Evening star., 1896-03-21

ior to those who made or sustained it, so
the Indian question has been a problem
from the landing Of Columbus down to the
present time, and 1t will not be solved until
the last surviving red man has been de-
prived OF his all by the conquering and in
conquerable white man who, for purely al
legorical purposes, is sometimes called the
red mans brother" Once in a great
while philanthropy puts an obstacle in the
pathway trod by the greedy multitude of
invaders, but the halt is brief; occasionally
a one-time savage is graduated into civili-
cation. but such instances are few. The
Christian majority of white men and white
women sympathize vaguely with the de-
scendants of those whose ownership of
mountain and plain was undisputed for
centuries, but blood-kinship with the selfish
despoilers generally prevents that nebulous
sympathy from becoming anything more
than sentiment. Ever since that true
friend Of the Indian-William Penn-was
generous enough to trade a keg of nails,
four old hatchets, double-handful of brass
tacks and seven butcher knives for slice
of the earth a little larger than what is
now the state of Pennsylvania, the Indian
has been victimiZed. Some of those who
overreached him did not pretend to be his
friends. and, as rule, these were more
Terciful to him than were many whose
loudly-proclaimed affection existed only in
language: which, being quite Inexpensive,
vas lavishly disbursed whenever there was
promise of material usury. OF course, it is
extremely improper to even intimate that
Indians are being robbed nowadays-the
word robbery has a harsh sound and
CRATES on the sensitive ear; the inter-racial
struggle is merely a contest in which the
fitteSt is due to survive. On the one hand
Is wealth and all the brains that money
can hire and all the force that cash can
create and control. On the other side dwell
comparative ignorance and poverty, sea-
soned with despair, depending almost en-
whose consciences are tender and whose
hearts are big with knightly courage.
NOW, 1 don't want any one to imagine
that l am accusing of dishonesty all per-
sons who would like to see Indian reserva-
tons in their respective neighborhoods
thrown open fer settlement. Lots of nice
1oikS never stop to think about the fact
that an Indian has cutie as MANY rights
te1ore his Creator as any white man las;
these not unkind people simply come TO the
conclusion that the Indian is not making
the best possible use of his own, and it
should therefore be turned over to men
and women who believe they were put On
earth to make plain their superiority over
all the kinds of Indian that ever lived.
Covetousness is the commonest of failings
in the vicinity of an Indian reservatinn
The reserved land may be less valuable
than some which is to be had for nothing
Just Off the reservation line, but the mere
fact that the genera al public may not enter
and take possession gives to the forbidden
soil desirability and value out of ali
proportion with the true conditions.
Sketch of the Conditions.
The situation hereabouts is rapidly near
ing the acute stage. Last Congress there
was enacted into law a Utah idea that
the Unco-npahgre reservation should re-
vert to the public domain The manner
in which the act prescribed that this was
to be done had at least the appearance of
unfa1rness. Col James F. Randlett, who
commands Fort Du Chesne, is acting agent
for the Uintahs and Uncompahgres. and
he took decided stand in behalf of those
whose interests he is in honor bound to
protect. The Secretary Of the Interior held
the law up. From the purely legal stand-
point the Secretarys action was inexcusa-
bic. but as humane deed, so far as the
Indians were concerned, the Secretary ney-
er did d better thing in his life. In making
this statement 1 disagree with about all
the white friends I have in Utah, outside
OF the army; but it Is my fixed opinion
nevertheless
There is probably only little complaint
because the so-called agricultural lands
we're not thrown open; the trouble arises
mainly over the Secretary's contention that
the extremely valuable gilsonite loads
should not be handed over to the men who
discovered them. 1t is understood here that
the secretary wants to put the gilsonite
of 1t. SO that the government NAV get a
great deal of hard cash for the treasure
which the government did not discover.
rather novel procedure and unpopular in
all mining regions. But as to the merits of
that or any other plan, let the Secretary
and the gilsonite people fight it out; am
trying to discuss Indian affairs from the
standpoint of disinterested observer who
has no love for Indians, but who knows
how badly many of the aborigines have
been treated.
The proposition to have the Uncom-
pahgres pay the United States s125
per acre for such land as is on the In
compahSre reservation Is simply outrage
Gus. That small percentage of the soil
which is fit for agricultural purposes-not
more than twenty-five thousand acres out
of over two millions-would be dear at
half the price. Furthermore, it would he
manifestly unjust to require the Uncom-
pahsres to pay anything for their allot-
ments. They We're moved from their old
haunts In Colorado with a promise that
they should be comfortably settled on
Grand river Eear the mouth of the Cum
nison. While en- route they We're dropped
where they now are, and as Utah was a
tolerably helpless sort of 4 territory in
those days, there the Indians remained
Out of funds. resulting from the sale of
NO herro