Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-06
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.

spirits adopted in this report include the taxes
thereon falling due the current year, amounting
to nearly so. ooO,0oo.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
A large part of the report is devoted to
this subject. The secretary says:
The report of the commissioner of Indian
affairs shows that there has been a very con-
siderable improvement among the various
Indian tribes, with but little dissatisfaction
and but one outbreak, and that among the
Apaches of Arizona. 1t is believed that it is
quite possible. with wise and judicious
treatment of the Indian question, to pro-
vent the recurrence of hostilities be-
tween the Indian and his white neigh
bors that have marked nearly every
year of our history. The Indian can no
longer hide himself in the fastness of the
mountains or in the solitude OF the wilder
ness. Contact has come between the settler
and the Indian In all parts of the country
Civilization and savagery cannot dwell To-
gether; the Indian cannot maintain himself
in a savage or semi-civilized state in compe-
'ition with his white neighbor, and he must
adopt the white mans ways" or be swept
away by the vices of savage life, intensified
by contact with civilization.
If the Indian is to become civilized being
it must be by the aid of the government, in
telligently directed, and one of the first steps
TO be taken is to fix the Indian in perma-
nent home Civilization will come slowly
il it comes at all, to those who wander about
without fixed homes, however well the gov
ernment provides for their wants. To this
end the reservations should be reduced in
size commensurate with the wants of their
occupants, and fee-simple title thereto
given to the tribe, to be held for the benefit
of the members thereof, according to Indian
polity, until such time as the Indians them
selves shall choose to divide it. The surplus
lands of such reservations should be bought
by the government, and parceled out to
actual settlers only. The proceeds of the
lands so sold should be used, not in provid-
ing food only for the Indian, but in the pur-
chase of stock, farming implements and in
the education of their youth. When the In
dian is fixed in his home and understands
that he has title to his Land of which he
cannot be deprived, one great source of his
discomfort will be gone.
He must be taught TO labor and care for
himself, by persuasion if possible, by com
should provide schools for his children
where they should be taught the English
language, and all kinds of useful labor; and
the attendance of all children of school age
should be required. If he chooses to be
farmer, he should receive suitable assistance
in the first instance, with the understanding
that such assistance is only temporary and
raiser, as he will in most cases, he should be
furnished stock suitable to his wants, in
structed to care for them and then left to
his own exertions. The manual labor schools
should instruct the male children in labor
on the farm and in the shops, and the fe-
males in household affairs.
The Indian must not only have the pro-
lection of law, but he must be subject to
its provisions. The courts should be as free
to him for the protection of his person or
property as to his white neighbors.
If he desires to abandon his tribal relations
and become a citizen of the United States, he
should be allowed to do so, without the loss
Of his interest in the tribal property.
The amount appropriated during the tis-
cal year 1888, for the support of Indians with
whom we have no treaty engagements, was
81, $50 900. The Recommendation is made
that all appropriations for the support of
Indians be placed at the disposal OF the de-
| partment.
In my former report, says Secretary Teller,
/ recommended the disarming of the In
| dians, and / renew that recommendation.
If we subsist the Indian, he has no use for
firearms, and it is not economy to allow him
to retain his arms for the purpose of supply
| ing himself with game; far better to give
| him q sufficiency of food, and require him to
remain on his reservation. If the Indian is
disarmed he will cease to be an object of ter
ror to his white neighbor, and the friendly
| relations that ought to exist between the
white settler and his Indian neighbor will
not be wanting. 1t is unsafe to trust an
Indian with gun; the very possession of it
| inciIes in him desire to use it.
INDIAN EDUCATION.
The appropriations last year for the educa-
| ton of Indians were far below the actual
wants of the service; yet am able to report
| a great improvement in the condition of In
| dian schools, an increased attendance of
pupils, and an increased interest among the
| Indians, both adults and youths. Ten new
day-schools have been established during the
| fiscal year. The capacity of the boarding
schools now established, including Carlisle,
Hampton and Forest Grove, is 5025, and Of
the day-schools 1000, making the total 9O25.
The capacity of boarding and day-schools,
old and new, is about 11.OOo.
In nv former report / urged the necessity
| of putting at least one-half of the children
of school age in manual-labor schools, and
keeping them there until they should be
sufficiently instructed in the industrial arts
| to support themselves. 1t has been demon
strated during the last year that even more
than that proportion of the children can be
put in manual-labor schools if suitable ap-
preparations are made for that purpose. Ac-
commodation should be provided for at least
10000 children in addition to those now in
manual-labor schools, which would secure to
about one-half of the children of school age
the advantages of at least partial education
while under present appropriations only
about ne-fourth have any school advantages
at all, three-fourths growing up in Ignorance
and vice If it is wise to educate one-fourth
it is difficult to see why it is not wise to edu
cate all Certainly this ought to be done
unless the expense is too great for the gov
ernment to bear.
The education of the Indian is demanded
not only in the interest of the Indian, but o.
the white people of the country, who arr
yearly taxed to support a class who by edu
cation can be readily transferred from tht
list of non-producers to that of producers
and the public relieved from the burden o
theirsupport. Public sentiment will sustain
, liberal appropriations for a measure tina
promises to settle in satisfactory way tn
''Indian problem" and answers once for al
the question so often asked, What shall W
} | do with the Indians?'
Courts of Indian offenses have been e:
i tablished at all the agencies. The member
: | of this tribunal consist of the first thre
i officers in rank of the police force, if sue
e selection is approved by the agent; othe
e wise, the agent may select from among tn
t members of the tribe three suitable person
= to constitute such tribunal.
: The tenure by which most of the India
: tribes hold their lands is very unsatisfactor,
s The secretary threfore recommends the pas
d age of a law TO give each tribe patent fC
/ the land the government has guaranteed
y it, leaving the Indians to determine the que
4 ton of allotment for themselves This sy
K TEN has given entire satisfaction to the civi
d lied Indians of the Indian territory, and
!: consonant with Indian law and religion Coz
,e gress should also provide some system
d which unoecupied lands can be leased by Il
d tribe or the department for the benefit