The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Continued from Page 3.)

alienable for twenty-five years Is de-
manded for their present welfare ana
their permanent advancement In re-
turn for such cOnsiderate action on the
part of the Governme mt there Is reason
to believe that the Indians III large
numbers would be persuaded to sever
the tribal relations and TO engage at
once i'll agricultural pursuits, convinced
that their nOmadic days were over, and
that it is now for their best interests to
conform their manner of life to the new
order of things. By no greater induce
ment than the assurance OF permanent
title TO the soil can they be led to en-
gage in the occupation or tllllnG IT,.
The well atteSted reports OF their IN
ereasing interest in husbandry Justify
the hope and belief that the enactment
of such statute as | recommend would
be at once attended with gratifying re-
suits. A resort to the allotment system
would have direct and powerful in
fiuence to the dissolution of the tribal
bond which is a prominent feature of
the savage life, and which tends so
strongly to perpetuate 1t there. ad-
wise liberal appropriation for the sup
port of Indian schools, because of my
confident belief that such course Is
consistent with the wisest economy.
Even among the most uncultured In
dian tribes there is reported 10 be
general and urgent desire on the part of
The chiefs and older members Tor the
education of their children. 1t is un-
fortunate, i'll view of this fact, that dur
ing the past year the means which have
been at the command of the Interior
Department for the purpose of Indian
instruction have proved to be utterly in
adequate. The success of the schools
which are in operation at Hampton,
Carlisle and Forest Grove, should not
only encourage more generous pro-
vision for the support of these lnstltu-
tiOns, but should prompt the establish
ment of others of a similar character.
They are doubtless much more potent
for good than the day schools upon the
reservations, as the pupils are altogether
separated from the surroundings of
savage life and brought into constant
contact with civilization.
There are many other phases OF this
subject which are of great interest but
which cannot be included within the
becoming limits of this communication.
They are discussed ably in the reports
of the Secretary of the Interior and the
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs.
THE CANCER OF PoLYGAMY.
For many years the Executive, in his
annual message to Congress, has urged
the necessity of stringent legislation
for the suppression of pOlygamy III the
Territories, and especially in the Terri
tory of Utah. The existing statute for
the punishment of this OdiOus crime, so
revolving to the moral and religious
sense of ChTistendOm, has been persist
emily and cOntemptuOusly violated ever
Sinse its enactment. Indeed, in spite of
EOmmendable efforts on the part of the
authorities who represent the United
States in that Territory, the law has Ill
very rare instances been enforced, and.
for cause to which reference will pres
emily be made is practically dead let
ter. The fact that adherents of the
Mormon Church, which rests upon
pOlygamy as its cornerstone, have re-
Gently been peOpling in large numbers
Idaho, Arizona and other of our western
Territories, is well calculated to excite
the liveliest interest and apprehension.
1t imposes upon Congress and the Exc
cutiYe the duty of using against this
baTbarOus system all the power which
under the Constitution and law they can
WELD for It's destruction. Reference
has been made already to the obstacles
which the United States officers encOun-
tered in their efforts to punish viola
tiOns of law. Prominent among the OBJ
stacles is the difficulty of procuring
legal evidence sufficient to warrant a
conviction even in the case of the most
notorious of them. Your attention is
called to the recent opinion of the Su-
preme Court of the United States eX-
planning its judgment of reversal in the
case of Miles, who had been convicted of
bigamy in Utah. The Court refers to
the fact that the secrecy attending the
celebration of marriages in that Terri
tory makes that part of pOlygamy very
difficult, and the prOpriety is suggested
of modifying that law of evidence which
now makes wife incompetent to testify
against her husband. This suggestion
Is approved. l recommend also the pass
ing of an act providing that in the
Territories of the United States the fact
that woman has been married to a
person charged with bigamy shall not
diSqualify her as a witness upon his
trial for that Offense. | further recon-
mend legislation by which any person
sOlemnizing marriage in any of the
Territories shall be required under
stringent penalties for neglect or re-
fusal to file certificate of such mar
riage in the Supreme Court of the Terri
tory, unless Congress may devise other
practicable measures for Obyiating the
difficulties which have hitherto attended
the efforts to suppress this iniquity.
assure you of my determined purpose to
cooperate with you in any lawful and
and discreet measures which may be
proposed to that end.
THE AID OF EDUCATION.
Although our system of government
does not contemplate that the nation
should provide or support system for
the education of our people, no measures
calculated to promote that general in
telligence and virtue upon which the
perpetuity of our institutions so greatly
depends, have ever been regarded with
indifference by Congress or the Execu-
tive. A large portion of the public do
main has been from time to time dev0t-
ed to the promotion of education. There
Is now special reason why by setting
apart the proceeds of its sales of public
lands, or by some other course, the Gov
ernment should aid the work of educa-
tiOn. Many who now exercise the right
of suffrage are unable to read the ballot
which they cast. Upon many who had
Just emerged from condition Of slavery
were suddenly deY0ived the responsible
-4Ties Of citizenship in that portion of
the country more impoverished by war;
/ have been pleased to learn from the
report of the Commissioner Of Educa-
tiOn, there has lately been a cOmmenda-
BILE increase of interest and effort for
their instruction; but all that can be
done by local legislation and private
generosity, should be supplemented by