The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-27

AID G: W. Atherton. Senator Howe, the
remaining member Of the commission, at
tended only part Or thex investigation,
and was not present TO- participate In. the
preparation 81 the report, and his name
does not appear among the signers.
seventy-Five Thousand Reds kinsSup.
ported by the Government, ,
" The sixth annual report of the Board
OF Indian Commissioners for the year
1874 has just been published, and is
clearly printed book of over $50 pages.
Most OF this space is occupied with re-.
ports of agents and sub.agcnts, which
show, as nearly as an e.r-parte statement
by those interested in making good
showing can be expected to, the condition
of the Indian tribes and the Indian serv.;
ice generally throughout the country. =.
1t is stated that not less than $4,000
Indians are supported by the government
without contributing in any manner to
aid in this support OF to repay the rmu-
nificence extended. This is
PRETTY LARGE LAZzARoN1-L1sr;
and the discussion of the best means Of
reducing it, and, per sequence, the i'm
lnense expenditures necessary in keeping
it up is we'll worth while considering.
Education and labor are we'll laid down
asthe principal means by which the In
dian may become self.supporting; and,
although it appears that there have been
several Congressional enactments requir.
ing children to be sent to school and able
bodied men to perform service, it seems
that, in many Of the more important
tribes, these provisions are only nomi-
nally observed, or else utterly ignored
for it is well known that the school,
teachers on most Of the reservations
never teach any one anything, any more
than their head farmers cultivate farms,
or their millers run mills.
Although the requirements of the trea-
ties with the Sioux, Kiowas, Comanches,
Cheyennes, Arapahoes and other bands
are plain on these points, the agents re.
port themselves powerless to enforce the
obligations assumed. The Board think
that, if the government had insisted upon
compliance with these obligations, even
by the use Of
MODERATE AMOUNT or FORCE. -.
the Indian problem would now be solved;
especially if it were made a condition
upon which they should participate in
the benefactions Of the government. This
is undoubtedly true; but it is also true
that it would require no trif1ing amount
of force to carry out these provisions, if
We MAJ judge by the temper Of the five
thousand naked warriors who circled
~ ound our black Hills commission in it's
session at Red Cloud the other day, and
the performances Of Little Bad Man, who
gave the commission to understand that
he didn't need to have a chip even
knocked off his shoulder to provoke him
and his braves to make crow meat of the
Grow Butte council.
The recommendation, however, that
the
MEN BE COMPELLED TO WORK,
and the children to go to school, is = good
one ; for the lazy. indolent life is said to
be having visible effect upon the Sioux
Nation; especially if, as the Board state,
they have been so we'll fed that they are
getting the dyspepsia and other diseases
Of the digestive organs,-a remark that
has the appearance Of a bon.mot. when
Red Clouds complaints are remembered.
1t would certainly be bad joke if this
rcdoubtable warrior and Spotted Tail
were to get the govt by reason Of high
living. and be unable to make their an
nual trip to see the Great Father in Wash
ington.
The organization Of a
POLICE FORCE COMPOSED OF INDIANS
is commended--several such organiza1
tons having been used with success and
the fact that Gen. Crook used force of
Apaches in connection with his troops in
subduing the American Bedouins in Ari.
IONA, is used as an argument in favor Of
the establishment of an Indian constab.
| ulary force on all the reservations.
The need Of an efficient regulation gov.
erning the expenditures Of public money,
and a strict system Of accountability
therefor, is animadverted upon; and very
properly so, as it is one Of the weakest
points in the entire system, that there
seems to be no adequate means of hold.
ing agents responsible for the vast sums
expended.
THE CHARACTER AND COMPENSATION or
AGENTS
is also discussed, and the recommends.
ton made that the President be an.
thorized, in his discretion, to increase
their compensation according to the ma
ture of the work performed and the re-
Esponsibility attaching to their disburse'
ments.
The report is evidently prepared with
the purpose of impressing the views en-.
tertained by the members Oft Board
upon the National Congress which is
about to assemble, as the discussion Of
Indian affairs is one that is likely to be 8
prominent feature ct the approaching
cpcciOn