Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-09-08
SOME INDIANS OBJECT
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.

Uncle Sam is encountering some diff
uculties 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 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, ap
proximately 500 have been recommend
ed to Secretary Lane for citizenship
Protests from a 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
retary Lane is in receipt Of joint let
ter saying that they had declined t.
make application for patents in fee foi
their allotments and stating the rea
sons why they do not want patents ii
| fee to be issued to them at this time
Patawa and his wife hold an allot
ment conservatively worth $4,000. l
is well stocked with horses and cattl
and admirably equipped with farm ma
chinery. Patawa is Industrious ant
well educated and is making money
Sampson is an interpreter at the Uma
tilla agency on a salary of $500 yea
and leases his allotment for about $50
a year. In addition, he has an undivid
I'd interest in other property. He i
highly intelligent and was given an ez
cellent education by the government
Both Patawa and Sampson urg
that a change in their condition woul
fleet their standing with their ow
,eople, thus diminishing their in1uenc
for good; that they cannot adapt then
selves benefcially to the methods G
white men; that if they are require
to manage, without restriction, thei
own affairs, they may lose their land
and money; and that, in any even
they will have to pay taxes.
The last reason presents the cru
IF the situation. Many of the comp
tent Indians are comparative
wealthy. Their lands are the most va
liable in the Indian country. They al
accorded all the privileges of whit
citizens, yet contribute not a cent
the maintenance of roads, bridges an
schools, or to the cost of other faci
tiles and conveniences for which cit
zens pay taxes.
1t is the purpose of Secretary LaI
to be assured that only competent al
trustworthy Indians be made citizen
and to that end he is having thoroul
investigation made of each case; b
he is determined that the mere exp
dent of tax-dodging shall not avail
prevent an Indian, simply because
is an Indian, from assuming the duti
and responsibilities of American ci
zenship.