The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06
Indian Being Used
!. For Country's Good
BY C. H. FORBEs-LINDsAY.

I sonal incentive and competitive stimulus.
| And the Indian is making good in every
/ field which he has entered. Some of the
best farms In the newly opened sections
arc TILED by Indians whose fathers loafed
| through life on the same soil.
The reclamation service employs hun
dreds of Indians and welcomes all it can
get, for they have proved to be the best
lahorers available. Where the past gem
Grafton stunned the sandy waste its sons
are helping transform the desert into a
! blooming garden. In mines. on railroad
construction and various other works
throughout our growing Westernland you
will find them. And on these busy spots
YOU will gain new and hopeful view of
J the red race problem. When you see tho
Indian putting his weight with will on
! a mattock or sturdily swinging a PICK
| YOU recognize him for man to be re-
| spected and you wonder at the density
of your past misconceptions of him
But the pleasing picture thah your fancy
forms of the future of the Indian is
dimmed by Il shadow In the background
the sinister shadow of liquor. This is the
greatest danger that besets his path TO
prosperity. 1t Is greater menace to him
than to any other citizen of this country
Cor all others enjoy certain degree of i'm
munity. derived from generations Of users
of alcohol You might give your child
whiskey with less i'll effect than would
follow the indulgence In 1t by an adult
Indian. To him 1t is a crude poison which
will work its full force upon his system
and soon set up an unquenchable craving.
Here is a problem in itself.
1t must not be supposed that In placing
the Indian in a position to enjoy the ben
efits and perform the duties of indepen-
,,;| ,aY,t hos an
tirey resigned it's guardianship of him. III
opening UP reservations the allotment of
lands includes every soul-men. women
and chdren-among the Indians and
every reasonable provision Is made for
giving them Il fair start.
Where necessary Congress has made ap-
proprlatlons for irrigation and other i'm
provements. To guard against the unso-
phisticated aborigines becoming prey to
sharpers their allotments are held in trust
by the government for twenty years, and
may only be sold or leased with the APP
prevail of tho Secretary OF the Interior 1t
is desired to maintain the operation of the
law against the introduction of liquor into
the Indian country but the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs finds this n difficulty
proposition.
Inscriptions persons have secured LAM
on reservations and engaged in the busi-
ness of selling liquor to the Indians. main
tanning that an open reservation is no
longer Indian country The Commissioner
Of Indian Affairs Is determined to oppose
this traffic with all the means at his
command, but he is handicapped by re-
cent decision of tho Supreme Court and
by the fact that his office has no fund
from which to derive the means of prose-
cutting offenders. 1t is heartily to be de-
sired that some measures may be adopted
for the protection of the Indian against
his most formidable enemy. Experience
proves that his safety lies in Keeping
liquor out of his reach.
Once he touches it he completely loses
control of himself Nevertheless he IS
eager to buy 1t and willing to poy any
price for 1t, facts that offer strong tempta-
lions to whlskey dealers to cvade the law
II possible.
There are probably 10000 Indian chill
dren Of the school age, OF the majority
OF these the government hopes to make
useful citizens. who will become an i'm