A Territorial Governor’s Controversial Advice
Governor William A. Newell's 1883 message to the Territorial Legislature advocates for the forced assimilation of Indigenous people and a rigid, unadorned approach to public institutions.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Hon. Wm. A. Newell, Governor of New Jersey from 1857 to 1860 and Territorial Governor of Washington Territory, was appointed by President Hayes. His 1883 message to the Territorial Legislature contains common-sense hints and suggestions regarding the people. His treatment of the Indian question is eminently sensible, indicating he opposes the 'sickly sentimentalism' which would foster Indian tribes as wards of the nation. He argues that Indians cannot use the vast territory they are permitted to overrun, much of it valuable land. The Governor, therefore, hopes that the tribal relations of the Indians may be abolished, that they may be placed upon the same footing as other people, and be educated up to the point of self-support. Regarding the matter of insane asylums, Governor Newell does not favor the building of large and costly palaces, claiming that plain, comfortable surroundings are all that public prudence and good taste demand.
“He argues the Indians cannot use the vast territory they are permitted to overrun, much of it valuable land, and they are unable to appreciate the advantages of land they occupy.”
Newell’s rhetoric reflects the era's aggressive push for land dispossession and the systematic dismantling of Indigenous sovereignty, framed as 'common sense' policy. His rejection of 'costly palaces' for the mentally ill, while seemingly fiscally conservative, echoes long-standing debates about the state's failure to provide adequate support for its most vulnerable populations.
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