Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-01

females in household affairs. Oppor.
tunities to engage in such labor can be
readily found among the settlers on the
borders of the reservations.
Laws should be enacted for his protec
ton, not, ihowever,at his dictation, but such
{ as enlightened philanthropy determines
for his benefit He must not only have the
Z protection of law, but he must be subject
J to its provisions. The courts should be az
free to him for the protection of his per.
son or property as 10 his white neighbors
If he desires to abandon his tribal rela
tions and become citizen of the United
Statss, he should be allowed to do 30, with
out the loss of his interest in the tribal
property.
Treaties impossible of fulfllment, OF
contrary to the public interest, should be
modified Or repealed; no more treaties
should be made, or statutes enacted &C.
cordlng to agreements made with the In
dian. If he has more land than he needs,
ne must surrender the excess, and it can
not be left to him to determine either the
amount he ought to retain or the price he
ought to receive. He is incapable of &C.
termining such weighty questions; they
should be determined by the legislative
branch Of the government, or some suit
able tribunal created for that purpose. To
many of the reservations he has no title
whatever, and is but the occupant thereof
by executive favor. Such occupants ought
not to be left landless, neither should they
be allowed to hold large tracts not necee-
sary for their support, and of which they
make but little or no use.
In most cases appropriations for sup
port are i'll consideration OF cessions of
lands heretofore made by the Indians to
the government, and the money so appro-
prlated cannot be considered a gratuity:
but in addition to such appropriations a
large amount is appropriated for the sup
port Of Indians with whom we have no
treaty engagements for such support. The
amount so appropriated for the fiscal year
of 1888 was $1,520,000.
Such last named appropriations have
been made in the same manner that those
made under treaty engagements have been
made; that is, specified sum for each
tribe or band. The propriety of this
method, when applied to those Indians
with whom We have treaty engagements
for such appropriation is nos ques-
tiont 1; but no reason exists
why the same course should be pursued
with reference to those appropriations
that are gratuity on the part of the gov
eminent. All such appropriations should
be at the disposal of the department, so
that distribution can be made according
to the necessity of the Indians for whose
benefit these appropriations are made. If
the department could uss these funds at
its discretion, they could be made not only
means of support, but & valuable agency
IN the civilization of the Indians. The
Indian receiving the supplies 80 provided
for should be made TO understand that he
has no claim on the government, and
that such assistance is only afforded him
to enable him to become self-support1ng,
AID if he fails to show reasonable progress
III that direction such support VIII be with
drawn. 1t should be within the power of
the department to withhold such supplies.
except in payment for labor performed By
such Indians when the department CT
furnish them an opportunity to labor. The
cultivation of lana or the care of stock
should be made 6 condition precedent to
receiving aid from the government, except
in the case of those unable to perform
such labor. Snch has not been the prac-
tIce Of the government, Dat, On tho con
trary, the Indian has been allowed to re-
fuse to do work of ary kind, and yet de-
mand and receive support fnom the gov
eminent. Why should the government sup
port the able bodied IC1iaa who refuses
to work, any more than il should the white
mau who refuses To exert him self for his
support?
l therefore recommend that all appro-
priations of the character named-that is,
those made without consideration on the
part of the Indians-be placed Gt the dis
posal of the department, and that their
distribution be made to depend as far as
practicable on the disposition shown by
the Indians to become self-supporting.
In my former report [ recommended
the di5arming of the Indians I'D renew
that recommendation. Ii We sub5ist the
Indian, he has no use for fire arms, and it
Is not economy to ALLOW him to retain his
arms for this purpose OF supplying hiio-
self with game; far better to give him
sui1icIenoy of food, aud require him TO re-
main on his reservation. II the Indian
is disarmed he will cease TO be
an object of terror to his
white neighbor, and the friendly relations
that ought TO exist bet sen the white set
tier and his Indian n5ighbor will not be
wanting. It Id unsafe to trust au Indian
VITA qua; The very possession of 1t in
cites in him desire to usa it. The up-
armed I0dian il as safe IN any country as
the unlrmed wAiro man. it Ia the posses-
sion OF his weapon eut tue kno wledge
that he may be tenn pied 30 use It that
creates hostility towards him on the part
OF tds settler. D;s3rm him aud put him
under the protection Of the law, and his
person ana property will hs as safe as that
OF his white neighbor. lis arms ought
not to be confisoated; for every rifle give
him az OK OF twice its value to till his field,
COWS, sheep, or horses, az he may need.
The propriety Of doing this cannot be
doubted; the beneficial results would DO
readily seen.
INDIAN INDICATION.
The subjec. of Indian education has lost
none of its interest since my former re-
port; on the contrary, an increased public
interest has been aroused concerning the
duty OF the government in this behalf.
The success attending all efforts in that
direction, whether put forth by tbs govern
meut or through the aid of charitable per
sons and associations, Is most encourag-
ing. The fact that the attempt to educate
the Indian is not confined to a knowledge
of books, but that the effort Is being made
to give him a practical education that will
enable him to supply lis Own wants by his
own labor, has won TO the ca1ss of Indian
educ ltion many who saw bat little advan-
tage to the Indian in . literary education