
and undo all that has been done.
Secretary Smiths Views.
81 am heartily In favor OF this bill, said
Secretary Smith today, because it il the
one great reform we need I'm order To make
the Indian service what 10 should be-.
am opposed to politics in the Indian serv.
ice. have endeavored, during all the
time have had direction of the office, 20
eschew every political consideration. Or
ders have been issued that Indian agents,
teachers, farmers and others at agencies
shall not attempt TO exercise any political /
influence upon those around them Only |
the last week recommended to the presi- /
dent and the president appointed an agent
who Is a Republican, and whose sole recon-
mendaton is his work in the past Tho
bill which we hope congress will pass pro.
vides that appointments shall be made on
merit alone, and that the rule which has
heretofore been followed of appointing
agents from the states in which the agen.
cies are located will be done away with
We have had a contest over that matter
with the senate, the western senators in.
sisting that application Of the home rule |
principle required the appointments to be |
made locally. have contended that we
must have the best man FOR the place.
he comes from the state or from
i, 900 miles away, and by confirming the |
Of Agent Newman the sen.
ate has finally yielded TO our wishes This
is an important step gained and will be
productive of much good
Army Discipline.
Another desirable change which the |
new law will bring about il IL Is passed Is |
the introduction Of something like army
discipline in the management of Indian |
agents. l have always believed that there |
should he more rigorous discipline in
this service and, while am not in favor
Of turning the whole care of the Indians
over To the army, the appointment OF an
army officer as one of the commissioners
could not fail To have wholesome influ.
snce upon the character Of the service
Another thing | have sent to the civil
service commission scheme for placing
Ill the clerks at Indian agencies under
,ivil service rules, and when this is adopted |
ma put into operation we shall begin 10
EEL that we have as good an Indian service | /,
Il II Is possible To devise. Already we have |
managed To put stop To most of the scan. |
tails which formerly disgraccd this branch |
n government work, and there are better | !
hings IN store for us and for the Indians | {
themselves. I
If we can put this commission bill | c
Trough shall be willing to predict that =
within 10 years two-thirds of all the |
gency Indians in the United states will
BECOME self supporting. My policy is to
ut the Indians To work | have issued |
riders that whenever there is anything to g
q done about an agency that an Indian | b
IN possibly do, set him at it, IL it is v
FORK on the farm, put him under teacher il
Ill he knows how To do it, IL it is repair | o
{ buildings or of anything Of that sort, | .
make him assist the skilled men who have
In charge. Furthermore, the Indian |
Tho will not work is To have his rations q
topped and his supplies Of clothing cut G
H. That will bring them to time. II a
nese Indians can be made to work and | v
ne desire to accumulate property can be v
lanted In their breasts, there Is no reason | {
'hy the greatest part of them should not | a
lpport themselves. Many OF them are
ell to do, 50 far rs lands and capital are o
They are not poor by any
tanner OF means measured by what white n
len in that part of the country havs All
ley need Is he knowledge of how t. work
nd the thrift and energy to do 70, and
iey can soon be taught to take care of a
lemselves q
They Need Encouragement II
"Give the Indian service u permanent =
nd scientific bureau, with employees 80 y
'cted wholly on account OF their merit :,
nd no politics tointerferc or interrupt the .'
ork, and the Indian problem may DE- :,
)nsidered practically solved Those la "
ans who occupy agricultural land can be | -
Iught to raise enough tn live on They Y
70 To have their holdings allotted in scv ~
atty, so that each man will have hi, own -
'rfn. Where the reservation, are rot | ~
iited TO agriculture bat Ia grazing the ~
'oblem Is more difficult, but ~ can be ~
lived. As fast a. possible | would have a.
part OF the reservation allotted - that r.
Ich Indian family may have its own hold q.
" upon which to create home. with 70
like home ties pride and re- ~
possibility, and the remandrrcau bc left y,
common grazing ground For the work =,
herding many Indians have remarkable a.
iaptibility, and quite "a number Il them | ~
ready have their herds All thcy need ~
little encouragement, under prul ~
ethods, and they will come out all RIGHT
I'd make good citizens
. IL Is my firm belief concluded Score VI
ry Smith, that we shall soon have The an
ldian problem solved and these wards | II
asing 10 be any considerable charge upon | IT,
o nation. Large sums of money are still | :,
10 the various tribes for lands purchased vi
Dnl them for public use. That Is their OF
oncy and cannot be regarded as a gift in tif
" way by the time these payments are rel
made the Indians to whom the money
due should he able 10 paddle their own s,'
al Lnf I'm l,r a.