The Tomahawk., 1919-02-20


Indians have in the Treasury of
the United States. 8.
In looking over the expenditures,
+ find that the department spent
$l03, 900 for agency expenses last
year, while they only spent $751;
600 for schools. Now, I do not
maintain, nor l do not believe there
is a man on the floor of this House
who will maintain, That a stiff of
agents and clerks is necessary in
order to educate and civilize the
Indians. Our Indians are civilized.
l do not like to refer to them as
anything but American citizenss
They will compare favorabIy with
any community in the country, and
why they should be such an ooject
of concern on the part of the In
dian Committee l can not UNDER
stand. I sincerely hope that this
committee will strike out the item
as proposed by my friend and col
league [Mr. Ellsworth: Applause.
yield the balance of my time
to the gentleman from Minnesota,
my colleague [Mr Steenerson]. !
Mr. STEVENSON. Mr.. Chair
man, to my mind this is question
for the discretion of Congress in
carrying out a SOLEMN treaty with
the Indians. The Chippewa Indians
of Minnesota were possessed of
several million acres of valuable
agricultural and pine lands, which
in 1889 they coded to the United
States, and the proceeds from those
lands auo timber we're to be used
for their benefit in certain ways
which were specified in the treaty.
During the years that have passed
since that time practically all Of
.their timber has been logged and
sold and all the other land has been
disposed of to settlers, so that they
will never realize any more from
their coded possessions. Their
property has been sold and con-
verted into cash. Some ten or
twelve million dollars were realized
and some five or six million dollars
have been spent for their benefit
and in administration. Now there
are about $6,O00,0O0. left in the
Treasury to their credit.
The treaty provided that when
the terms of the treaty were car
ried out the funds realized should
remain in the Treasury and draw
5 per cent interest for so years;
that it should not be disturbed for
50 years at least, or perhaps more,
if the land was not all allotted, and
the income from this interest was
to be distributed three-fourths
per capita and one-fourth for
schools, which now amounts to
SIS, 900 for schools and 5000
for per capita distribution, $780,
900 in all.annually.
There was another clause in re-
gard to the disposition of this fund
which said that in the discretion of
Congress we might set aside part
of the principal fund for promot-
ing civilization and self-support
among the Indians. It reads rs
follows:
That Congress may in , its dis
cretion from time to time during
said period Of 80 years~ppropriate
for the purpose of promoting civil
izstinn and self-support among the
said Indians a portion Of said
principal sum not exceeding 5 per
cent thereof"
When the treaty was made, Mr..
Rite, whose statue is out here in
Ssatuary Hall, and who was . great
friend of the Indians and who rep
resented the Government in the
negotiations, was asked by the In
dams at their council what was the
meaning of that clause. He said,
in substance, that that afforded q
fund that in case of unforeseen
misfortune" such as loss of crops,
Il