Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-12-04

accrue 10 the commerce Of the country from the
enactment OF general law authorizing contracts
win Amerlcan-built steamers, carrying the
American fsg. sor transporting the msil between
| ports or The United States and perts CT
The West Indies ana South America, at
nxed maximum price per mile, the amount to
pc expended being regulated by annual appro-
pristions, IL like manner with the amount Isid
| for the domestic star service.
The arrangement made by The Iostm .,ter ger
era and the secretary Of the treasury Tor Il col
lection OF duty upon books received II the mail
ron forelgn countries, has proved satisfactory
IN lis practical operation that the IecomE e da-
| tfon is now made, that congress shall extend tbs
! provisions OF the act of March 3, 1879 under
whlCh TINS arrangement was made, so as to appTy
| 10 all other dutiable articles received in maiis
| from foreign countries.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Inc reports of the secretary OF the interior and
| OF the commissioner of Indian affairs setting
1otn & Ine present state OF our relations with the
indlan tribes on our terrtory,the measures taken
/ TO advance their civilization and prosperity and
tne progress already achieved by them, will be
found OF more than ordinary interest The gen
eral conduct OF our Indian population has heen
| so satisfactory that the occurrence of two dis
turoances, which resulted in bloodshed and de-
suuctlon OF property Is all the more 10 be Ia
| mented. a.
- The history of the outbreak on the White River
ute reservation in Western Colorado has become
ss lamlilar by elaborate reports in the public
press, that its remarkable incidents need not he
stated here in detail. 1t is expected that the
settlement OF this difficulty will lead to such ar
tact between the Indians and the border settIe-
ments In Western Colorado.
The other disturbance occurred at the Mas
| calero agency, in New Mexico where Victoria
the head of small band of mayaudels after
committing many atrocities, being vigorously
chased by military force made his way across
the Mexican border and is now on foreign SOIL
While these occurrences, in which a compara-
| lively small number of Indians were engaged are
most deplorable, vast majority of our Indian
| population have fully justified the expectations
OF those who believe that by human and peaceful
influence the Indian can be led to abaTdon the
naoits e. OF savage life and to develop capacity
lof useiul and civilized occupations. What they
nave already accomplished in the pu/suit of ag-
ricultural and mechanical work, the remarkable
! success which has attended the experiment OF
employing as freighters class of IFdians hither-
to counted among the widest and most intract-
able, and the general and urgent desire expressed
by them for the education Of thejr children, may
be taken as sufficient proof tAat they will be
| found capable of accomplishing much more if
they continue to be wisely and fairly guided.
The "lndlan policy, sketChed in the report of the
secretary of the Interior the object of which is TO
make liberal provision for the education of the
| Indian youth, is to settle the Indians upon farm.
!ots IN seyeray, to give them title in fee their
farms, lnallenable for q certain number of years
| and when their wants are thus provided for, to
dispose by sale OF the lands on their reservations
not occupied and used by them, fund to be
| formed out of the proceeds for the benefit of the
Indians. which will gradually eieye the govern
| ment OF the expenses now provided for by annual
appropriations, must commend itself as Just and
beneficial to the Indians, and as also calculated
| W IeIuONe JnOs0 ODSITuCllOnS WHICH tie exist
ence OF large reservations presents to the settle
! ment and development or the country. | there
fore earnestly recommend the enactment of a law
enaoHng the government to give Indians title
In fee, lnalienable for twenty-five years, 10 the
farm-lands assigned to them by allotment |
also repeat the lecomme dation made in nv first
| annual message, that law be passed admitting
Indians who can give satisfactory proof of having
| by their own labor, supported their families for
| number OF years, and who are willing to det ach
| themselves from their triba! relations, to the
| benefit of the homestead act, and to grant them
patents containing the same provision of inalIeu-
| ABILITY Tor q certain period.
The experiment of sending number of Indian
Of R2th f8xs te the h Hampton Normal
anelementary English education and practical in
| structlon IN farming and other useful industries
has led 10 results SO promising, that it was thought
eXped1ent to turn over the cavalry barracks at
Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, to the interior depart
| ment Tor the establishment of an Indian school
ON larger scale. The school has now one hun.
dIed and fifty eight pupils, selected from various
| tribes, and is in full operation. Arrangements
are also made for the education OF a number of
Indian boys and girls belonging to tribes on the
Paclhc slope, in similar manner, at Forest
| Grove, in Oregon. These institutions will COM
mend themselves to the liberality of ongress and
to the phllanthropic munfcence o the American
people.
INDIAN TERRITORY RAID.
| Last spring. information was received of the Or
ganization of extensive movement in the
western states, the object of which was the occu-
patton by unauthorized persons of certain lands
the government for the purpose of settlement by
| other Indian tribes.
On the 18th of April, ] issued proclamation
warning all persons against participation in such
| an attempt, and, by the CO operation of mill
| tary force, the invasion was promptly checked.
1t is my purpose to protect the rights of the In
dian Inhabitants of that territory TO the full ex.
tent OF the executive power. But 1t would be
unwise to ignore the fact that territory so large
with so great wealth of unused resources will
| be found more exposed to the repetition of such
attempts as happened this year, when the
rounding states are more densely settled, and the
| westward movement of our population looks still
more eagerly for fresh lands TO occupy. Under
such circumstances the difficulty of main tanning
the indian territory in its present state will great
| ly Increase, and the Indian tribes inhabting 1t
would do well to prepare for such contingency.
!, therefore, fully approve of the advice given 10
| them by the secretary of the interior recent
occasion, to divide among themselves in several
| ty as large quantity of their lands as they can
cultivate, TO acquire individual title in fee, in
stead of their present tribal ownership in COM
mon, and to consider in what manner the balance
of their lands may be disposed of by the govern
| ment for their benefit. By adopting such policy
| they would more certainly secure for themselves
| the value of their possessions, and at the same
prosperity, than by endeavoring to perpet uats
the present state OF things in the territory.
The question whether q change in the control
OF the Indian service should be made, was in the
forty-dith congress referred TO joint committee
| or both houses for inquiry and report. In nv
| last annual message L expressed the hope that
|
| would arrest further agitation of this subject
such agitation being apt to produce disturbing
| effect upon the service as veil as the Indians
| themselves" Since then, the committee having
| reported, the question has been decided in the
| negative by vote in the house of representa-
! tiYes.
| For the reasons here stated, and In view of the
fact that further uncertainty this point viii be
| calculated to obstruct other much-needed legis-
latlon, to weaken the discipline of the service,
| and to unsettle salutary measures now in pro-
| gress for the government and improvement Of
the lndlahs.I respectfully recommend that the
decision arrived at by congress at its last session
| be permitted to stand.
TIMBER TREsPAssEa
| The efforts made by the department Of the In
terror to arrest the depredationS on the timber
| lands of the United States have been continued,
and have met with considerable success. A large
number Of cases of tresPass have been pros
have been settled, the traspassers offering to make
payment to tina government for the value of the
| timber taken by them The proceeds of these
prosecutions and settlements turned into the
treasury, far exceed in amount the sums appro-
| priated by congrass for this purpose. A more i'm
portant result, however, consists in the fact that
the destruction Of Our public forests by depreda-
ton, although such cases still occur, has been
greatly reduced in extent, and it is probable that
| II the present policy is vigorously pursued and
sufficient provision 10 that end is made by con-
| gress, such trespasses, at least those large
territories where timber for the daily require
ments OF the population cannot, under the pres
| ent state OF the law, be otherwise obtained. l
therefore earnestly invite the attention OF con-
gress TO the recommendation made by the Secrc-
tary OF the Interior, that law be enacted enab-
ling the government to sell timber from the pub
| lie lands without conveying the fee, where such
/ lands principally valuable for the timber
thereon, such sales to be so regulated as TO con-
ments, while at the same time guarding against
| sweeping destruction of the forests. The enact
ment of such law appears to become more
| pressing necessity every day.