Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-09

IA frntier. Wit every disposition 10 meet the ext
| gencies Ell the case, am embarrassed BY lack oil
authority TO deal with them efectually. The pun
i ishnent of crimes committed within Arizona,
should ordinarily, OF course, be LETT 70 the local
territorial authorities hut il Is worthy OF eonsId-
Grafton whether acts which necessarily tend TO
| embroil the United States With neighborng gov
ernments. should not be declared crimes against
| the United States Some Of the Incursions al
iuded to may, perhaps be within the scope OF the
law IN the revised statutes sec. $50; forbiddlng
military expeditions enterprises against friendly
states but IN view Of the speedy assembling OF your
body, have preferred to await such legislation
| as IN your wisdom the occasion may seem to de-
mand II may, perhaps. be thought proper to
provide that the setting en- foot within our own
! territory OF brigandage and armed marauding
expeditions against friendly nations and their
| citizens shall be punishable as an eHense against
| The United States. / viii add that IN the event
| OF request from the territorial government for
protection by the United States against domestic
violence, this government would be powerless TO
| render assistance
The act of 1895, chapter So, passed at the
time when territorial government received little
| attenu from congress, enforced duty OF tue
| United States emily 70 the state government, but
| the act of 1907. chapter 80 spplied also to the
| territories This law seems to have remained IN
| force until revision of the statutes. when pro-
| vision for the territories dropped. l am not
| advised whether this alteration was Intentional
or accidental, but it seems TO me the territories
should be offered the protection which Is ac-
| corded to the states by the constitution l sug-
| gest legislation to that end.
/ II seems to me whatever view may prevail as
the policy of recent legislation by which the
| army has ceased to be part OF the posse comitd-
| tus, an exception might well be made for permit
ting he military to assist the civil territorial
| thorities in enforcing the laws of the United
4 States. The use of the army would not seem
| legitimate, against which legislation was aimed
| from sparseness of population and other elrcum-
tsra rhgra Fua1h IN
mon an active posse, in places where officers OF
justice require assistance and where military force
| il within easy reach.
/ The report of the secretary OF the interior.
| with accompanying documents presents an elab-
crate account of the business of that department.
| summary of it would be too extended for this
place. ] ask your careful attention to the report
| itself.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Prominent among the matters which chal-
enges the attention of congress at Its present SEES
sion Is the management of our Indian affairs
| While II has been cause of trouble and emoar-
| raSsment from the infancy of the gov
| eminent, it is but recently that any effort
has been made for the solution OF serious
| determined consistent and promising success
IL has been easier to resort 10 convenient make
| shifts for bridging over the temporary dithcul-
| ties than u grapplc with the great prominent
problem; accordingly that course has almost in
variably been pursued. 1t was natural at tunes
able, and contained many millions of acres tar
| south OF the bounds of civilized settlement, that
3 policy should have been created which
more than ought else, have been fruit
full source of our Indian complications.
| i refer of eUursa. to the policy of dealing with
| the various Indian tribes separate nationali-
ties; If regulating them by treaty stipuations;
to the occupancy of immense reservations IN the
west, and encouraging them to i've undSturbe
by any earnest and well-directed efforts, and
| rrtDt do no ip1na Af
| The unsatisfactory results which have sprung
trim this pc icy are becoming apparent to all As
white settlements have crowded the borders of the
reservations-the Indians, sometimes contentedly
and sometimes against their Sill-have been trans
serred to other hunting grouncs, from which they
have again been dislodged, wherever their new
found homes have been desired by the adventur-
Gus settlers. These removals and the fronti,r
collisions by which they have often been preet ded
have led To frequent and disastrous e1ntlctS be-
tween the races. 1t is prohtess to attempt to
judge which Of them have been chiefly response
hle for the disturbances whose recital occupies SO
large space upon the pages of our history
We have to deal with the ap-
railing fact, though thousand lives
have been sacrificed aud hundreds of millions
of dollars expended in the attempt to solve the
Indian problem. 1t had until within the past few
years seemed scarcely nearer a solution than half
ii century ago; but the government has OF late
neen cautiously but steadily feeling the way to
the adoption OF policy which has already pro
duced gratifying results, ana which, in my judy
ment. is likely, if congress and the executive
accord in its support to relieve ere long
from the difficulties which have hitherto beset us.
For the of the efforts now making To intro
duce among the Indians, customs and pursuits OF
yiized lite aud gradually absorb them into the
mass OF citizens sharing their rights and hold
in their responsibilities there imperative need
of legisl tive action. My suggestions in this e.
Spect will be chiefly such has been already
called To the attentioi 81 congress and have re-
cecelyed to some extent, its consideration. First
II recommend the passage Of act
making the laws of the various states and
! territories applicable to the Indian reservations
within their borders, and extending the laws of
the state of Arkansas to a portion of the Indian
; local territory, now usurped by five civilized
tribes. The Indian Should receive the protection vi
the law. lie should be allowed to maintain in
court his rights # person and property. He has
a repeatedly begged tor this privilege. Its exer-
e else would be very valuable to him in his pro
gress towards civilization. Second-Of even
greater Importance, the measure
which has been frequently recommend
Ell by my e9ecessors in office, and in furth
OF which several bills have been from time to time
: introduced in both houses of congress. The
enactment of general law permitting allotment
t in severafty to such Indians as desire IA
e reasonable quantity of land secured to them by
patent and for their own protection made attain
able from twenty twenty five years is de-
manded for their present welfare and their per-
manent advancement. In return tor such consid-
crate action on the part of the government there
is reason to believe that the Indians in large
numbers, would be persuaded sever their
/ tribal relations and engage at once in agriculture.
: Ii is for their best interests TO conform their
/ manner OF life to the new order of things. By no
greater inducen ent than the assurance of per-
manent title of the soil can they be led to engage
in the occupation of tilng it, The well ate, ted
reports IT their increasing interest in husbandry,
justify the hope and belief that the enactment OF
such a tatute as | recommend, would be at once
attended with gratifying results A resort
! to the allotment system would
have a direct and powerful influence on the
dis0ving tribal band which s prominent feature
. Of savage lie and which tend strongly to per-
petuate il. | here advise liberal appropriation
or the support IF Indian schools. becau Of my
! confident belief, such course is consistent with
the wlseSt economy even among the most uncul-
tured tribes. There is reported to be n general
and urgent desire on the part of the chiefs and
! older members for the education of their
children. Ii is unfortunate in view of this
TACT that during the past, means which have
been at command in the Interior Department
for the purpose of Indian instruction have been
proved TO be utterly inadequate. The success
Of the schools which are in operation Mt Hamp-
ton, Carlisle and Forest Grove should not only
encourage more generous provision for the sup
port of these institutions, but should prompt the
establishment Of others of similar character
They are doubtless much more patent for good
; I
pupils altogether separated from the sur
roundings OF savage life aud brought into con
slant ontact with civilization.
There many other phases Of this subject
which are u great interest but which cannot be
included within becoming limits in this sommu-
nication They were discussed ably in the re-
ports of the secretary of the inferior and of the
commissioner of Indian affairs.
PoLYGAMY.
For many years the executive in his annual
message To congress, has called attention to the
necessity of stringent legislation for the suppress
sion Of polygamy in the territories especially in
I tah. The existing statute for the punishment
Of this odions crime revolving 70 the moral and
religious christianity has been persisenty
and coutemptuously violated ever since its enact
ment. Indeed in spite Of the coIDmendable efforts
on the part Of authorities who represent the
United States in thai territory. the law has not in
various inst ances been enforced and { causes
TO which reference will presently be mad is prac-
ticallv dead letter. T he fact that the adh-r-
ents OF the Mormon church which rests upon
poygamy a. its corner stone, have recently been
peopltng in large numbers, Idaho Ari-
iona and others OF cur western terri
tories, is well calculated to excite the
liyliest interest and apprehension. II impo-es
upon congress and the executive the duty of using
against this barbarous system all the power which,
under the constitution and law they can WELD for