Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-09-01
Have No Great Desire to Become
American Citizens.
Reason Is to Be Found In Fact That
Wealthy Red Men Do Not Like
the Idea Of Paying Taxes.

3 Uncle Sam is encountering some diff
Hculties in carrying out his plans for
comforting full citizenship upon those
Indians who, after an investigation. are
deemed to be competent to manage
their own affairs.
Secretary Lane of the interior de-
partment believes that an important
factor In the solution of the Indian
problem is the placing upon the in
dividual Indian Of the responsibilities
of American citizenship as soon as he
shall have demonstrated his compe-
tency and he is working to this end.
Some of the Indians, however, includ-
ing some of the most progressive and
competent men of their race, do not
want to become American citizens
and there's a reason. ,--.
In the working out Of the problem
with which he is confronted, Secretary
Lane has named two competency
boards, the members of which are ex-
amining personally each Indian on ev-
cry reservation who may be regarded
as competent to meet the requirements
Of citizenship. OF the several thou
sands examined by the boards, APP
proximately 500 have been recommend
ed to Secretary Lane for citizenship.
Protests from q few of those rec
commended by the boards as competent
have been received by the secretary.
They do not want citizenship to be
thrust upon them. From Leo Samp-
son and Allen Patawa, two full-blood-
ed Umatilla Indians Of Oregon, Sec
rotary Lane is In receipt of joint let
ter saying that they had declined to
make application for patents in fee for
their allotments and stating the rea-
sons why they do not want patents in
fee to be issued to them at this time.
Patawa and his wife hold an allot-
ment conservatively worth $4,000. 1t
is well stocked with horses and cattle
and admirably equipped with farm ma
chinery. Patawa is Industrious and
well educated and is making money.
Sampson Is an interpreter at the UNA
tf1la agency on a salary Of $500 year
and leases his allotment for about $500
a year. In addition, he has an undivid-
ed interest in other property. He is
highly intelligent and was given an ex-
cellent education by the government.
Both Patawa and Sampson urge
that change In their condition would
affect their standing with their own
people, thus diminishing their influence
for good that they cannot adapt them
selves beneficially to the methods Of
white men; that IL they are required
to manage, without restriction, their
own affairs, they may lose their lands
and money; and that, in any event,
they will have to pay taxes.
The last reason presents the crux
of the situation. Many of the compe-
tent Indians are comparatively
wealthy. Their lands are the most val
liable in the Indian country. They are
accorded all the privileges of white
citizens, yet contribute not cent to
the maintenance Of roads, bridges and
schools, or to the cost of other facil-
tiles and conveniences for which citi-
zens pay taxes.
1t is the purpose of Secretary Lane
to be assured that only competent and
trustworthy Indians be made citizens,
and to that end he is having thorough
investigation made Of each case; but
he is determined that the mere expe-
dent of tax-dodging shall not avail to
prevent an Indian. simply because he
is an Indian, from assuming the duties
and responsibilities of American citi-
zenship.