Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-07


for twenty or twenty-five years. is de-
manded for their present welfare and their
permanent advancement. In return for such
considerate action on the part of the govern
ment, there is reason to believe that the
Indians i'll large numbers would be persuaded
to sever their tribal relations ard engage at
once in agricultural pursuits. Many Of them
realize the fact that their hunting DAYS are
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 inducement
than the assurance OF permanent title to the
soil can they be led to engage in the occupa-
tion OF tillingit. The well attested reports of
their increasing interest in husbandry Justify
the hopes and belief that the enactment Of
such a statute as l recommend would be at
once attended with gratifying results A resort
to the allotment sv' tenn would have direct
and powerful Influence on dsSolving the
tribal bands. which is so prominent feature Of
savage life, and which tends so strongly to per-
petuate it
Third. advise a liberal appropriation for
the support of Indian schools, because of my
confident belief that such course is cOnsiS.
tent with the wiSest economy Even among
the most uncultivated Indian tribes there is
reported to be general and urgent desire on
the part of the Chiefs and older members for
the education of their children. 1t is unfOrtu-
nate in view of this fact that during the past
year the means which have been at the COM
mand of the Interior Department for the pur-
pose of Indian instruction have proved % he
utterly inadequate. The success Of the schools
and Forest Grove should not only encourage
a more generous provision for the support of
those institutions, but should prompt the es-
tablishment of others of a similar character.
Thev are doubtless, much more potent for
good than the day schools upon the reserva-
tion, 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 cannot be introduced
within the becoming limits OF this communica-
tion They are discussed ably In the reports
of the Secretary of the Interior and the Com
missioner Of Indian Affairs
THE MORMON QUESTION.
For many years the Executive in his annual
message to Congress has urged the necessity
of stringent legislation for the suppression of
polygsmy in the Territories, and,e specially in
the Territory of Utah. The exis'in statutes
for the punishment Of this odious crime, so
revolving to the moral and religious sense
Of ChristendOm, has been persistently and con
temptuously violated ever since its enactment.
Indeed, IN spite OF the commendabe
efforts on the part of the authorities
who represent the United States in
that Territory the law, has in very
rare instances been enforced, and for a cause
to which reference will presently be m de, is
practically a dead letter The fact that the ad-
herents of the Mormon Church, which rests
upon polygamy as its corner stone, have re-
Gently been peopling IN large numb~rs in
Idaho, Arizona and other of our Western Ter
ritories is veil calculated to excite the liveliest
interest and apprehension. 1t imposes upon
Congress and the Executive the duty of array
ing against this barbarOuS system all the
power which under the Constitution and
the law they can WELD for its destru ction
Reference has been alreaIy made TO the OBJ
stacles which the United States officers have
encountered in their Efforts to punish Violate MS
OF law. Prominent among these Obst 'cles is
difficulty ia procuring legal evi5ence sufficient
TO warrant a conviction even in the case of the
most notorious offenders. Your attention is
Court of the United ~tates, explaining it's
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 Territory
makes the proof of polygamy very difficult
aud the propriety is suggested Of modifying
the law of evidence, which now makes a wi
incompetent to testify against her husband
This suggestion is approved. | recommend
also the passage OF an act providing that in
the Territories Of the Unit-d States the fact
that a woman has been marrieI TO u person
charged with bigamy shall not disQualify her
as witness upon his trial for
that offense. ! further recommend
legislation by which any person
solemnizing marriage IN any of the Terrific
ries shall be required under stringent penalties
for neglect or refusal to file O certificate of
such marriage in the Supreme Court Of the
Territories Doubtless, Congress may devise
other practicable measures for Ohviating the
difficulties, which have heretofore attended
the efforts to suppress this iniquity l assure
you OF my determined purpose TO co operate
with you in any lawful and discreet n; ;easures
which may be proposed to that end
THE DUTY OF EDUCATING THE IGNORANT.
Although our system OF government does
not contemplate that the nation should pro-
vide or suppo a system for the education of
our people, no measures calculated 10 promote
that general intelligence and virtue upon
which the perpetutY OF our institutions 80
greatly depends have ever been regarded with
indifference oy Congress or the Executive. A
large portion of the public domain has been
promotion of education There is now
a special reason why by setting apart
the proceeds of its sales of public
lands or by some other course, the government
should aid the work of education. Many who
now exercise the right Of suffrage are unable
to read the ballot which they cast Upon many.
who had first emerged from a condition of
slavery, were suddenly devOlved the RESPONSE
bllitleS or citizenship in that port on of the
country most impoverished by war / have
been pleased to learn from the report of the
Commissi ,ner OF Education that there
mas lately been commendable in
crease OF interest and effort for their
instruction, but all that can be done by local
legislation end private generosity should be
supplemented by such aid as can be constitu-
IionaIly afforded by the National Governrlant
Iwould suggest. that if any fund he dedicated
to this purpose, it may be wisely distributed 1n
the different States according to the ratio of
illiteracy, as by this means those localities
which are most in need of such assistance will
reap its special benefits
THE REQUIREMENTS OF AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Commissioner of Agricul
ture exhibits the results of the experiments in
which that department has been engaged dur
ing the past year, and makes important sug-
geStiOnS in reference to the Agricultural da-
velopment of the country. The STEADY in crease
of our production and the consequent addition
to the number Of those engaged in the pursuit
of husbandry are giving TO this department a
growing dignity and Importance The Com
missioner's suggestions touching is capscIy
for greater usefulness deserves attention Ak It
more and more commends Itself to the inter-
eSts which 1t was created to promote.
THE PENSION PROBLEM
1t appears from the report of the Commits
sioner of Pensions that since 1850 7S9 053 orig-
nal pension claims have been flied; 450, ,949 of
these have been allowed and ingcribed on the
pension roll; 72, ,539 have been abandoned, being
13 per cent Of the whole number of claims
settled. There are now pending for settlement
265 ,575 original pension claims, q ,04G OF
which were filed prior to July 1st, 1889 h',,a
when allowed, will involve Inc na1ment
OF arrears from the dee of discharge ia case
OF an invali~ and from the date Of death on
Tx BE termination of prior right in % ali other %
cases. From all the data obtainable it is esti
mated that 10 per cent. of the mum Der of
claims now PENDING will be rejected or
abandoned. This would show the probable
rejec, ion of 34,o4O cases and the prob
able admission of about 1873, 600
claims, all OF which involve the payment of
arrears Of pension. With the present force
employed, the number of aoj Cdcations re-
naming the same and no new business inter
vening, this number OF claims, 1900, could
be acted upon in period of six years, and
taking January first, 1884, as a near period
fr I'm which to estimate in each case an aver
age amount of arrears, it is found that every
case allowed would require for the first pay
ment upon it the sum of 81. $50
Mule 1Ix5sya -
Der of probable admissions gives S25O,O0 OG0 |
as the sum required for first payments This |
the sum which must ba paid upon
claims which were filed before July 1st, 1880 |
and are now pending and entitled to the bene- |
nts OF the arrears act. From this amount. |
$3.50 900, may be deducted from ten to |
fifteen millions OF cases where the claimant |
dying there is no pc son, who. under the |
to the pension, leaving the S235 0OO OOO as the |
probable amount to be paid. In these esti- |
mates no account has been taken of the 38 5JO |
cases filed since June 30, $780, and now pend /
ing, which must receive attention as carrent /
business, but which do not involve the paw /
ment OF any arrears beyond the date of fling
the claim. Vt this number it is estimated s. per /
cent will be allowed. AS has been stated with
the present force of the Pension Bureau
l75 clerks. 1t is estima ted that iG will take six
years to dispose of the claims now pending. 1t /
s stated by the Commissioner of Pensions that /
oy an addition of $50 clerks. increasing the ad- /
Indicating force rather than the mechanical,
iouble the amount of work could be accom-
Dlished, so that these cases could he acted upon |
within three years.
Aside from the considerations Of Justice /
which may be urged for a speedy settle
nent Of the claims now on the files
)f the Pension Office, it is no less important On
ne score of economy, inasmuch as fully one /
hird OF the clerical force of the Office is now
wholly occupied in giving attention to corre-
spondence with the thousands of claimants
shose cases nave been on its files for the past