Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-10-20
THE INDIANS.
Congressman Shsnks Suggests What
Should be Done to Keep Peace
with Mr.. LO.

WASHINGTON, October 19.-The fol-
lowing are some of the recommenda-
tions of Congressman Shanks, of In
diana, chairman OF 1ne house Indian
committee, as the result Of bis recent
t.GG,Sr OF investigation and ubservas
/ ton atnohg the indians In Wash
ington Territory: Allow the In
/ iiahs to testify in the courts as the
whites do; protect the Indians IN their
real and personal. property from the en-
croachments Of trespssseTs; protect the
persons OF indian wives and daughters
from the pollution of had white men
the same as white mems wives and
daughters are protected; make personal
property of the Indians liable for
their debts contracted for the neces-
saries Of life; protect their real
estate on their reservation homes from
liabilities TOR debt; prevent by q severe
law polygamy among them; compel by
law and enforced hy order OF court,
white men to provide for the support
Of their Indian children; legitimatize
children of white men by Indian women
and let them take by descent from both
father and mother; prohibit voluntary
divorce of Indians or of white men from
Indian women with whom they have
been cohabiting; allow Indians to
procure divorces in the court; after full
hearing, and then only for criminal
cause to be set forth in the
law; require the same restrictions
in procuring divorces by white men
who have cohabited with Indian women
that shall be required OF the Indians;
declare cohahitstion of white men
with Indian women, marriage to all in
tents and purposes, and enforce 1t by
order of the court, when its duties are
violated or neglected. il either white
man or Indian woman is married at the
time Of cohabitstiOn, punish both for
adultery or fornication, and make the
punishment OF such white men severe;
protect by law infoTmers of violation of
these laws; compel Indians who have
not adopted civilized mode of dress to
do so; compel Indians to have fixed
abodes, and allow them to have
the same privileges of trade
and travel now possessed by the whites;
extend and enforce criminal law over
the Indians for offenses against one an
other, and also for offenses against the
whites; extend and enforce criminal
law against the white men for offe ses
against the Indians; compel every white
employer on the reservation to have con-
tinually In his service one or more In
dians as apprentices at the work i'll their
charge on the reservation: employ only
married men on the reservation as
agents, farmers, millers, etc., aud make
their employment conditional upon
their removing their families to aud re-
manning with them on the reservation.
The presence of white women and white
children among the Indians Is necessary
TO the best interests of the whites and
Indians. The schools on the reservation
are to be kept open as continuously q
practicable. There is now serious neg
iect in this important matter. Compel
every agent to report under oath the re-
spective violations of law by the Indians
under his charge against Indians or
whites and of whites against Indians;
provide by law for punishing sgents
and employees for violations Of
their duties as such; prevent by law tres
passing ofcattle on Indian farms as the
white men are protected on their farms;
provide by law against British Indians
furniseing intoxicating liquors to lndi-
ans in the States and Territories. These,
Mr.. SbaDks says, are some Of the things
to be done to secure Justice to Indians
and protection to the white people, and
that honest, industrious settlers sustain
these views 1t is probable that legisla-
ton will be proposed at the next session
of congress in accordance with the above
programme.