Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-06-26
CIvILlzISG ma. INmI,N.


terms Of which the government has
been compelled L" furnish the Indian
with food and blankets will lapae before
a great while. ami Commissioner Jones
OF the Iudian bureau proposes t" tS-
tablish a new order of affairs.
Work. which is the white mans IN.
heritance and salvation. must Ice the
salvation Of the Indian. If Commission
er Jones plan Is carried out the Indian
will lave to work oil starve
1t Is propo ed to give each Indian
enough land to enable hiin to support
himself and family by cui:ivatIng it. His
refusal to do SO will mean starvl
ton.
The administration Of Indian affairs
has long been open to criticism. Those
who are entirely unfamiliar with condi-
tious have had altogether tnu much in
fiuence at w~Rshiugt"n. The plea OF the
alleged humaniturIan and siIckIer for
Justice has had entirely too much
weight III the councils Of the nation.
No amount Of protest from those who
know conditions as ;hey are has had any
effect. These protests Lave been made
tim" and again 10y persons intimately
acquainted with the Indian and his
ways; they have come from people who
come in daily contact with the Indian
and who know him thoroughly.
Their statements have been more or
less d~isregardcd. as being ~prcirdiced,
and their attitude toward the lpdian
has been rcgarie in very much the
same light as is the attitude a.! the
~sOutIeruer toward the negro.
Indian agents WHO have htudleI their
agencies with marked ability have been
removed or transferred because IT nj.
legged h]arshness i'll dealing with the In
dian question. The agents were guild.
Ell by nn intimate kuowledge of cuudi.
,iuns, whereas thcs,. critics were guided
by lofty ideals and ideas which do very
well III the pulpit or from the rostrum.
but which are al no value in the west.
on the reservations where the Indian
has his greatest liberty.
The Indian must either III the
march OF civilization or be crushed be
meath it. Let him he given a chance tu
join it. 10y furiish.ng INN with enough
land, rs Commissioned Jones suggests.
to enable him Ia support himself and
family. IL Lee ln-n ~rtfuses To Join
the march, let .im hc swept nsi,ie.
An Acquaintance. with the Indian and
u-ItI his tatnr. In I.Iit. III ,n.r.l,
cable characteristic will serve To re.
move any suygcs'iur ri har,hnCss con.
tanned III the foregoing rrrornmeudd.
ton.
Let the Washington authorities listen
Ia the suggestions ot the practical man.
one who knows conditions ~ the! exist.
not as the ideals; would wish to have
them, and the Indian problem" will he
found easy Of solution.
Work must br the salvation NJ the
white man.
Work is the greatest thing in the
world. bar nothing.
Any policy which docs not recognize
work rs its fundamental principle Is a
curse and an abomina'iop, and must
surely fail.
Give Il man something for nothing
once, and he wants the same treatment
forever after.
Throw him upon his "
to sink or swim. and nine tincs ont Of
ten he will swim.
IL DC does't swim, the chances are he
doesn't deserve much sympathy.
If an able-hndicd Indian can race
horses, stand being thrown aud having
his arm broken without uttcriug Il cry,
and IL he can endure The exposure mel.
dent to the hun and tcpcc lif", he can
manage to do a little work ON IL farm
live in a log cabin and make himself OF
sOtne use in the world.
The Indian has ceased Ia lie an orna
mcnt.
1t is therefore Ia he earnestly hoped
that Commissioner Jones will carry out
his intention and make the %In.linu carr
what he gcts.-St Joseph Gazette.