The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-12-22
"eooo" INDIANS
7hcre is About 2o1,ooO OF Them. Moro
Than Ever Before.


7hcre 10 About aoT,ooo OF Them. Moro
Than Ever Before.
Most people have an idea that the In
dian race has obligingly died out in
North America because of the preju-
dice against 1t. They imagine that
there are only a few Indians left any
way, and that It doesn't matter much
what becomes OF them.
On the contrary, there are just as
many Indians in the country today as
there were on the day that Columbus
landed. The number has Just been es-
timated at 267 800. That is to say, there
are more than quarter OF million
Inhabitants OF the United States Of
whom the ordinary person knows next
to nothing
There are whole Indian tribes that
for the country.
There are Indian poets and Indian
statesmen and Indian soldiers. 4,
The United States government has
for more than a century pursued more
or less definite policy in regard to the
red men, and, to a certain degree, pro-
vided for them. The annual report up
on Indian affairs Just issued states that
$36S, ,35S,217 represents the entire
amount spent by the government since
1881 In behalf of the Indians. The ex-
penditures for the fiscal year ended last
July amounted to $10,175, 107. OF this
amount at least 1890, 900 was devoted
to the cause of Indian education.
The first reliable Indian census was
In 1870, and certainly since then the In
dian population has been nearly sta
tionary, whatever decrease there Is be-
ing attributable to Indians becoming
citizens.
Under the head Of obstacles to self
support of the Indians the report de-
precates the ration system, annuity
payments and the leasing of allotments.
| The ration system, says the report, 10
| the corollary Of the reservation system.
| The Indian population Of the United
| States is about 1890, of which 45,270
receive daily ration.
Altogether there are $3.50 Indians
| receiving subsistence in some degree,
| exclusive Of Indian children In board
| ing schools. The commissioner urges
that the indiscriminate issue Of rations
| should stop at once. Annuities dis
| tributed last year aggregated 81 ,507 ,543,
the per capita ranging from $255 down
| to so cents.
The report says that large money
| payments to the Indians "are demoral-
| izing in the extreme. Unscrupulouo
persons induce the Indians to go into
debt and then, when the debt has ac-
cumulated and the Indians credit is
! gone, pressure is brought to bear by the
creditors upon the government to pay
the Indian SO that he can pay his hon
est" debts.
"There is now in the treasury to the
credit OF Indian tribes S33,317, $500.
drawing interest at the rate Of 4 and 8
per cent, the annual interest amount
ing to $1646, ,4S5.96. Besides this sew
eral Of the tribes have large incomes
from leasing and ether sources"
| There are Indian girls so rich that
there is fierce rivalry among white
men to marry them.
And there are Indian girls so well
educated and intelligent that they can
"Gee through" such schemers and send
them packing.
There were $50 Indian schools of all
kinds conducted by the government,
and an increase of LAP pupils in enroll
ment and 1,142 in average attendance
! shown over the previous year.