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Show WHAT SHALL BE DOJfE WITH LOl President Clevelaud and Secretary Lamar Express Their Opinions on the Indian Question. Washington, November 10. The President listened yesterday to a committee appointed at the recent conference at Lake Mohonk to present to him the result of their deliberations delibera-tions on the Indian question, and assured them of the deep interest he had in the Indian In-dian question. He reviewed briefly the many difficulties encountered in dealing with the. question, which he acknowledged was a most important one, and said that the great trouble, to his mind, was as to the first practical step to be taken in IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF THE INDIANS. Shall we give them more schools and churches, and agricultural implements for use on their reservations, or shall we deed them lands in severalty and leave them to their own resources? One trouble he found was to get rid of the influence of the old chiefs. Then, again, if we leave the Indians to themselves, and one becomes hungry, a loud cry goes up all over the country that we are starving the Indians. How are we to get the Indians to mingle -with the whites? We certainly cannot drive them off their reservations. res-ervations. Is it better to keep them under tutelage where they are, or could their civilization civ-ilization be better accomplished in some j other way? The question is surrounded with difficulties, continued the President, and the most important consideration to my mind at present is, "What is the most useful thing to be done?" He said that while it may not be well for the cause to disturb the Indians in their present homes, he believed that the reservations would ultimately be given to them in severalty and THE INDIANS THROWN ON THEIR OWN RESOURCES. The President reminded the committee that the cause which they advocated would require re-quire years to consummate, but intimated that he hoped to be able to make a beginning in the right direction during the remaining years of his Adnunistration. The Mohonk Indian conference committee after leavingthe White House proceeded to the Interior Department, where they had a long interview with Secretary Lamar, and through their chairman presented to him the written statement of the views of the conference. In reply to a brief address by General Fisk, Secretary Lamar said he would, in his forthcoming annual report, acknowledge the aid of the philanthropic and benevolent associations and individuals in the work he had to carry on. The ultimate ulti-mate object, he said, was THE CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIANS. A crisis had been reaohed in the history of that interesting race that must be met by some methods different to those heretofore pursued. He knew from his own experience in the South and his knowledge of the tribes in the Indian Territory, the Indian could not stand it to be. thrown out unprotected into the civilization of this country. It would be almost as bad as extermination. He should be improved out of his condition into another. If the interests of the white people alone were concerned, the problem could be solved by making the Indian associate asso-ciate and giving the right of suffrage. After swallowing four millions of black slaves and digesting that mass pretty well, we should not strain at this. But, continued Secretary Secre-tary Lamar, to make the Indian a citizen at present, would be a sad service to him, and there would not be much of him left if it were done suddenly. - |