The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1926-01-14

spelling the Indian of his property.
The administration Of the treaties
with the Indians was in the hands
of the bureau, and in no instance
we're they ever honorably observ-
ed. This is q sweeping arraign.
ment, but it is q fact, nevertheless.
And the greatest injustice is that
the Indian has never been able to
lift finger of effective protest
against this robbery. He,j as a
ward of the Government, can't
compel the bureau to account to
him. He can't remove his guard
ian for inefficiency or the dissipa-
ton of his estate. The courts are
practically closed to him.
Solution Of Evil.
Q. What is the solution of this
evil9
A. The application of the prin-
ciples of common honesty and fair
dealing. The Indian, though Gun.
ming in war, was always open and
above board in his bvsiness trans
actions. The Indians estate must
be governed by the same principles
that govern the white mans pro
perry. The Indian Bureau must
be reorganized from its tail to its
head. Efficient and competent
officials must be appointed. Leg
islation must be passed allowing
the Indian to 90 into the courts
and recover what has been taken
from him. The Indian is not
afraid of the white mans court.
Finally, every Indian child who
has arrived at legal age and who
has received a common school edu
cation should be emancipated from
control by the bureau. Why
should an Indian child who mas
sat side by side with the white
child in the public schools and
graduated with honor be held after
reaching majority as ward of. the.
Nation and denied control of his or
her propertyl All competent In.
dians should be Immediately freed.
Do this and in few years we will
have no Indian problem, no Indiap
Bureau, and the people of the
United States will be saved mil
lions annually in taxes.
Q. Has this condition arisen
recently9
A. No. President Cleveland
condemned the policy, and during
his eight years in the White House
removed more Indian agents and
accomplished more reforms than
any of his predecessors or success
sors. When Cleveland went out
of Office bis reforms were speedily
undone. Brig. Gen. R. H. Pratt,
who spent much of his life among
the Indians and 10 the Indian SER
vice. never ceased to condemn the
system. Senators Robert M. La
Toilette, w. H. King and Pat
Harrison. Norman Hapgood, Hon.
Clyde Kelley and many other dis.
tinguished Americans have con-
demned the system.
The Indian is capable of holding
his own with the rest of our peo-
pie. Senator Charles Curtis, now
majority leader of the Senate, was
born member of the Kaw Tribe
of Indians. Representative vii.
liam H. Hastings, one of the Dem,
ocratic leaders in the House, is q
member of the Cherokee Tribe.
Ex- Senator Moses E. Clapp of.
Minnesota is of Sioux Indian
blood. Ex-senator Robert Owen
is a member of the Cherokee
Tribe. Men of Indian blood bave
in the past held many high posi-.
lions in our Government.
Here Mr., Rogers rose and
walked up and down. He turned
to me and said: THE red mans
great chiefs are dead. The Toma-
hawk was sheatbedllone ago. They
were conquered by the white man,
but on the basis of honorable
negotiations. These terms have
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