The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-01-01

The treatment 6f the Ifdifbs 81 the
governments Of the United Stn.ss and
By the people themselves has always
been . vexed question because it has al
ways been viewed from two entirely
different standpoints Of the east and the
weat. The Indian is usually regarded
in the east from the kindly IL not the
sentimental point Of view. and in the
west from the practical point Of view.
Between the extremes the governments
hae always been censured ON the ona
side for its laxity in punishing the In
dams and on the other side for its dis
honesty in dealing with them. The
Rev Charles II. Parkhurst in Thanks
giving sermon recently made the some
what rash statement that he would
rather be Malay subject to Spain than
be an American Indian subject to the
Indian bureau. This broad imputation
Of systematic cruelty ON the part Of the
government called forth q reply from
Mr.. T. ]. Morgan, former commissioner
of Indian affairs, in which he defends
the government with few facts, and
his statements are interesting if only
because they put briefly before us some
Of the things that the government has
done and tried to do for the Indian.
which things are usually overlooked or
forgotten when the wrongs Of the red
man are canvassed. In the first place,
the government does not regard the In
dians as subjects of taxation or revenue.
but as wards, and whenever it has taken
their land il has paid them for it under
treaty stipulations, by far the largest
expense of the Indian bureau being the
moneys thus paid. In addition to this,
the government has provided an enor
nous tract of productive land for them
in the shape of a reservation, where it
has supplied them with schools.
churches. agricultural implements and
teachers Mr.. Morgan cites the case of
the Usage Indians, now on this reserva-
ton to the number of 1900. There il
to their credit in the United States
treasury the sum of $S. 600, 600, of
which the government pays them every
three months 100000, and Mr.. Nor
gan very peItinenrly asks if similar
example can be pointed ont on the part
of Spain. The five tribes Of Cherokees,
Creeks, Chootaws, Ckickasaws and
Seminoles have their own domains in
the Indian Territory. where they are
under a protectorate of the United
States and are never interfered with
unless they disturb the peace of adja-
cent communities. Finally the United
States government is maintaining
among the Indians Of this country a
system of public boarding schools which
cost So, ZOO, 900 annually and in which
there are now enrolled "a, 900 Indian
pupils who are fed, clothed, instructed,
nursed and protected at the expense of
the government.
Il is SO easy to find fault with an ad-
ministration or a system and SO natural
to take the side of the Indian unless You
are living beyond the reach of the Unit
minder Of what the government is doing
is valuable. There have no doubt been
awful mistakes and ineradicable wrongs
committed in our treatment of the In
dians. but. after all, it was owing to the
system which is fastened upon popu-
lar government, and we ought occasion
ally to remember that a democracy has
in the long run accomplished what no
other people have ever attempted
namely, it has offered citizenship and a
free chance to conquered people in the
very civilization that has overcome
them