The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-21

with the expenditure; that the idea theo-
retically is an admirable expedient for
breaking down prejudices and civilizing
the Indian, but the figures show it is not
an unqualified success. The full-blood
who needs such contact most, is rarely
secured and the ground work, at least; of
Indian education must be laid under the
governments auspices and central.
Stronger measures for forcing the attend
ance on Indian schools are urged. There
are 2,562 employees in the Indian service
and the policyis to employ Indians in
every position to which they ar adapted
by nature and education. A thorough and
exhaustive investigation of the Seminoles
in Florida has resulted in the discontinu-
ance of the offices of industrial teacher
and other employees, and no school will be
established for them at present, their real
and fancied wrongs having embittered
them against governmental assistance.
The removal Of the Paris school in
Southern California and rebuilding it in
a more suitable locality will be recon-
mended to congress.
Concerning the Indian territory the re-
port severely arraigns nepotism, lack of
management, demoralized conditions and
a deplorable state of affairs generally in
administering the schools and orphan
asylums Of the five Indian nations. out
of twenty-one boarding schools not more
than four of the superintendent are re-
ported competent to teach the ordinary
English branches, and the financial mis-
management is especially complained of.
Reporting on the Chippewa outbreak Of
last autumn, Commissioner Jones says:
For many years Chippewas have been ar
rested and taken from thir homes to 81.
Paul and other points as witnesses or
offenders, chiefly im whisky cases. Often
wholesale arrests have been made simply
for the fees which would accrue to the Of
ficials. Indians have been helped to OBJ
tain whisky by the very ones who arrest
ed them for using it. In some cases IN
dams carried off to court have been lef
to get back the best they could. The
wheel matter OF arrests by deputy mar
shals had come to be a farce, a fraud,
and hardship to the Chippewas and a
disgrace tothe community. But neither
does this by itselfe xplain the outbreak.
When a delegation of Chippewas visited
Washington last winter their most bitter
complaint was about injustice in the use
of their funds, and frauds in the DISPOSE
ton of their timber. Without going into
details it is sufficient to say that In 1889
the Chippewas were with difficulty in
duced to cede to the United States large
tracts of valuable pine lands on the rep
resentation that the sale Of the pine
would bring them a fund of several mill |
lion dollars. AS is always the case, many |
Indians were utterly opposd to to the ne
gotiations. A commission was appointed |
to make allotments or coded anil Teser- |
walton lands and to secure removals to |
White Earth of those who were willing |
to go there. Estimators were appointed to \
appraise the Chippewa pine The expense |
of both is charged to the fund ofthe In |
dams. The expense of the commission up /
to date has not been less than 500 600, |
most Of it in salaries The work Of the |
estimators proved worthless, and a sec /
ond set Of estfmators was appointed with |
no better results, and a third st OF them
was assigned to the work. Up 70 date
about $3.50 900 has been charged to the In
dams for estimating. Meanwhile large
tracts Of pine which had been estimated
at from one-fourth 20 one-half their val
ue were sold, and that loss also fell up
on the Indians. Again. under authority
To dispose of dead and down timber. con-
tractors havdcut large quantities of green
standing timber. There are also strong
indications that considerable timber was
fired to bring to nominaly under the
head Of dead timber. This was another
loss TO the Indians. All these and other
minor influences together wrought TO pro
duce the general feeling Of oppression
which found expression when the ar
rests were undertaken by aid Of the mill
tary force"