Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-23
INDIANS WORTH
OVER A BILLION
Need Protection from Grafters
That Only a NOn-POlitical
Commission Can Give.

Mohonk Lake, N. Y, oct. 22-1ndi-
ans in the United states own property
worth more than billion dollars.
There is now $4S,000,0 900 in the United
States treasury to the credit of the
American Indians. Their land hold
ings, steadily increasing in value
Serve as bats to attract an army of
graftcrs, shyster lawyers and schem-
ers"
These statements introduced an ad-
dress delivered before the Lake Mo-
honk conference of friends of the In
dams and other dependent peoples to-
day by Warren Is. Moorehead of An
dover. Mass, a member of the United
states board of Indian commissioners.
Mr.. Mooreheai discovered the White
Earth frauds of 1909 and recently in
vestigated Indian conditions in Okla
homa. His subject was AN Histori-
cal Review of the Indian situation"
His paper called attention to pre-
vious Investigations which have been
reported to the conference from time
to time, to the work of the Indian
Right association and that of the best
men in the Indian service" Inspector
L. Il. Linnen; also, to the reports of
missionaries, business men and scien-
lists, the past 20 years. "All this data
properly assembled and ligested" he
said, means but one thing-that no
matter how honest man we have as
commissioner of Indian affairs, or how
capable and compet~ ent the heads of
departments in the Indian office. we
cannot save the Indian a a race under
col, Of
We benefit individuals but we are pro-
ducing unnumbered paupers and dis
eased Indians.
Under our form of government" Mr..
Noorehead continued, we are not fit to
handle dependent people since we
change our officials every few years For
instance we have had four commissioners
of Indian affairs in six years. This is
not conducive to efficiency. do not
c11ticise the personnel of the Indian
service or the efforts of those thousand.
OF Woodworking men and women who
are endeavoring to uplift the Indian We
have concentrated on citizenship for the
| Indian and have handed him a paper
citizenship which in most cases is OF
| little or no value Roughly stated the
| Indian is " citizen in name only and he
| has neither the rights nor tine protection
afforded white citizens. Nowhere in tn,
| United States are communities, of whit,
| citizens defrauded out of their propertv
| The Indian citizenship must he made
effective and real the laws enforced
Otherwise we will have unnumbereC
paupers to support
! For more than two generations w,
have had commissioners of Indian affair.
| at Washington and in spite of thci
pest enorts the same problem confronts
us to-day The only salvation of tn,
Indian lies in a total change of policy
the abolition of the commssonership o.
Indian affairs, the appointment of :
commission of nine men, the best oh
men who understand Indians and no
political appontees. This commission
should be appointed for at least 10 YEAR
and If possible fifteen. 1t should pub
lish its findings every three months anc
all its hearings should be public. 1t shoulC
have in its charge every Indian person
and all cash belonging to Indians o
tribes, farm lands, mines. oil wells anC
other properties. The rulings of this com
mission should be absolute and final |
should eliminate all educated and com
petent Indians, making of them citi
Zens."
The speaker asserted that because o
! the interference of interested person
through Congress and otherwise it wa
utterly impossible for one man to man
age successfully the intricate problem
connected with indian welfare in th
| country.