The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-26
A srupENpous FAILuRE.

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs
is of the opinion, which he freely ex-
presses in his annual report. that the
experiment of educating Indian chill
dren is a failure. He is also of the opin-
ion that the system of. feeding and car
ing for Indians on reservations Is
failure--a stupendous failure.
In the last twenty years 900
has been spent in educating Indian pu-
pills. In that time about 10000 have
graduated from schools established for
their benefit. There are now 113 board
ing schools, maintained at the expense
OF the government, for Indian children,
and the average attendance is about
10000. They range from TO q years
of age. They are taken from the cabin,
the wickiup and the teepee-homes of
poverty and the most unattractive sur
roundings-and placed in comfor table
schools where every want is carefully
provided for. What is the result? They
go back to their respective tribes after
their education is ended and find moth
ing there that is congenial. They have
not been taught to labor and there Is
nothing for them to do. There is no
encouragement for them to utilize the
education which they have obtained at
the expense of the government Natur-
ally they lapse into barbarism again.
And they are not as good barbar ians as
their ancestors were. because they are
now conscious of their unhappy condi-
ton and they see no opportunities for
lettering it. Consequently they are
morose, overbearing in manner and ug-
ly in their relations with the unedu-
Gated members Of their tribes.
The Commissioners thinks that If this
educational system is continued for
another twenty years the cost to the
government will be something like $780,
900, 900, and that the results that will
be obtained will be disappointing in the
extreme.
And he believes that the government
is making a mistake in maintaining
Indians on reservations. There are
about 10000 of them in all now, and
in the last thirty years the government
has spent $240, 600, 900 in taking care of
them. That amount would have built
a house and furnished it, a barn, and
fenced a very considerable section Of
land for each one of them--in other
words would have provided each one of
them with a fully equipped farm. Now
they are no better off than they were
thirty years ago. and will be no better
of thirty years hence. They are given
rations and are provided with clothes;
mechanics build What houses are need
ed for them. and doctors attend them
when they are III. They literally do
nothing but live at the expense OF the
government. Would II not be a wiser
plan to make them earn their own
living? Would they not be far better
off to-day II, thirty years ago. they
had been given farms and taught how
70 cultivate them. attaching a penalty
OF some kind 10 a refusal 10 become
supporting
II is certainly time that the govern
ment was looking Into this matter ana
considering whether or not n has been
dealing wisely WIN its Indian Wards
al these years. II probably thought
that the Indians. when they were cd
ucated. would become indufirious--
would be- ambitious 10 accomplish
aomethinR FOR fheuise'res. o. seems
however fhai a. % rafc thiug for one
I ~ the eaurafea Indians 49, So oUfrigc
{ of the lnVroumrnf u which he hnlf
i himsfN on be- return nom govern
! pent school So pimp.y drops beck ip,