Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-21
B. G. Valentine Says American People
Know Little of Real Natives.
SAYS MORAL CODE IS LACKING
Not Considered Crime to Steal from
Helpless Race is Impression.
BUREAU ATTEMPTS GREAT WORK
People of United states, However,
Need Education Along Lines of
Fairness In order to
Overcome Evils.

MOHoNK LAKE, N. Y, Oct. 20.-''The
people OF the United States ought to know
certain things about their Indian bureau,
said r. @. Valentine, commissioner Of In
dian affairs, in a speech today before the
Mohonk conference for friends Of the In
dans and other dependent people.
They know today, too little about the
two or three fundamental principles in the
light OF which, AL the ,mutiform activities
of,the Indian service fall into well ordered
array in an advance toward a single goal
"1n.t minds Of mRst people the Indian
service is a mere hodge-poHge Of activity.
Indians are going to this or that kind of a
school, being allotted. raising stock. work.
ing in the woods learning to irrigate.
drawing per capita payments in some cases
and rations in Others owning bank ac-
counts OF all sizes from few dollars to
many thousands, going to church and en-
gagiDg in pagan rites dealing shrewdly
with traders or becoming an easy mark
for them. developing all kinds Of diseases,
getting drunk and even keeping sober,
loafing and making some of the best work
men the United States possesses. al these
various activities are kept in fL.ther con-
fusion by the kaleidoscope changes intro
duced by the rapidly developing economic
and social life Of the white people scat
the Indian country. az II
This apparent chaos in Indian affairs
is only true superficially. 1t is necessary
J for the people at large to understand what
the fundamental principles governing the
bureau are in order to assist in Bringing
them to the surface and to demand of the
| - t..,Gv- d.
telligent and forceful application"
Present System Ineffective. ~
"It is possible to do only two things
with the Indians" Mar. Valentine went on
ito exterminate them or make them into
citizens. Our present cours1 is a cross be.
tween determination and citizenship.
IN eOnciusion Mr.. Valentine said:
II Il is possiblesto bring threeg principles
OF health. schools and industry to the front
the Indian service will waken into full con.
sciousness and intelligence. The superin.
tendent who writes in for 500 to paint hi:
buildings will not bp told there Is no money
nor will another superintendent who need,
more rations for the old people be tolt
that 1t is the policy OF the government t
discontinue rations. The bona fide whit,
settler must come in and the land specu
lator must go. Broad powers should b,
given by congress to the executive officer
of the gov erhment by which in such mat
ters as the allotment OF Indians thes
officers can use their discretion.
Finally, one great force, perhaps abov
all others, must be met and overcome 1
seems as If in many white men there ex
listed different moral code among them
selves and between themselves and the In
dians. Men who would not think of steal
ing from white men apparently consider
no crime to steal from Indians. This mus
} be corrected.
IF the people Of the United States vii
take note of all these things these evil
would disappear in a few years. They Wi
mot disappear until some fundamental leg
islation is passed by congress in respons
to the will of the people"