The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-01
Catawaba Indians
Serious Problem
}. K. Williams, Financial
Agent, Emphasizes Ur-
gency of Granting Citizen
ship and Settling Claims,
Which Can Only Be Done
by State Of South Carolina
70 the Editor of The State:

To the Editor Of The State:
Noting that there has been q
number OF recent articles in regard
10 the Catawba Indians. also that
there has been a recommendations
to cut the appropriation that the
general assembly has been making
for them each year to a small sum
which would be paid only TO the
aged and infirn who are not able
to provide for themselves, and
knowing that the most Of our citi-
zens are like certain prominent
senator now in the general assem-
bly, who. when the writer appear
I'd before the finance committee OF
) the senate in order TO convey 10 It
some information in regard TO these
Indians, thanked the writer for
having come there and given them
the information and stated that
he was obliged to admit that While
he had been in the house and IN
the senate for years and knew
! that an appropriation was made
for the Indians, he had no idea
what it was for or anything about
it or them, l thought I would write
some of the facts as know them
a3ser seven years service as their
financial agent.
These Indians are segregated on
562 acres of the poorest, roughest
land in the state, m York county,
on what is known as the Catawba
indian reservation, in the River
| Bend section Of the county, on the
banks Of the Catawba river. This
| land was Set apart for them many
years ago and they. We're segregat-
! ed on this without any citizenship,
/ right TO vote. own property in their
own name, or anything o. that kind
as wards Of the State of South
Carolina" and have remained as
such since 1t is true that many of
| them have left the reservation and
/ gone to other places in order to
be able to live. as it was utterly inn
| possible for them to all make a
!, living on the reservation and in
order to keep from starving they
have moved away. Some live in
Rock Hill, some in Columbia and
other places. =
The Indian is generally known
as being indolent, no ambition to
/ do anything, and, generally speak
ig, no account" But in the case
of the Catawba. while this is true
to some degree in regard to some
of them, we nevertheless have lots
| of white people in our state that
are on par with the worst Of the
Indians. And, too, what incentive
would they have to try to improve
/ themselves when they have been
held as wards Of the state without
any privilege Of citizenship, own
ing property in thier own name or
anything of the kind? In fact, the
Catawba Indians, are certainly in a
worse state than the negroes, be-
cause the negro can vote and own
| property, but these Indians are the
same as minor children and can
not legally do anything except that
a state official act for them.
One commendable thing that
can say for the Indians is that
while they intermarry with some
very trifling white people and have
become very badly mixed up, they
will not have anything to do with
the negro and are very much in
suited if any. one compares them IN
any way to the negro.
Another scommendable thing in
regard to the Catawba is that dur
ing the Confederate war a num-
bel of them donned the Confed-
crate uniform and fought brayely
throughout the war for the south,
so much so that monument stands
erected on the public square at
Fort Mill to their honor, erected
there by the late Captain White Of
that place. In the world war a
number of the young Catawba's
went into the service and did fine
work. One of them, who went to
France, is now sick,' am afraid
with tuberculosis. which he con-
tractcd while in the serGice. Still
these people are not allowed citi-
zenship.
After having been their finan-
cial agent for seven years and look
ing into their situation, in fact, at
ter finding their condition shortly
after being made their agent l
have recommended each year to
I the governor and general assembly
that some permanent businesslike
settlement be made with these In
dians. II the state owes them
anything. settle with them, give
them their citizenship and let
them so out and make their own
way, as they have demonstrated
that they have plenty Of ability to
do if they were given the proper
chance. l believe that when l took
charge as agent L could have set
tied With them for q much less
amount than I have paid them
during the seven years, which
amount is around 100000, and still
they are on our hands. Governor
Cooper and others did last year
succeed in getting a committee to-
look i:ito the matter of q perma-
nent settlement. but their report
went in just before the adjourn
ment and nothing was done 1t
may possibly be taken up at this