Daily camera., 1898-03-28
INDIANS PASSING AWAY.
Tribal Relations Will Soon Be En-
tirely Severed.
An Illinois Statesman and an Indian
Doctor Discuss the Situation
Both Favor the Disfnte-
grafton of Tribes.

Congressman Cannon, of Danville, in
his speech before congress On the In
dian appropriation bill, recently
prophesied the extinction of the In
dian race within so years, Dr.. Carlos
Montezuma, of Chicago, who is a full
blooded Apache, agrees with the Hi
nois representative in the proposition
and expresses the belief that four OF
five decades: hence the Indian question
will have found its own solution. The
Indian is far more susceptible to civiliz-
ing influences than the Ethiopian race.
DIR. Montezuma's belief is that there
will be comparatively rapid amalga-
nation Of the Indian race with the
whites. He points out that, while ten
years ago the population of ful2-blooded
Indians far exceeded the haif-breeds,
those who have mixed blood now great
" outnumber those who boast full
blood.
Mr.. Cannon in his speech advocat-
ed the breaking up of tribal relations
and expressed belief that so long as
Indian territory was permitted to ex-
ist as now organized the Indians would
not progress. He considered the sys-
TEN poor and resultless and advocated
some change by which each adult In
dian could be assigned a certain tract
of land in severalty. In ali these con-
tentions DR.. Montezuma indorses the
stand taken by the Illinois congress
man, and he agrees with him fully in
the further statement that education is
lost upon the young Indians who are
returned to their tribes.
Mr.. Cannon says: "They drop back
to the condition of the tribe from which
they came. They do not lift the tribe
up; the tribe pulls them down." DR..
Montezuma says this is unfortunately
true. The returned student is the sub
ject OF suspicion and ridicule, and the
Indian is as sensitive to it as the highest
race on earth. In the march of Chris
tianity over the western world, Dr.
Montezeuma points out, the conversion
of every nation-Saxon, Celtic, Goth
and Norman-was effected by teachers
from strange lands. So it is with the
Indians. The educated Indian canno OF
return to his tribe and be teacher, for
they will not accept him as such. DR..
Montezuma's conclusion is that the
best place for the educated InGian is in
the east, apart from kin, and that the
solution Of the Indian problem lies in
this slow but sure bringing into civiliza-
ton of individual members of the dy-
ing races.
But DR.. Mont ezuma takes issue with
Mr.. Cannon at the point where the lat.
ter attacks the Carlisle school and the
lesser institutions established by the
government for educating the aborig.
ines. The Carlisle school, he says
has done more good in proportion to its
sphere than any other educational in.
stitution in the United States. The wis.
dom of the methods adopted by its
founders has been proved by decades OF
experience. The basic idea of the Car
Isle institution was the removal Of the
pupil from every association and sur.
rounding of his barbarian life. 1t took
him from the wilds of the forest and
placed him in the midst of civiliza ton
In that respect it far excelled the reser-
walton schoolhouse, whose work was
hampered by the conflict between its
aims and the barbaric tendencies and
associations of the pupil. However, DR.
Montezuma was ready to agree, the
good results of five or more years train.
ing ait Carlisle would count for naugh1
if no better future than a return to his
tribe opened to the pupil.
"Yes," said DR.. Montezuma. "let the
tribal relations be forever severed, lei
the Indians lose their identity as peo.
pie. and let them become part, instead
of ward, of this great nation. Why
he continued, laughingly, "some of the
best families of Chicago are proud OF
their descent from Pocahontas. Per
haps hundred years hence direct line.
age from Spotted Tail or Little Man,
Afraid-of-His-Horse' will be the beast
of some of our first citizens"
DIR. Montezuma was born in Arizona
and was captured from his tribe by the
Pumas when five years old. The cap
tors sold him for $50 to Mr.. Gentle, OF
Chicago, and he was reared in this
city, attending the public schools, fin.
ishing at the state university and later
acquiring his technical training in Chi
cago Medical college. The civiliza ton
of his people is his highest wish.-Chi.
cago Post.
Texas News.
Texas Man ION visit east t)--Hullo
Jake! Glad t see.ye. When dye leave
Texas?
Jake-Las' week.
Texas Man-When I left there was
two claimants fer the office of mayor
in our town. Is th' question settled