Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-28

tect Hill and Other Treasury Onacia1s
Miscellaneous.
SECRETARY sCHURz ON INDIAN AFFAIRS.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-The secretary of
the interior, in his annual report refers to
his recommendation of last year in regard
to Indians, and proceeds to say: The con-
solidation of number of agencies has been
undertaken with view to the better location
OF the Indians, which will at the same time
render b more efficient supervision possible,
and reduce the expenses of the government,
and lessen the opportunities for fraud and
peculation. AS far as the appropriation
made by Congress would permit agricultural
Implements and domestic cattle have been
furnished to Indian tribes to SET the Indians
to work for their own support, and to en-
courage industrious habits An Indian
police has been organized at
| twenty-five agencies, and from
all of them favorable reports
as to the working of the new system have
been received. Instructions have been given
to discriminate in the distribution of sup
plies and annuities which are not actual nee
| essaries against individual Indians who show
no disposition to work, thus discouraging idle
ness. Permission to send out hunting parties
| has been given only, when without hunting,
the Indians would have been exposed to
want. Allotment of land among Indians on
several reservations has been ordered and is
in progress. The facilities of education
have been extended as much as possible, and
proper directions have been given for the in
ctrr Iv,lio oI,i
suits. The Indian service has been reorgan-
ICED in several of its branches.
| cit was found necessary to remove num-
Der of agents on account of improper prac-
tees, or lack of business efficiency, and great
care has been taken in filling their places
with new men. Where mistakes were found
to have been made in selections they have
been promptly rectfed.
! Important changes have been made in the
contract system and in the methods of ao-
countabiity. An active supervision has been
exercised by inspectors and special agents.
| The detection of frauds has been followed by
| vigorous prosecution, and on the whole /
feel enabled to say that the character of the
| service has been raised in point of integrity
and efficiency.
am, however, far from pretending that
the present condition of Indian affairs is
what it ought to be. The experience gained
| In al earnest effort to overcome difficulties
and to correct abuses, has enabled me to APP
preciate more clearly the task still to be &C
complished. In my last annual report I
stated frankly, and l have to repeat it now,
that in pursuing policy ever so wise, and
with machinery ever so efficient, gradual
improvement can be effected only by patient,
energetic and well directed work in detail.
An entirely satisfactory state of things can
be brought about only under circumstances
| which are not and cannot be under the con-
troll of the Indian service alone.
If the recurrence of trouble and dis
turbance is to be avoided, the appropriations
made by Congress for the support of the In
dians who are not self-supporting, must be
liberal enough to be sufficient for that pur-
pose, and they must be made early enough
in the year to render the purchase and de-
livery of new supplies possible before the
old supplies are exhausted.
Second-The Indian service should have
at its disposal sufficient funds to be used,
| with proper accountability, at discretion in
unforeseen emergencies.
Third-Citizens of western States and ter
| ritories must be made to understand that if
Indians cease to be troublesome, paupers
and vagabonds ara to become orderly and
selfsupporting. They must have lands fit
| for agriculture and pasture; that on such
lands they must be permitted to reign and
establish permanent homes, and that such
result cannot be obtained, if white people
insist upon taking from them, by force, or
trickery, every acre of ground that is good
| for anything.
| by appropriate action by Congress. The
| nf oil
peated encroach .aents by white people on
the rights of Indians, may be lessened by the
concentration of indians smaller num-
Der OF reservations, but they can be
entirely avoided, even then, only by the most
energetic enforcement OF law on the part OF
the general and local government. 10 this
| end it seems desirable that the Southwestern
! tribes, whose present reservations appear in
secure OF otherwise unsui able for their per-
manent settlement, should be gradually re-
moved to the Indian territory. The North
western tribes will in Gel rse of time have to
be concentrated in similar manner in q
few reservations east of the rocky mountains
and on the Pacific slope.
To keep the Indians on their reservations
and prevent disturbances and conflicts the
| commissioner of Indian affairs recommends
| the organization of mounted body of
Indian auxillarles, to be drawn from TIE
| young men of various tribes, aud to be
under command Of the military authorities.
I heartily concur in this recommendation.
1t is a matter of general experience that
Indians SO employed can be depended upon
as to loyal fidelity to duties assigned him.
But the principal end of our Indian policy
cannot be promoted by police measures
alone. That end consists in gradually in
Producing among Indians the habits and occu-
patton of civilized life by inducing them
to work for their own support by encourage
ing pride of individual ownership of prop
erty, and by educating the young generation,
and no efforts should be spared to bring to
bear upon them the proper moral influences
in that direction. Such efforts should not
be sneered at as mere sentimental fancies,
for should they be discouraged by asser-
tons that success is impossible; the advance
1 made by some Indian tribes is sufficient proof
that O similar advance may be made by
others.
4 Whatever may be accomplished by the en-
ploynent Of force, it is certain that only as
the Indians progress in the way Of civiliza
ton, they will cease to be a troublesome and
disturbing element. The Siouxs 80 far have
given evidence of a loyal spirit, and the ru-
mors current of disposition on their part
to become hostile proved TO De unfounded
3, Healso says that great difficulty was en-
countered in sending supplies from the Mis-
souri, river to the new agencies, in conse.
quence of combination Of trans.
portation contractors to force the
government to pay exorb;tan
prices. Their bids were rejected and an or
ganization of wagon trains to be manned BY
Indians with their ponies, proceeded with
The task was difficult one, owing to tn,
charactersof the country and the ciroum