The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-05

been harmopised, notwithstanding the general
reduction by Congress Of their Compensation
/ By the appropriation for general fsciliiies and
the railway postsi tines have been greatly
sxtenoed, espeaaty 10 tbs southern States
| The interests Of the railway mail service would
be greatly promoted and the expenditures
could be readily controlled by the classic cation
| OF the employees Of the railway mail Ger
vice, Is recommended by the Postmaster Gener-
81, the appropriations for service with respect
to which the maximum limit IL already dxed
| by law 70 be made In gross. The Postmaster
General recommends An amendment to the Law
| regulating sn increase OF compensation for in
creased service and increased speed on star
routes, 30 90 to enable. him 70 advertise for
such increased service and speed He also
suggests the advantages to accrue to the com.
merce OF the country from tie enactment OF O
| general law authorizing contracts with
American built steamers carry ing the Amer
lean Dag fpr Transporting, the mail
between the United States and parts OF the
West Indies and South America at fixed
maximum price per mile, the amount 10 be
expended being regulated by annual appropria-
tons IN like manner with the amount for the
domestic star service. The arrangement made
BY the Postmss.ers General aud the Secretary
Of the Treasury for the collection Of duties on
books received In the mail from foreign coun-
tries has proved 90 satisfactory IN Iks practical
operstion that the Recommendation is now
made that Congress extend the provisions OF
Il VIC SSs VI AAaou % lopt uuuoI WHICH
arrangement was made, 30 g. to apply 10 ali
other duiable articles received Ia the mails
from foreign countries
The reports OF the Secretary Of tho Interior
| and OF the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs,
setting forth the present state of our relations
| with the Indian tribes on our territory, the
| measures taken to advance the civilization and
prosperity, and the progress already achieved
6y them, will be found Of more than ordinary
interest The general conduct of our indian
population has been 30 satisfactory that the oc-
| curreDce Of two disturbances which resulted
In bloodshed and destruction of property lie
| all the more TO be lamented The history of
the outbreak on the White River Ute Reserva-
| ton in Western Colorado has become 80
familiar BY elaborate reports in the public
press that its remarkable incidents need not be
stated here In detail. It is expected that the
settlement Of this difficulty win lead to such
arrangements as will prevent further hostile
contests between the Indians and the border
settlements In Western Colorado. The other
| IN New Mexico, where Victoria, the head of
small band Of marsuders, after committing
many atrocities, being vigorously chased by o
military force, made his way across the
Mexican border, and is now on
foreign soil While these occurrences,
IN which comparatively small number of
Indians were engaged are most deplorable, q
vast majority OF our Indian population have
| fully JUSTIFIED the expectations OF those who
believe that By humane and peaceful inHu-
| ences the Indian can be led to abandon the
habits of savage life, and to develop capacity
| for useful and civilized occupati1ns VIVA
| they have already accomplished is shown in the
pursuit Of agricultural and mechanical worn.
The remarkable success which has attended
| he experiment Of employing as freighters
class OF Indians hitherto counted among the
widest and most intractable, and the
| general and urgent desire expressed by
them for the education Of their children, may
be taken ss sufficient proof that they viii be-
ound cspabls OF accomplishing much more
4 they continue to be wisely and fairly guided.
The Indian policy Eketched In the report vi tn,
Secretary Oft Interior, the object Of which J.
| to make liberal provision for the education OF
| Indian youth, to settle the Indians upon farm
,ote 10 seyeralty. to give them title in fee t.
years, and when their wants are thus provided
sor to dispose by sale of the lands on their
RESERVATIONS not occupied and used By them,
| fund to be formed out Of the proceeds fol-
he bentft OF the Indians, which will grad
IaLy relieve the Government of tie expenses
now provided for by annual appropriations,
lust commend itself as just and belei ia:
| TO the 1dians and - also calculated to
move tho-e o. structions hich the ext tence
| Of largs reservations presents to the set lement
nd development OF the country. ], thertfJre
| earnestly recommend the enactment Of Law
enabling the Government TO give Indians title
| Ia fee nsllenable for twenty five years to the
farm lands assigned to them BY allotment
sls0 re eat the rec mT IttIOn Ia my hrsI
s,nual me sage thata law be passed adn It'll y
Indians mo csn give satisfactory prUof If nav
Hg, by their own Ia sor, supported their fam
iao fora number Of years, and who are WILL
ug to detach them selves from their tribal le
lions. to the lelefit Of the Homestead act,
md TO grant them patents containing the same
revision Of inshe liability for Ger ain periot
The experiment Of sending lumber of In
ian children VI both SEXES to tho Hampton
Normal and Agricultural Institute In Virgins,
| to receive elementary English education and
practical instruction In farming and other use
tul industries, has led to results 90 promish
that IL was thought expedient TO turn over l. Q
cavalry barracks at Carlisle, in Pennsylvania
20 the Interior department for the establish
ment Of an Indian school ON larger scss
This school has now l5S pupils, selected from
various tribes, and Is in full operation Ar
rangemen o are also made for the education OF
mn nber Of Indian Toys and girls belong ing
> tribes on the Pacific slope In . similar man.
ner, at Forest Grove, In Oregon. These inst
| tuions will commend themselves to the liberal
ity of G ,ngress and to thephllanthropic mupiG-
{, noe II the American people.
Last spring Information was received Of the
organization of an extensive movement In the
Western states, the object Of which was the oc
cupation BY unauthorized persons Of certain
lands in the Indian Territory coded by the
Oherokees to the Government for the purpose
| OF settlement by other Indian tribes. On the
29th Of April issued proclamation warning
all persons against participation in such an at
tempt and by the cooperation Of military
force theinvsaion was promptly checked It il
my purpose TO protect the rights OF the Indian
inhabitants Of that Territory to the full extent
Of the Executive; but Is would be un-
wise to ignore the fact that q Territory
sparse, and 90 great q wealth Of unused re-
sources, will be found more exposed 10 the rep
eti:ion Of such attempts AZ happened this year
when the surrounding States we're most densely
settled, and the westward movement Of our
population looks still more eagerly for fresh
lands 70 occupy Under such circumstances
the difficulty Of maintaining the Indian Terri
tory in its present state will greatly increase, and
the Indian tribes inhabiting 1t would do well to
prepare for such contingency. ] therefore
fully approve Of the advice given to them by
the secretary Of the Interior on Q recent
occasion to divide among themselves, In sew
they can cultivate, to acquire individual title
| In fee, instead Of their present tribal owner
ship In common, and consider In what manner
the balance Of their lands may be disposed Of
| by the Government for their benefit By
adopting such Iolicy they would more GER
tainly secure for themselves the value Of their
possessions, and at the same time promote
their progress In civilization and prosperity,
than by endeavoring 10 perpetuate the present
state Of things in the Territory.
The question whether changei In the control
Of the Indian service should be made was, in
tho Forty-ffth Congress, referred to o joint
| committee OF both houses for inquiry and
! report 10 my last annual message expressed
the hope that the decision Of the question, then
| in prospect, would arrest further agitation of
this subject, such agitation being apt TO pro-
duce disturbing effect upon the service ae well
as the Indians themselves. Since then, the COM
mittee having. reported, the question has been
decided In the negative by vote in the
House OF Representatives For the reason
here stated, and in view of the fact that fur
ther uncertainty on this point will be calculated
| TO obstruot other much-needed legislation, 10
weaken the discipline Of the service and 10 un-
settle sslutary measures now In progress for
the government and improvement Of the In
dams, respectfully recommend that the de-
csion arrived ct by Congress at It's last session
| be permitted 10 stand
Timber Thefts.
Tho efforts made by the Department Of the
Inter Tor to arrest the depredatious on the timber
lands of the United States have been continual
| and have met with considerable success Alarge
number of cases Of trespase have been prose-
cnted in the courts Of the United States.
ing to mako payment to the Government for
the valuo Of the limb taken BY them. The
proceeds Of theee prosecutions and settlements
turned into the treasury far exceed In amount the
sumr appropriated by Congress- for tins pur'
pose. A more important result, however, con-
sists in the fact that the destruction Of our
pubic forests by depreciation, although such
cases still occur, has been greatly reduced In
extent, ard it 10 proposed that II the present
policy Is vigorously pursued, and sufficient
prov sion to that end made by Congress- such
t,esr las es-at least thoee on large sc4le--can
be entirely suppressed, except In the Ter
rltories, where timber for the daily require
ments OF the population cannot, under the
present state OF the law, be otherwise