, 1880-12-02
SECRETARY soHuRz's REPORT,

It Is snfe to predict that tho annual report
OF the Secretary pf tho Interior, tho leading
features Of which will be fou,h[ elsewhere In
TnE 'fnt,USf this morning, will prove to DO
the al.+'st, best-wrItten, and most cntertnln-
ing OF all The Ssato papers which arc 10 10
presented to Congress next week. Tho III
tcriur Department, coscrs Il vast portion OF
tlsa public domain. 1t includes thu Indian
1}urenu, tho Patent Office, tho Land Office,
tic Bureau of Railroad Accounts, the PEN
sion Office, tho Consus uarnall, the Bureau
of Education, md the office Of the
Geological Survey. Secretary Schnrz snys
l!nly things of Interest about nil these
Branches of tho public service, mid says thc1n
IN h,sr attractive nanner which character
| izes nA'.ts ntteranccs. Ills report this year
ms pceEtnr ynfuc, because llo puts 1t forth
rs the last which i,o is to make In ILLS present
capacity, henos his suggestions md tcconl-
laehoations Will be received without sus-
p!c1on In my quarter that they wcrc prompt
cd by self-Intorcst,>
Secretary SchurTs comments on Indian
atfalrs present tho Strongest argument that
las yot been made against tho proposed
transfer OF this Bureauto 10 the War Depart
ment. The special forco OF tho argument
lies In the evidence 1T progress tt,as has been
made towards tic civilization Of the Indians.
Much more llas bcen accomplished III tll!s
direction than would llnvn been bu'ieyed Dos
sibla few years ago. Tho Sccrotary's cx,Hn-
rienco has completely converted lin from
tho theory TINT largo md re,nutn reservations
and the fiction Of cloyating tribal distinctions
to tic dignity Of a nntfon constitute tho
proper soluttot, Of tho indian problem. The
SUCCESS Which has Of late years attended The
CLOSE relations between tho Inttians and
whites, md the civlizlng Influences tint have
been thrown about tho former, Induce him
to urge upon Congress tho adoption Of uli
Legislation that slinIl he NECESSARY 10 assure
to tho Indians land titles III seyentlty, asll tho
feo simple, Or "the wlitu Innll's papcr,n 10
individual lntlials who lsnvu occupied md
cultivated tho lails that hnve been allotted
to them separately under the systun, which
hns AlrcudS been uttoptcl bytho Department.
II Ii designed tint tllcsp individual owner
sEps shall bs made 1nalienabo during n ccr-
intn rerEod, for the protection of tho Indian
fan'lics. a'ld that ultimately those portions OF
lllo reservations not actunlly entered md
occupied shall h0 sold or TO settlers for tho
that III tllls way the relations between the
whites and Indians can 1e firmly liked OF n
friendly bnsis, that the heavy drafts upon tho
Government fur tho slsppor. Of the Indian
tribes shall bc supplanted In largo lart by
the salcs of land not used, and TINT In thccnd
tie American Indians sllall bccusne actnnlly
selt-s.lpporttng. Tho facts related by the
Secretary certainly glyo large SUPPORT to The
accomplishment Of this purpose.
Much leallwny has already hcen made
towards the indlyidual!ztng of Indian prop
erty Interests and tho promotion ut Indian
ambition for civilization. In ,nnny Ut Tho
reservations tho allotment Of tho lard b.
fautllcs has been fully carried out, md only
awaits tho Congressional authority for tho
fea-stnIrle ownership. As n consequence.
agricultural products from the Wnrk 0f Ill
alnns hive been doubled within the past four
years. Tho 1nltans do largo slaro of tho
freigllttng OF supplies, tslns Government
wagons and their OWN pUlstcs. More tl,nn 1000
suei rigs nro now III tlse. Tho Indians enrl
money In this way a1Mt ut tic sa,liu limo tlu
expense to thu Government ls reduced BY
hearly one-half for tho cost OF trnnspnrt,.-
tlun. Tho system alsu assures the prompt de-.
livery OF supplies, which WIS slow mi! u,,-
certain under thu old contract systcn, n,l.l
Inlan schools llayo MISC accomplished ex-
cellclt work, lcslles tho local schools,
neutrality-suspicious. lIay0 been established for
lnd[nn boys In tic East, mid mechanical In.
strnctlols l,ns been given n'ong witt, Tic
mysteries Of thu "tlsrea rs" Ncasly a5o
boys aro now learning traaes OF nIl