The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1905-04-13
Mr.. LAcEY's INDIAN BILL.


duced during the last session OF con-
gress by Representative Jonn F. La
cey of the Sixth district has been
brought to public notice very promi-
nently during the past few months
and with all those who favor the open
and free plan of dealing with the In
dams it is finding ready support.
Among those who are strongly in fav-
or of the adoption of the bill proposed
by the Iowan is President Roosevelt,
who in his annual message called at
tention to the need for a plan that Is
practical and that will do away with
the muddle into which the Indian af-
fairs have been drawn through mis-
management and the natural results
of the laws and customs now in force.
This is especially true of the Indian
school system, which has, within the
past few months, bid fair to develop
into veritable scandal and to bring
into a quarrel the Cathonc and nom
Catholic elements in the west and In
Washington. This would be very
deplorable state of affairs and any
: thing that will guard against 1t IS nat
urally hailed with joy by those who
love harmony.
Mr.. Lacey's bill, for this and other
reasons, has met with general ap-
proval in washington and throughout
the county. 1t is step forward in
the line of development and education
Of the Indian. 1t provides for the az
lotment of Indian funds after the plan
which is used in the law for the allot-
ment Of Indian lands. 1t authorizes
the president from time to time, as he
becomes satisfied that members OF
any Indian tribe have arrived at a
stage of civilization where they are
capable, or will soon become capable,
of taking care of their own property,
to cause the allotment of their funds
in severalty. AS matters stand now.
an Indian who signs a petition asking
that so much money be taken from
the fund of his tribe for the support
of a settarian school, is asking for
something indeterminate.
Mr.Lacey's bill proposes to do away
gradually with that element-to loose
the second of the constructing bonds
/ which have long prevented the Indian
from attaining his full stature as a
man and a citizen. The late Senator
Dawes, with his act for alloting In
dian lands in severalty loosed the
first. In dealing with the land ques
! tion, congress wisely placed a large
discretion in the executive, for nc
cast-iron laws would have permitted
such discrimination between tribes
and times and conditions as good ad
mlnistration demands. The same ex
cellent idea dominates the Lacey bill
Instead of throwing down ali the bars
at once, it proposes to enable tina
branch of the government which
comes into direct contact with the In
dian and presumptively knows his
status and his needs in every instance
to decide when any tribe Is ready fol
the allotment of its funds and to pre-
scribe the rules under which such al
lotment shall be made.
SdullOuo VI Iu0 lhuldl WI
find nothing drastic in the bill. I
J does not propose to cut the principa
tribal funds into SO many slices ant
throw each individual Indians slice
into his lap, to be squandered posi-
bly, in a week. At the outset the onl!
} change effected under it would I'm
doubtedly be mere matter of book
] keeping, the opening of a separate &C
count with each Indian in place of thu
lump account now Kept with who'll
; tribe. The income of each allotee'
: share would then go to his own indl
yidual account. He could direct IL
expenditure for improvements on hi
: house or farm, in the purchase of cal
] tie, or the education of his children
: in any school he preferred. In short
} he would learn in this way, in on
year, more of what 1t meant to hav
money and spend it, than he coul'
| learn in twenty-five years under TN
} present system, where division
} from the fund of tribe means notr
J ing at all to the mind of the averag
J individual member Of thai tribe.