Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-12

OF the Union, and 10 enforce the provisions
OF the fourteenth amendment 10 the Con
stitutiou Of the United states, and the
amendments thereto, | cannot question the
necessity and salutary effect Of these enact
mcuts. Reckless and lawless men, regret
to say, have associated themselves
together in some localities to deprive
other citizens of the rights guaranteed
them by the Constitution of the
United States, and to that end
have committed deeds of violence, but
the conviction and punishment OF many of
these persons have tended greatly TO the re-
preston Of such disorders. ! do not doubt
that great majority Of the people in all
parts of the country favor d full enjoyment
by all classes of persons Of those rights to
which they are entitled under the Constitu.
ton and the laws, and to invoke the aid of
all good citizens to prevent organizations
whose objects are by unlawful means 10 in
terfere with those rights. | look with con
hdence TO the time not far distant when the
obvious advantages Of good order and peace
will induce an abandonment OF all Combina-
tions prohibited by the acts referred
to, and when it will be unnecessary to carry
on prosecutions or inlet punishmcnts
to protect citizens for the lawiess do.
ings Of such combinations Appllca.
tiOns have been made to me to pardon
persons convicted of violation of said acts,
upon the ground that clemency in such
cases would tend to tranqui.ze the public
mind and to test the virtue of that policy /
am disposed, as far as my sense of justice
will permit, to give to these applications a
favorable consideration, but any action
thereon is not to be construed as indicating
any change in my determination to enforce
with yigOr such act SO long as the cOnspirI
cies and combinations therein named dis
tuFb the leace of the country. 1t is much
to be regretted, and is regretted by no one
more than myself, that necessity has ever
existed to execute the enforcement act. No
one can desire more than | that the necessi-
ty of applying it may never again be de
manded.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
The Secretary of the interior reports sat
stactory improvement and progression in
each of the several bureaus under the con.
tro of the Interior Department. They are
all in excellent condition. The work, which
in some OF them for some years has bcen in
arrears, has been brought down TO recent
date, and in all the current business has been
promptly dispatched
INDIANS.
The policy which was adopted at the be-
ginning of the Administration with regard
To the management of the Indians has been
As successful as its most ardent friends au-
ticip4ted within So short time. 1t has re-
Guced the expense Of their management,
Elements, tended to give the largest oppOr-
tu}ity to the extension of the great railways
through the public domain, and the pushing
OF settlements into more remote districts Of
the country, and at the same time improve
the condition Of the Indians. The policy
will be maintained without any change, cA.
cepting such ms further experience may
show to be necessary to render it more eli
cient.
The subject OF converting the so,callcd In.
dian Territory south of Kansas into q home
for the Indians, and erecting thereon a Ter
ritorial form OF government, IS one OF great
Importance as complement Of the existing
Indian policy. the question of removal to
the Territory has within the past year been
presented to many of the tribes resident
upon other and less desirable portions of
the public domain, and has generally
been received by them with favor. AS Il
preliminary step to the organization of such
a Territory, il will be necessary to cOuiinc
the Indians now resident therein to farms
OF proper size, which SHOULD be secured to
them in tee. The residue To be used for the
settlement of our friendly Indians. Efforts
will be made in the immediate future to in
duce the removal Of as many peaceably dis
posed Indians only to the Indian Territory
as can be settled properly without disturb
ing the harmony OF those already there
There is no other location now available
where people who are endcayoring to ac-
quire a knowledge Of pastoral and agrcul-
tural pursuits can be as well accommodated
as upon the unocCupied lands in the Indian
Territory A Territorial government should,
however, protect the Indians from the III
roads of the whites for term OF years, nm
til they become sufficiently advanced in the
arts and civilization to guard their own
rights, and from the disposal of lands held
by them tor the same period.