New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-24
OUR INDIAN WARDS
A Great Opportunity for Some Con-
structive Legislation.
To The editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The Committee on Indian Relsa',i
of the Constitutional Convention has iat'i
up the problem of efficient government !a'
New York Indians with an earnest enthGslAi.
that prophesies success. 1t seems detsFni's
to 20 to the root Of the matter and |" u
complish something of permanent value.
The committee and the convention have
great opportunity to do a most important 4
of constructive legislation. The gre's''
wrong our ancestors did the Indians vas
allowing them to retain their tribal TeaiSii
under a perpetual treaty. Our fathers o.
this with the best of motives, but the resas
have been none the less harmful. The .
itial wrong has been aggravated by the dfi'I
ing policy Of the government for huh''''
years. The time has fully come when H'
mistakes Of the past, reaching up to the p'''
ent, should be corrected and the lndiah' 4
New York put under conditions favorsos
development and progress toward eeoh''a
independence, high social standards OF NAs|
citizenship and the white mans civilinaa-
Ten years of somewhat close obseniHa
of conditions and careful study ef the P'
lem has led the writer to two eonelusSa'
first, that the radical weakness OF tne ~
government on the reservations is In 'ns
that it is administered by local courts, a.
cal cost, rather than by state courts, G,s'|
cost; second, the remedy lies in estsoh'''
state courts with the same jurisdiction %
reservations as justice courts now nave
make their cost a state charge. Ihs s~t
change would, in the view OF the Hri~
the entering wedge that would in re" -
solve the whole Ipdian problem OF New ~
which has bafled lawmakers for q nu1~~
years.
1t would be as well, perhaps, to 60 % !.
Their at present than to make this s.'
The questions of land tenure, ailotmehh
zenship, conflict of jurisdiction between
state and national governments, soou' "
there is dispute, might well be LEFT fo' ~.
solution. The fact is undsputet thar es,
state laws are binding on Indians
Gent machinery be devised Tor eni'
these laws. The law Of the survival
iittest would soon remove the last W., -
of the clumsy pretences OF goVerhmen.,
still remain on some OF the resei
Most Of the progressive Indians vouis
come the advent of reliable wni"
courts: IN fact, they appeal to those w
in many cases. .,,,,t
No doubt there will be natural Ana 49,.
inclination in the committee ana ID y,
yention 20 bring the reservations uaS' =,
jurisdiction of the local courts sno tbs
matter rest there, putting the cos, nat.
cases upon the state. This would pS 4,
ters in much better shape than 'he! a,
nresent. but would not be the oesE - -,
view of the writer IL would be muSn 4.
TO have a Judge not mixed up with iTSH !.
terests. Besides, the courts shouio " -, q
the reservations, not in a village % ~ Id
the reservation. One peripateue I'ue ,osry
he enough for all the reservations, ~
would not need TO be held very 0'se al
the machinery got to working. me Oa' ,,,.s
objection to a single judge for lndi.a ,,,s
yations is the cost Of travel ABOUT Wv
and this is not a serious one. A.. "a
The cost of maintaining courts on s,s
eryations need not be great Ano y. o,s
would 90 a long way toward paying "a
iustice courts would be required HOI
appeals could be taken to county e0Si Is
The essential thing in this proposs" sssrs
the state shall meet the cost OF ,hs hSrIs,
and thus relieve the localities OF tss y,Ii,,,
This change would be only just ,,,s.
as they are situated are wards ., =. ,.,r
The state builds their roads, suPpols d,
schools. looks after their health, es. ,A.i
their poor Why should 1t not \ gIIL
government?
Albany, June Is, 1918.