Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-01
Grove, is 5,o25, aud of the day schools, old


In my former report urged the neces
sity 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 in
dustrial arts to support themselves. 1t has
been demonstrated during the last year
| that even more than that proportion OF
| the children can be put in manual labor
schools, if suitable appropriations are
made for that purpose. Accommodation
| should be provided for at least 10000 chill
dren 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 one-fourth have any school adj
vantages a. all, three -fourths growing
up in ignorance of vice. If it is wise to
educate one-fourth, 1t is difficult to see
why it Is not wise to educate all. Certainly
this ought to be done, unless the expense
Is TOO great for the government to bear.
Many of the treaties contain provisions
for the support of school for every thirty
children. 1t is not desirable to establish a
school for every thirty children, but as this
provision was in most cases, if not in all,
inserted in consideration of the cession ei
land, ssand thus must be considered not as a
gratuity but payment to be made, it ap-
pears to be the duty of the government to
eypend in the education of such children
sum equal to the sum called for in such
treaty. The cash value of such provision can
be readily ascertained. A careful examina-
ton Of the treaties has
been made to see what
amount vas required yearly to fulfill such
treaties, aud the records Of the depart
nent have been es carefully examined TO
determine what amount has been expended
under such treaties. The difference be-
tween what was expended and what ought
to have been expended is the amount due
the Indians each year, under such treaties,
The sum of the years is the amount now
due. l submit 4 table herewith by which
it appears that the sum total required to
fulfill such treaties amounts to the sum of
$3,759, 400 to the close of the fiscal year
1884, and this after deducting all sums for
educational purposes on account of such
treaties.
The estimates for school purposes sub
mitted for the fiscal year 1885 contain an
estimate for school houses and one years
school under the treaties. The cost of
such school houses must come from the
above amount, should congress make the
appropriation required, and still there
would be due the Indians the sum of
So, 256, 400. This amount is still guaran-
teed by treaty to be expended for educa-
tional purposes. It ought to have been
expended In part each year, but the gov
eminent cannot avoid the payment of
this sum simply because it declined to pay
according to its contract.
These obligations are as sacred as the
public debt. and every argument that can
be used in favor of strict probity in deal
ing with the creditors of the government
can be used with reference to these obIi-
cations.
COURT OF INDIAN oFFENsEs.
The secretary calls attention to the lack
of legal tribunals at the agencies. He
depreoetes the scalp and sun dances and
feasts, where the Indians boast of ter
crimes, and urges their abolition. As a
means Of making tha Indians amenaDle to
law, the commissioner of Indian affairs
established q tribunal at ell agencies, ex-
cept among the ciziliZed Indians, consist
ing of three Indians, to be known as the
court of Indian offenses. The members
of this tribunal consist of the first three
officers in rank Of the police force, if such
seiection is approved by the agent; other
wise, the agent may select from amo6g
the members OF the tribe three suitable
persons TO constitute such tribunal.
The commissioner of Indian affairs,
with the approval of the secretary of the
interior, promulgated certain rules for
the government of this tribunal, defining
offenses of which it was to take cogniz-
ance. 1t is believed that such a tribunal,
composed as it is of Indians, will not be
Objectionable to the Indians and will be
a step in the direction of bringing the In
dams under the civilizing influence of law.
COMPENSATION OF INDIAN AGENTS.
The salaries allowedso Indian agents are
in most cases, grossly inadequate to the
labor performed by them. In several in
stances agents have found the labor so
great and the com pensetion so small that
they have surrendered their positions to
accept 4 larger salary, with less labor and
responsibility, in other fields. The
work required of an Indian agent
is of the highest order, and can only be
performed by men of large capacity and
business experience. he is charged with
the distribution of largo amount OF prop
erty among the indians. he submits esti-
mates for the necessary appropriations for
his agency, has the general oversight of
the affairs of the agency. and directly
represents ths government in its efforts to
Gaze for, protect and advance the Indians.
Work Of this character ought not to be
left to men OF doubtful financial probity
or of questionable morals. Men who can
properly perform the work assigned to
them as Indian agents can make more
money, with less labor and priyation, in
other pursuits.
l earnestly recommend that the salaries
of agents be increased sufficiently to secure
good men and retain them in the serYics.
INDIAN TITLES.
The tenure by which most of the Indian
tribes hold their land is very unsatisfac
tory. In few cases the Indians are suf
dcently advanced to appreciate the sdvan-
tsges of land in severslty, but the great mass
of ths Indians are not only not ready for
land in severalty, bat violently opposed to
it. and incapable of taking care of such title
if given TO them. A title IN severalty to
or individual ownership OF land is unknown
in Indian polity, aud they cannot under
stand why one man should have a claim on
or title to land that he does not occapy,
any more than they can understand hoy
one man can become the owner of more
air than he needs. They do not cultivate
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