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Show AS TO TIIE RED JJf.. Ajiong the most sensible explanations expla-nations we have seen regarding the causes of dissatisfaction among the Indians, appeared lately in the SU PauliVeu. Being pertinent In its relationship to a current subject of unusual interest, we heren 1th present pre-sent it: "If the gentlemen at Wahlngtoa Viho are debiting the question are really anxious to learn wherein tho Government is mostly at fault for tbe present Indian outbreak, JMclo from its abomimblc policy of permitting the bearing of nrms, tby should look to the Infamous spoils nyitem as applied in tho Indian Bureau. Of all the mistakes with which our miserable miser-able Indian policy is v fully embellished, embel-lished, there is none mora inexcusable than that which puts in cbargo of the most important agencies in tbe country mn w boss tenure of office is more secure than that of tbe party to w ich they belong. To see the spoils ystcm at work, full blat, :n the Indian In-dian bureau, and then find intelligent men wondering why the InJUnsaro not under better control. Is a thing to make men almost despair of tbe Go-ernraent Go-ernraent nndcr which they live. So one can deal sausfictorily with tbe Indian except upon a good understanding under-standing of tho Indian character, fhis untutored savage Is no: a bit of plastic material that we can mould to suit our purpose. lie has the Inherited Inherit-ed aUribates of unnumbered year behind him. Childlike in some par ticulars, he is fixed and immovable in others And one of his charactcntlcs is his entire confiJenco in or his eutfro contempt for the person with whom he has official relations. The Indian does not generalize. He tests practically practi-cally the agent put in chargo of him: If ho finds that person a man of good qualities, firm, true to his word, fearless, fear-less, yet generous and kind, be makes' of him friend. To hinVtbat agent is. not at alt the representative of a government of which ho has only I lis simplest conception, but the mas' who possesses his confidence and lrui. An agent who has established sorb rotations ro-tations with tbe Indian can exercise, nvr Mm almost unlimited control. 5 An agent who has Incurred suspicion or dlsliko may discharge bis duties with fidelity, and still be only a cause of constant irritation. It follows that, when once an Indian agent has secured se-cured an inflaonco over the tribo with whom be deals, when they trait him and have formed a sort of attach miaV forblai, ho becomes one of tbe most valuable oQlcials that any government could have. He can do more with tho Indian, in peace or var, than an army with banners. It Is by the Influence cf such m:a tliat treaties have boon concluded, when the wholo power of tba.Goiurmuaat could not have -enrad the assent of a score of Indians. It is through them that the Indians who hivc'bcca neglected and seen ths Uoverntnent ignore Its most solemn oblbruions have been -brought to endure en-dure privation patiently. It Is by their Influence that conflict has been avoided in numberless cases. And this. Individual wayof dealing with tho Indian is the only way that has e er met with tbe slightest success. 'Con'ider, no -, the atrocious folly of our practical politics. Hero is an agency, here many thousand Indiana Indi-ana arc gathered, Here an agent who knows hit duty and does it has been e-tabllsbcd for many years, and where tbe Indians na o come to like blm and to trust him. To them, ho is tbe Government. Gov-ernment. Tb him, they are a lot of uudevelojied, full-grown children, who-e individual peculiarities he undentind, and can use to control them at pleasure. .Xow comes a change of administration. For no reason in tho world except to give a placo to some political worker, this experienced man Is removed and a green hand put la his place. Every tlmslhaltbis happens, tho Government Govern-ment deliberately invites a disturbance disturb-ance tnu may cost many lives aud is euro to out many dollars. Tbe Indians Indi-ans rewat the removal of the msa for whom they lm c corns to cherish a kindly feeling. They know nothing about 'rlclorV and '.spoils,' they know only that lbs man thpy trjst has been sent away, and charge of them been transferred to a stranger whom tbey bato for his very strangeness. -Ho enters this atmosphere of hostility, ami in nluo cases out of ten lias not the Icatt idea of the nature of tho beings be mutt deal with, or tbe methods he ought to n-e. AVhat tho result Is we have seen ocranloicragiln. It is this hide-ouh hide-ouh systo ja tha: u repoi sible for no small part of the present troublu. And it is a system so obviously designed to maks trouble that its coailnuan ce In a civilized nauon is a marvel of stupid-l'y. stupid-l'y. It xvonl I bo far in reae nlbIo to mike every commlslonsd officer in tho Tegular army a political appoln tee, and to tdiangs the whole list of them fromgineral down, every tlmoa President Pres-ident is elected, than to enforco tbe spoils nystem In tho Indian bu rcau. It would t more rcasonablo to re-ooi re-ooi e every school teacher and pastor of a cburvh iu tho country after an election titan to change Indian agents to make place for more politicians. Yet this ii.t tie worss than foolish, the absolutely criminal policy tnat is pursued pur-sued in Indian affairs as a matter cf course As long as I hero are to bo cgencleianl agoats, we cannot hope for even a decent measure of success with tbo Indian until civil service reform, re-form, in its most radical shape, is applied ap-plied to then hole body of the Indian erice." |