Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
WHEELER DEPLORES
indian TREATMENT
Senator in Radio Forum
Speech Arraigns Bureau
and Congress.

CONTINUED From First Page)
HE is less so today than he was at
| the beginning"
HIS investigations in the West, Sena-
| tor Wheeler pointed out, have led him
to hope that the new Commissioner OF
Indian Affairs would relegate to the
political scrap heap" many Of the in
competent superintendentS Of reServa-
lions, and that in their place and stead
I'VE will have men who are not just
seeking job, but who are anxious and
willing to render a service to the In
dams and to all mankind as WE'LL"
AS a remedy for many of the con-
ditions which he declared have made
the Indian today hungry and sick
mended that the Indians be given a
voice in the leasing Of trust property,
as well as his tribal property.
Makes Plea for Republication.
"They are anxious for an education.
and should be given it." he said. IT
am convinced that the education should
be turned over to the several States.
They should attend public schools"
Proper disqualification should be pro-
vided all tribes. he urged, in citing the
LdCG IIldb Id 1dLiRuhb dhta
uncared for on the Indian reservations.
In consideration of the fact that the
worth of property belonging to ap-
proximately 225 600 Indian wards, Sem
ator Wheeler declared that a business
like accounting system should be es-
tablished and the Indians rendered an
itemiZed quarterly statement Of their
personal and tribal funds in the hands
of the Indian Once. something which.
he stressed, has never been rendered
them.
Senator wheeler's speech, In full, fol-
lows:
Text Of Wheeler Speech.
Ladies and Gentlemen Of the Radio
Audience:
am glad to say a word to you this
evening regarding the plight Of the
American Indian, the only 100 per cent
American in the United States but who
seldom parades the fact either in
private or public gatherings.
There is saying with which some Of
you are familiar, namely, THE only
good Indian is q dead Indian" This
phrase was coined when the Indians
were still menace.
am quite sure that when have
finished this evening you will feel that
the Indian Bureau, and perhaps Con-
greSs, is in thorough accord with the
sentiment expressed In the foregoing
statement.
I shall in the limited time at my
command deal with the problems OF the
Indians at the present time and en-
deavor to point out what deem to be
some Of the things that should be done
to correct. as far as possible, the mis-
takes which have been made in the past
First. let us for a moment go back
to the period beginning 1924 and end
ing about 1874. It was during the ad-
miniStration of President Pierce that
we entered into treaties with many Of
the nations or tribes of the American
Indians. We had driven the Indians
from the Atlantic Coast and thence
from the fertile fields Of the Ohio and
Mississippi Valleys until they were now
located in the far West.
Relationship Of Trust Created.
They resisted as best they could at
every step. Our ways Of living were
not theirs. They knew nothing of
manufacturing and little of farming.
They lived principally by fishing and
hunting, and the forest, the stream and
the plains, with the rowing buffalo
herds. furnished them their food. This
very briefly was the life the Indians led
when we entered into treaties with
them, by the terms of which the Chief
Executives of this Nation and the Con-
crosses of the United States solemnly
pledged that they would protect them
in their person and their property.
They were to be our wards, we their
guardians A relationship of trust was
created not only as to their property
but as to their persons.
We prohibited the sale or giving OF
liquor to them or the introduction OF
the same onto their reservations. These
reservations were set aside for their
sole and exclusive benefit. We were to
exclude undesirable persons from en-
tering upon the same. We were to
guard their property as faithfully as
the father or guardian protects his son S
or his wards.
Realizing his limitations--his lack OF
training, his unf1tneSs for farming--Ue.
in some instances. gave him the eX-
elusive right to hunt large areas OF for
est lands. The land on the reserVa-
ton was his to be held in trust by
the Government for the exclusive bene-
At of the Indian nation. The treaty
was as solemnly entered into as was
the treaty between Belgium and Ger
many and Just as unceremoniously
broken, not once, not twice, but many
times, and by the Congresses Of the
United States and by the Chief Exec
utives of the United States. Not by
one President or by one Congress, but
by successive Presidents and by sue
cessive Congresses, and when the In
dian came to Congress ana complained
and asked that he be permitted to go
into court and sue the Government for
violation Of his treaties he was told, in
some instances, at least, that it was
against the economy program" CT the
administration. And this in face Of the
fact that he was not seeking to 60 into
an Indian court, but into the white
mans court, and seeking to recover only
what the white mans court might adj
Judge was justly due and owing to him.
Finally Granted Privilege.
After years Of agitation the Indian In
most instances, has at last been granted
this privilege. But the Indian Bureau
fought against granting his request for
years.
What have we done for the Indian?
How have we fulfilled our obligation to
him? Whose fault has it been and can
we do anything to rectify the wrong, if
wrongs have been committed? These
are the questions you ask and want to
have answered. cannot answer all
of them, but will try to answer some.
AS q member of the subcommittee
on Indian affairs. have been making a
survey Of conditions upon the Indian
reservations of this country. We have