The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-12-10
REPORT OF SECRETARY sCHURz.

REPORT OF SECRETARY SCHURZ.
The larger part of the report Of the Secretary
! Of the Interior is devoted to Indian affairs In
i bis opening chapter upon this subject the Sec
rotary gives an explanation Of the importal
ohange which has taken place with regard +,
I the reservation system. He says that although
at first accepting as he found It, the reservation
policy which had so long been followed by the
Indian Office, more extensive observation and
| study of the matter gra iually convinced him
that this was mistaken policy that it would be
| better for the Indians, and more in accordance
! respect their home attachments to leave
them upon the lands they occupied, pro-
! Tided such lands were capable of
| Yielding them sustenanee by agricu' ture or
! pastoral pursuits, and TO begin and follow u D
! the practice of introducing among them the
habits and occupa ions of civilized life on
/ ground they inhabited. In view of the fact,
| also, that the maintenance of the system Of
large reservations as llnst the pressure of white
| hmm grafton and settlement would, in course Of
time, become impract!cable, differ Mt policy
has been followed, having for its object the
settlement of the Indians upon lands III sew
eTaltv, and the disposal for their benefit Of
tneir lands not required FIR this purpose, and
/ gradually to prepare the way Tor their final
| incorporation into body polite as lndepen-
dent and self-relylng mer, invested with all
/ the rights which tie other inhabitants of the
/ country possess. The results a ready accom-
! plisned in pursuance of this policy and the
promising outlook III the same direction are de-
serlbed III general terms, and lllustr, ted by
specific accounts of the progress made by the
individual tribes.
Secretary ScnurZ expresses the firm belief
that the agricultural industry OF the Indi Ms
would be greitly stimulated and its product
much increased if assurance were given to
! them thatthey will bs secure IN the possession
! OF their lands.
! The Secretary continues 81 desire also to
call attention once more 10 the bill repeatedly
/ introduced IN Congre s extending over the In
| dian reservations the jurisdiction of the courts
of the States or Territories II which sucn res
creations are located, swing the Indians a
standing III such courts, and securing to them
! the full benefit of the laws. venture to ex
press the hope7that Congress may hot adjourn
| again without having taken action upon these
important measures SO essential to the pro-,
ress and security of our Indian wards.
| The number of Indian youth learning trades
| in workshops at the agencies has incred Sc
from 1S5 last autumn to 35S this year. The
i policy Of employing Indians az workmen, and
! even as toremen and machinists, at the agen-
| cles has been continued and extended with
! great success. Bf1ckmakiug has feen begun.
/ Houses for the Indians are now almost ex-
cusively built by the Indians themselves. The
! aptitude shown by the Iniians for me-
chanc work hae, III m ny cases, been
| surprising, end Ii considered des, rving OF
q A,sx n da SVa1n
! OF ANXIOUS ue.l.e on We part of In iidls
| belonging TO the so-called wild tribes to have
! their children instructed in the ways of clvi-
lzed life have, it is stated, grown SO numerous
! and urgent that tie inade qlacy of the means
| placed at the disposal of The department Tor
tuis purpose has become particularly painful
The desire and purpose of the department IL to
largely increase the present small mum or Of
| industrial neutrality-suspicious. for Indian youth
as the day-schools at the agencies do not With
draw the pupils from the influences of home
| surroundings sufficiently to facilitate q change
in the r habits of daily life.
The report next mentions 90 another import
ant civllizlng agency. largely introduced under
the present administration, the organization OF
| police force consisting of Indians, which has
been put III operat on at forty ageueie-. Tie
force now consists of 162 officers and 653 PHI
Yates Its benefits, both as means of main-
tanning good order and as moral
influence upon the Indidn tribes among
wnom it has been established, are set
forth as worthy of special notice. Look
ing at the present condition of things,
IT may be said without exaggeration that On
the whole, the Indian situation is now more
hopeful than ever Lefore. The desire of the
Indians to maintain friendly relations with
their white neig hDors, to go to work for their
own support, to cultivate the soil, to acquire
permanent homes, to have their children 9du-
catt d, and to assimilate themselves to the civ
ilization of the country, is growing stronger
and more general every day.
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ia uB!puI 10 9uerueSBuBm eul avUl (sss1dx9 o.
A1I9qH I9lB9LS az sI99I MOu en- 'lIodaI 9spI sun
| 81 s!Vl SO 'UoTUM) utI3oIAuos sIq pouoHl 9u9Ila
seq aou9LIedx9 9Bql sYIgmaI zInQoS ELBleIaaS
The report enters into MANY interesting de-
tails concerning the present C nditlon of in
dividual tribes. The case If the POncas re-
ceIves minute attention. The injustice done
them by their original removal from their Da-
kota lands is fully described, but it is also clear
TO the Secretary that iG would be contrary alike
to their own interests and to those of the coun.
try large to remove them tIom their present
homes.
ATTEMPTS by evil-disposed persons to in
/ wade the Indian Territory and to take posses.
sion of certain nn0ecupied lands there have 80
far been successfully frustrated by the prompt
action of the Government, but they have been
az persistently repeated. It is repo ted that
another attempt is in preparation now. The mil
itary forces of the United States i'll the Terri
tory are instructed to arrest mtrud-
ers, and to take proper measures to
bring them to Justice, as they have
done heretofore. But it is evident that
tne penalty imposed upon repeated intrusion
INTO the In liam Territory, which penalty con-
slstS IN mere fine, and Is difficult of enforce
ment. is not sufficient to deter lawless charae-
ters from such undertakings. / concur with
Tue commissioner IN recommending that law
De passed adding penalty of Imprisonment to
tnat OF fine. If this is done invaders will
Know that such att.mpts are not without serl
Gus i15ks to Shem."
/ Referring to the measures instituted by the
department to put stop to depredations on
public timber lands, the Secretary rep rts they
have been highly successful. During the past
three years upward of $240,G00 have been
turned into the treasury as the result of keep
ing the departments special agents III the fel'
TO defend and pres lite wholesale timber tres
passers. and the Ill CIT cutting and expt r5atioD
OF timber from the public lands along ouI
coasts, which had grown to an enormous yearly
aggregate, has been almost entirely arrested.
the Secretary again urges upol the attention
of Congress the greet e-irabiiity of enactIng
laws to provide for the proper preservation OF
our forests by preventing the reckless waste
which now attends the cut ng of timl er in many
p rtS Of the country without restraint.
The report also contains, among other mat
tiers not above indicated, series of syDopses
of reports. extension Of the geological survey
all over the United States, and the adoption
by Legislative enactment of Commissioners
Bentley's plan for taking evidence in
pension cases by oral examinations through
ont the country; concurs with Commits
sioner Marble in asking an increased force
of clerks and examiners for the P tent
Office; recon nends riy action upon the Pub
| lie Land Commissions bill indorses Gen
Walkers recommendation for authority to Sc
cure prompt publication of the census fur
nished under special instructions of the de-
partment BY the Governors Of the various Ter
ritories, setting forth their material resources,
and their respective attractions for immigrants
INTERNAL REVENUE.