Evening star., 1902-04-25
ND|AN EDUCATION
Topic Discussed Before the
Social Scientists.
DEFENSE OF SYSTEM
Ex-CoMMISSIoNER MORGAN AL
LEGEs DEFECTS IN LOGIC.
Elevation of the Race Depends Upon
Its Assimilation in the Ma
tional Life

| General 7. ]. Morgan ex-commissioner Of
! Indian affairs, read paper today before
| the Social Science Associa ton, in session
| at the Columbian University Hall, on the
| subject Of Indian Education" He said in
part:
| Indian education Is of interest both as
an academic and a practical question. So
| far as education is function of the state
| or of the national government it must be
| regarded as one among many factors con-
| tributing to the general purpose of fitting
| Its subjects for American citizenship. The
| cardinal principle of the republic is equality
| of privilege and of responsibility
THE relation of the Indians to the masses
| or our people is peculiar, and any discussion
of their complete assimilation into our ma
| tional life must of necessity take account
of their history, their isolation, their racial
traits and prejudces and their environ
| ment, as well as the chara cter of the land
| upon which they have been forced to live.
| No system of public schools, of whatever
| character, can be relied upon to change
| radically and compre ehensiveIy all the rela-
| tions Of the Indians to the rest OF us; at
! best it can be relied upon only to cont ribute
| something toward the final result.
| 1.-The Indian schools of today can hardly
| be called a system; they are rather a series
| of institutions having an historic origin,
| and having been slowly brought into
| ganic relationship. 1t comprises district
| public schools. reservation day schools,
| reservation boarding schools and non-reser-
| walton boarding schools.
Discusses Indian Office Report
"On receiving an unexpected invitation to
prepare a paper for this occasion on the
subject 1 naturally turned to the latest
report Of the Indian office, bearing date
October, 1901. 1 found a very interesting
and somewhat surprising discussion of In
| dian education. The report, while not self
consistent, is apparently intended to dis
credit the whole Indian school system and
| to call for it's abandonment. Certainly, II
those officers Of the government specially
| charged with the responsibility of admin
| iStering the system have lost faith in it,
We can expect neither support from the
government, effective work by subordinates,
enthusiasm on the part of students, nor con-
| fidence and sympathy Of the people The
| system is doomed to decay unless 1t can be
vindicated from the deadly assault made
upon it by the Indian office.
Surely the report is a pessimistic view
| of the situation and If accepted as a final
| judgment upon the Indian schools we are
certainly maintaining most eXtravagant
and harmful system.
I'VE are not quite prepared, however to
accept this deliverance Of the Indian office
on this important matter, and l venture to
point Out WndC seems 10 me some QGIGCCS III
| the logic of the portions Of the report The
writer apparently expects too much of the
system of Indian education, for, as l have
| before stated, education is only one Of the
| factors in the process of civilization and the
uplift of a people.
by the peculiarities of the situation the
| Indians almost alone, among the various
| constituent elements of our national life,
are scarcely touched by the great forces of
| industry, trade, commerce, political activity,
| newspapers, travel, religious institutions
and public opinion; they are almost wholly
| outside of these currents of influence The
many quickening and regenerative forces
have scarcely touched the Indians, SO that
| we could hardly expect to find among them
| those rich results which among ourselves
| have come from forces not operative among
| them.
Inferior to White Schools.
| LET US also bear in mind, in asking for
| results from a system of public school edu-
| cation among the Indians, that that system
is far inferior to the public school system
| operative among the white population.
Most Indian pupils spend the greater por-
portion Of their school life in learning the
English language, in acquiring some of the
| simpler habits of civilized life and In be-
| coming acquainted with the mere rudiments
| Of education. The so-called graduates of
| the best Indian schools would scarcely rank
| with those Of our grammar schools. They
| are called graduates only by courtesy, and
| their scholastic attainments are ordinarily
as well as necessarily very meager. 1t Is
| hardly fair, therefore, to demand from the
| educational system that has been adopted
| any such results issue from our public
schools.
| Undoubtedly the ultimate end hoped for
| is the elevation Of the entire body of In
dams and their assimilation into our ma
| tiOnal life. This, however, cannot be done
| by wholesale, but must be done very largely
by introducing radical revolution in the
| life Of the Individual. What has been
| claimed heretofore by the Indian Office is
| that the solution Of the Indian question SO
| far as it depends upon the influence Of edu-
| cation, is to be found in the thorough train
Ing of an entire generation ofelndian chill
dren and youth.
| What Has Been Accomplished.
IT suppose there is no question that the
present school system Is accomplishing all
| that could be asked for it, or expected of
1t, in the matter Of improving the life of
| individuals.
what the influence Of this education is
| upon the general progress Of the tribes. or
the uplifting Of the mass Of Indians, may
be inferred by statement, found in the
| report, where, in refuting the oft repeated
| charge that the educated Indian returns to
his reservation to take up the blanket and
his old customs, 1t says: That such was the
| case eight or ten years ago may have been
partially true. Then the reservations were
| wilder, conditions more primitive, and the
| number OF pupils returned quite small. Now
conditions have changed. and where then
there was one returned student in the tribe
now there are hundreds. Then the educat-
| ed Indian boy or girl was reviled, but to-
day the returned student Is the most prom
inent factor in the development Of his tribe
Incomplete System.
"In passing judgment upon the efficacy Of
the present Indian school system for the
accomplishment Of its great purpose It
ought to be remembered that it is still in
complete. According to the report there are
now enrolled 1880 pupils with nearly $500
| unprovided for These six thousand consti-
tute an important part OF our young In
dian wards, which has not been touched by
the educational forces now operating The
| ultimate effect of the system, Of course,
cannot be Judged until 1t has embraced
| practically all the available children Of
school age, and it Is manifestly unjust to
pronounce q system a failure before 1t has
been fairly tried.
'The criticism upon the present system Of
education In the Indian off1ce report that
the Indian not having earned his education
in 1n$a ap ha aA NO. VT.