The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-22
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 The recent report that our Government stopping the issuance of fations 9tpttae Apache Indians on the San Carlos reservation in Arisona means more than may appear at, ,nrst sight Of course there are many whos will argue that those rat.ons should never have been issued at all. but that the Indians should be compelled to earn their own living. Others. will argue that the Gov ernment Will have to drop them at some dime, and that 1t may as we'll be done now as at any time in the. future.
 Whatever force such arguments might have under different conditions. they do not touch the merits of the question now. These Apaches are the most savage and war-like of all the tribes of the North west. 9sThey were ,almost, continually at war with the whites until the capture of Geronimo and. his band in 1888. wesbeiieve, since which time they have been quiet. The Government confined them on the San Carlos. Reservation and voluntarily undertook to supply them with both food and clothing. Schools were established. after a manner. but 'tsuch education sas
 was given them was. not of the kind to
 teach themsto be esself-sustaining.
 These ;Apaches. like most savases. have
 little knowledge of Agriculture aiad Jess
 inclination to follow 1t. but that isn't
 all The portion of Arizona to which they are confined is almost without water. and 1t is we'll known that drouths .are common and severe. Without arti- hcisl irrigation successful agriculture Tor stock-raising Is out of the question. The Indians cannot build the dams and con duct the irrigating operations required. and our Government refuses to do so. It virtually shuts them up in an arid reser- vatfon. withdraws all support and tells them they must look out for themselves or tstarye. @ r
 ' There can be but one result of such policy. The Indians are not going to starve while there Is anything in the land to live on. Having nothing of their own. and the game practically. all gone. they will follow the instincts of their race and leave their reservation. and we will have a repetition of the outbreaks" which have been comon in the past. The Apactes, as we have said. are among the most blood thirsty tribes of. the, West. The waf-pathsis their favorite road and to go out on a murderous raid is their, delight Killing. ,robbing and. outragiAz are. among their favorite pastimes. And when they see. or have good cayse to believe. that the Government has broken faith with them nothing mays be, expected but that they will. put on theirfwar- paint and descend on the whites. They know the power of the United States and have felt that power on many occasions. but in this case it wilisbe, a choice 3between staryation. and extermination, and they win scho3ses sthe latter. eThen. as a con semporary }. familiar with them. remarks:
 Murder and robbery would prevail all along the borders of the Gila and San Pedro Rivers between Mammoth and Riverside. That is the way of the Apache-pre-em eminently so beyond all ocher red men when he considers that faith has been broken with him. The settlers in that section would, of course, look to- the government for protection; big claims for depredations would inevitably follow: thescost of suppressing a serious uprising sofEthe San, Carlos Indians would far ex- Lceed the expense of furnishing these Fponr and hitherto well-behaved red men with either the San Carlos dam or half a dozen other such dams; while at the
 same time such improvements would en-
 rich the country by the development of
 It's natural resources. In addition, how
 ever. the water-supply once furnished would in short time render these Indians
 independent of government rations, or nearly. so-make them seIf-sustaining. in
 fact. .% Hs v '-ef 'f v.
 There may be those in authority who
 think this a small matter. but they are
 mistaken. < It may not by some be con
 sidered good policy to give these Indians ratlons, but if that is true. it should not have sbeen begun in the first place. The Government promised, to support them and should keep that promise. and at the same time should assist them to become seIf-sustaininK. N.~ =
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