The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
and the modern life Of the red man.
Recently he has investigated for the
nenartmen OF the Interior conditions

DEPARTMENT OF the Interior conditions
on the reservations. The results of
this long study and careful investiga-
ton he presents with the ardor Of a
missionary.
The United States has extinguished
the tribal and communistic life Of the
Indian, and in dong SO has incurred
responsibility for his future. Gov
ernmental supervision has destroyed
his natural offences. and has not con-
ferred upon him those civic rights and
privileges which are necessary to his
preservation in the new environment.
Provision is made .or his schooling, for
his training in agriculture, for sani-
AIRY conditions of life. But he Is con.
fined to a decreed habitat. and within
its bounds he is exposed to the m
scrupulous and even lawless machi-
nations of the white exploiter. He Is
neither free and responsible nor re-
stricted and protected. We have given
him either too much or 90 little.
What is the root of the trouble?
Mr.. Moorellead locates II in the sub
lection of the sub-departncnt of In
dian Affairs to tho vicia|;tNdts q par
tisan politics. A. parry fortunes
huotuate Commissioners come and go.
Since 1884 there have been ~tnirty-one
of them; average term of service. less
than three years. Since 1907 there
have been three Commissioners and
one acting Commissioner. An exam
pie of the administrative disadvan-
tages of short tenure Is in the case of
the White Earth reservation in Mime
sofa.
After investigating the troubles at
White Earth Mr.. Moorehead and his
associates begged Secretary Garfield
10 strike from the White Earth rolls
the f'rench-Ca sadian element. headed
by ono Gas ". Bcaulieu. II Mas en-
piained to the Secretary that these
mischief makers had come down from
canada and settled themselves on the
Ojibwa. The evidence Presented Vas
complete and unassailable. hut the
Secretary hesitated. and finally passed
the matter on to his successor. Mr..
H%alling-r transferred it in turn to his
successor. and Secretary Fisher left II
for the present head of the Depart
mcnt. Mr.. Lane. to take care Of. OF
course there may have been consid-
erations Of departmental policy, un-
known 10 the author. quite sufficient to
justify his course of action. But on
the face of 1t it seems to Justify the
accusation of inadequacy brought
against the present system.
Is the condition OF the Indians well
understood? Mr.. M~oorehead thinks.
emphatically. not. The public attitude
is n compiacent compound of isno-
rance and Indifference. Where a decent
interest In the red mans welfare does
exist, ne says, 1t is fed on m%isrepre-
sentation f the facts. sometimes acct
dental. sometimes intentional. Au-
thort;ieS at Washington are some
times guilty of II. though acting in
unqucstionable good faith: but the
worst OF IL. So it is declared. is in
spircd by those who have selfish ends
to serve. land spectators and the
like specialists in plumber.
All this tends to create belief that
pro-lndian activities are the work of
sentimcntaiists and that the Govern
ment has done and il doinC its full
duty. Iiu treaties Of the early iron
tier days. even If NEGOTIATED with
honest intent. lavc not been kept in
honor. and later agreements and PROM
49, NV IEpA dINGNS UFl. 10 put II
euphemistically. observed with scru-
pulouS regard for either tie Letter "
the spirit.
Secretary Ian" wants to give the
Indians greater freedom to hasten
the day OF removal Of restrictions or
withdrawal of supervision. Mr.. Moore
head thinks pne-third or perhaps half
OF the Indians might he immediately
merged into the body polite. but the
other two-thirds or half would if en-
franchis"i share the lot Of their peo-
pie in California. Minnesota ard Okla
hoina. He supplements his criticism
with alternative constructive. reno
d!a' suggestions: \ greatly length
ened tenure of office for the Commits
Siuner OF Indian Affairs and an ad-
visory board to stand between the
Commissioner and the Congressional
committees; or, a paid national com
mission To have full charge of this
branch of tho Interior Department
duties. This il tn" PLATFORM of the
Lake Mohonk Conference. In detail
II calls for seven commissioners. each
having charge Il n specially. cduca-
ton, health, irritation. nance and
50 on. Its programme would lnClud,
OPEN hearings, publication of quar-
teriy reports ana publicity for all find
inGS: a complete roster Of fullhlood
and halfhrd Indians. admission &c
citizenship of "all competent, edu.
Gated Indians" and restriction for
twenty-five years of the property OF
every ignorant fullbiood. minor OF
incompetent"
The pr posed change would preSum-
ABLY he beneficial: II the Cummis-
sioncrs could he kept 'out of poll.
tlc*' II white men could he made uni
tormly just, n rcd men uniforml,
white under their skins; il icnoranc,
combined with ~uprichtneSs and in,
dustry could be shown to ne I'll,
proper ground of disfranchisemcnt
and education grated on thriCtless,
ness and unS'Cial character a rcasa.
for enfrinchisemHnt- for icnoranc.
does not indicate, necessarily. unit
ness for h social rights that 60 WI
the civic charter, nor does education
inevitably eNpCl the qualities tina
, make some citizens "undesirahles." Il
"A word, the average" American clti
zen would probably, after readin.
M~oorehcad, declare that though Their,
was more "rotten in Denmark" than h,
had nov about. the system" is al
right, better perhaps han the com
mission idea and that those who