The Alaska daily empire., 1914-12-24
TRANSFORM INDIAN
 URGES SEC'Y LANE

TRANSFORM INDIAN
 URGES SECY LANE
 A definite. constructive policy for che Indian by which ho may be ranstorm- ed from a ward Of the government to @ successful end integral part Of tne American eitizenryi discussion oi h.1 development Of che west; and Ie' view Of Che achievements of tho la9t year gre contained in the annual report Of Secretary Franklin K Lane of the interior department.
 Three things. says Secretary Lane, "of unusual purport have marked the life of this department during the past year-the passing Of the cheSo- kee Nation. the opening Of Alaska, and the advancement of series Of meas- ures aimed to promote tho further development of the west Theae lhinge are apparently unrelated. yet they have made m appeal to me as alike illustrative of tho newnes8 Of our country. the novelty of It's problems, and the responsiveness of our goy- ernment
 Secretary Lane discusses the inc dian problem at length and asks whether it ia for the benefit of the Indian himself that the present aims house policy" should continue.
 Appeals to Justice.
 "The American conscience, our sense. of justice our traditions. in fact will not permit the adoption of drastic course that would cast tho Indian upon 9 world for which he is ill.prepared, " he says Yet ] am of the opinion that it would be better, far better, to sever all ties between the Indian and the government give every man bis own and let him 50 his way to success or destruction, rather than keep alive in the Indian the belief that he Is to romain ward Of the goy- ernment
 "The way out is gradually and wisely to put the Indian out Our goal Is the free Indian. The orphan asylum idea must loo killed In tho mind of Indian and white man. The Indian should know what he is upon the road to enjoy or suffer full ca. paclty He is to have his opportunity as Torward.looking man.
 "It is my conclusion after as inc tlmate a study as practicable Of his nature and needs that ho should benceforth make positive and sys- tematlc effort to cast tho full burden of independence and responsibility upon an increasing number of the Indians of all tribes find that there is statute which significantly em- powers the secretary of the interior to do this in individual cases. That authority Is adequate intend to use such authority
 How to Keep Him.
 "ln 1880 the problem was how to get the Indian out of the way. To- day the problem is how to make him really part of the nation. The man who can do for himself is the man to be released And he is the man who thinks not in terms of the In- dians' yesterday but in terms of the Indians tomorrow In one thing VIC are short-the art of including am- bition. This largely depends upon the genius of the teacher to fire the imagination of the pupil. That Is theI first step in all civilization.
 'Tn my report of last year ] sug- gested Q series of measures for the. development of western resources which ] thought consonant with tho advancing spirit Of our time and would meet the demand of the west There were five of these measures, one pro- yiding for 9 government railroad sys- tenn in Alaska an Alaskan coal'leas- ing bill D new reclamation act; Q bill providing for new method of opening and developing coal phospate, oil and potash field and watorpower bill. All of these measures have pass ed tho house of representatives and the first three alone passed the senate and by your approval have become law feel that it is conservative to cay chat by the passage of these pills the federal government hos given greater Of its interest insthoir wel- fare than has been given for many years"