Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-26
INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Commissioner Jones, In hts annual re-
port. estimates that the United States
government has spent Ssio.2Ij.29O In
fighting, subdulng and civilisIng the
Indians. and $4,000 coo for the educa-
ton and care Of their children. or In
all slOS5.2ij 200 The estimate covers
the entire period from the beginning OF
the government TO the year 1890, That
Is vast sum spent and the worst Of
II is that the results obtained hardly
correspond to the magnitude of the eN-
pendittre, The outlay for the education
Of the children has been small com
pared to the cost Of "subduing" the
adults, still, quite large amount Is
now spent annually for educational
purposes. The total cost Of Indian
schools during the fiscal year was 49,
6S7, 1856. or $l3S per capita This amount
maintained 249 schools with an enroll
ment of iSi48i pupils, and in addition
a number Of pupils at the Hampton,
Va. institute, and at public schools.
Concerning the effect OF education on
the Indians, Agent Erwin Of Oklahoma
In his report, makes the point that the
educated" Indians are the most worth
less ones In the whole tribe. He says
that hardly any OF the young Indians
those who have graduated from nom
reservation schools, as well as those
who have attended for number Of
years-do any work at ALL Nearly all
Of the work done by the tribes Is per-
formed by the middle-aged, able-bodied
ones who cannot write or speak Eng
fish. The educated Indian coming
from the schools usually gives the ex-
cuse that he has nothing with which to
work, neither money, implements nor
stock of any kind. This Is true, but
they manage to buy horses, buggies,
etc, on credit and borrow money from
the banks, with very little prospect OF
ever being able to pay their debts. ANY
able-bodied man or woman Is able to
obtain work at fair wages.
According to this reportmany Of them
are addicted 10 drink. and both men
and women are inveterate gamblers
They have practically nothing to do.
Their days are spent In almost utter
idleness. and vice and debauohery are
rampant, The degradation Of these peo-
pie will continue and increase until
they are made TO work and live by the
result Of their iabors,
Commissioner Jones in explaining his
policy OF abandoning the ration system,
states that over 1900 have now been
dropped from the ration roll and be-
come self-supporting. Others have
been put to work. or work has been
found for them In this way the man
hood OF the Indian is appealed to and
he is taught self-relianee and self-re.
spect and to put his hand TO the plow.
Nothing is further from the truth Mr..
Jones says, than the assertion that the
plan Is to hire out adult male Indians
as contract laborers The result OF the
policy has been favorable even beyond
expectations, and there IL every reason
TO believe that the final success OF the
plan, II carried out judclously. Is as
sured. The trouble complained OF by
the Oklahoma agent, Will, then, be re-
moved by the policy OF withdrawing ra-
tions and making the idle ones work.
II Is probably true that some OF the
educational work has been lost, because
It has aimed at the enriching OF the
mind with ideas OF little value in the
life Of an Indian in his tribe. Manual
training would have been better II
would have fitted him for usefulness.
But then, the problem is not an easy
one That the Indians are capable OF
attaining high degree Of civilization
has been demonstrated, II Is clear also
from the fact that, judging from the
evidences that come down TO US from
antiquity, they have fallen from a very
high estate. They can certainly be lift
ed up to that level, and higher still.
The question Is OF finding the right
methods.