The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-09-02
General Porten Chief of the Creeks,
Says Civilization Is Accomplished.
ACCEPTING BALLOT AND LAND
Significance of This Step-Porter's
System of Education Is Beneficial
In Its ResuIts-Father of the Plain
Discusses Outlook of the Future.

AuScOSo0, L. l., De1oV6S Inat he mas
solved the question of evolution of
the North American Inditan into a
valuable citizen. The solution of
this problem has taken 80 years of
the generals life, but he believes
that the time has been we'll spent,
and if his ideas are closely follow
| ed is content to abide by the results.
Born among the Muscogees in
Porter, an Irlsh-American and
| nephew of a former Pennsylvania
governor and grandson of Andrew j.
Porter, who served on the staff of
General Washington, General Porter
although with five-eighths of white
blood in his veins, has been particu-
larly well placed to study the edu-
! cational and social problem. He was
| the delegate of the Creeks to Wash
| ington Is times and chairman of the
commission in the sale of Oklahoma
to the United States from which sale
the Creeks secured $2,280,O0O.
| In this sale General Porter secured
$1,0O0,000 for a permanent school
fund upon which the government
pays five per cent interest. He has
been the superintendent of education
since his retirement from the civil
war; in which he fought on the con-
federate side, being retired with the
rank of lieutenant Three insurrec-
| tons followed the introduction of the
| Porter system of education and once
the Greek nation was under martial
law.It was in this latter trouble that
he received his present military title.
| General Porter attended a Presby-
terrain school at Tallahassee five
years Until the Greek lands were
divided he operated a ranch of 1000
acres. He had 500 acres under cult
walton and used the rest for stock
raising He is estimated to be worth
from $4,000 to 100000 and his
first wife was Miss NJ Keyes, of st.
Louis, daughter of Judge Riley Reyes,
for many years chief justice of the
Greek nation. His second wife was
Miss Battle L. Merthoff. cousin of
his first wife. His home at Musko-
gee is we'll furnished and it's most
attractive room is its library.
The plans which have been worked
out by General Porter as likely to ac-
complish the result which he aims at
are told in his statement, which fol
lows:
Since congress by Its act of June
20 made workable the scheme for
the allotment of Indian lands occu-
pied by the Creeks July 20, there is
nothing for our people to do but &C.
cept the scheme and so conduct
themselves that to the political part
of citizenship that has been accorded
them will be added the property
rights of citizenship. We have been
able, as we think, to get the govern
ment to exercise sufficient protec-
ton and sufficient care over the indi-
vidual to enable him to hold his
allotment and to develop it. That was
not accomplished without difficulty.
When it was seen in 1891 that the
government had determined to abol-
ish the tribal relation it appeared to
be the part of wisdom for the In
dian to prepare himself, as best he
could, for the cnange in his condi-
ton that seemed inevitable On the
one hand was rejection and possible
humiliation, on the other was con-
sent and possible final adjustment
to a scheme of life, easy for the white
man because he is the invent0~ and
has long been living under i, but a
scheme to which the Indian must
adapt himself He may take to it
kindly and develop under it. 1t is, of
course, to be hoped that he will The
Greeks, all being farmers and being
used to the ways of white civiliza-
ton, will have little trouble in com
ing into harmony with the new order
of things. But this may be more diff
ficult with the agency tribes.
By treating the Indian as an indi-
vidual it may be urged that the gov
eminent is multiplying it's cares, but
it cannot be denied that the system
it has finally adopted is workable, and
there appears to be no retreat from
it. 1t is not a question of whether
we exist as a tribe of people, but
whether we exist at all. 1t is best for
us, therefore, to take it for granted
that the government believes it is
workable for our interests and give
good faith for what is presumed to
be good faith on the part of the gov
eminent.
Assuming that the government will
keep its word there is sufficient prob
ability that the government will not
further rob the Indian, to make the
Indian willing to make the expert
ment of citizenship. Every chilu in
all the tribes knows that the success
of this experiment depends on him
and on all other Indians, as individ-