The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-12

dams upon our reservations or SuDJectto inc
care and control of the Government with
view of discovering their exact condition ana
needs, and determining what steps snau Dc
taken on behalf of the Government 10 I'M
Droye their situation in the direction OF their
self-support and compile civilization; that
they ascertain from such inspection what, II
any, of the reservations, may be reduced IA ares
and in such cases what part, not needed 1or III
dian occupation, may be purchased by the GOV
eminent from the Indians, and disposed OF !0r
their benefit; what if any. Indians may, win
their consent be removed to other reSerNa-
tions. with a view of their concentration ana
the sale on their behalf of their abandoned
/ reservations; what Indian lands now neld III
! common should be allotted in severalty; IN
what manner and to what extent the INDIANS
/ upon the reservations can be placed under the
| protection of our laws and subjected 10 tne d
! penalties: and which, If any, Indians Snould
| be invested with the right of citizenship: Inc
! powers and functions of the commissioners
in regard to these subjects should De, cleaIly
| defined, though they should, in conjunction
| with the Secretary of the Interior, be given
| all the authority to deal definitely with the
! questions presented, deemed safe ana con-
| SiStent.
They should be also charged with rhe duty
! Of ascertaEning the Indians who might prop
! erly be furnished with implements OF agr1cul-
! ture, and OF what kind: in what cases the sup
| port OF the Government shovld be Withdrawn;
! where the present plan OF distributing lIlulan
| supplies should be changed; where SchOolS
! may be established, and where discontinued;
| the conduct, methods, and fitness OF the a@entIs
! in charge of reservations; the extent TO when
1
! upon by unauthorized persons; and generally
| llmatterS related to the welfare and improve
| ment of the Indian.
| They should advise with the Secretary or
| the Interior concerning these matters OF ue-
/ tail in management. and he should De glNen
! power to deal with them fully, II ne Is hot
| invested with such power.
This plan contemplates the selection of per-
| SONS fer commissioners who are interested IN
| the Indian question, and who have practical
| ideas upon the subject of their treatment.
| The expense of the Indian Bureau. during
! the last fiscal year was more than SIX ana a
| half million dollars. believe much of this
| expenditure might be saved under the plan
! proposed: that its economical effects would be
! increased with its continuance; that the safety
/ of frontier settlers would be subSefEed
| under its operation, and that the nation would
! be saved through its results from the imputa-
! ton Of inhumanity. injustice and nismanage-
ment.
! In order to carry out the policy Of allotment
! of Indian lands in ScVeralty, when deemed eN-
| pedient, it will be necessary to have surveys
! Completed of the reservations, and hope that
| provision will be made for the prosecution OF
! this work.
The public domain had is origin in cessions
of land by the States to the General Govern
1nent. The first cession made by the
State of New York. and the largest, which in
area exceeded all Others, by the State OF Viz
! ginia. The territory, the proprietorshlp or
| which become thus vested in the General tToV.
eminent. extended from the western line of
! patriotic donations of the States were Incum-
bered with no condition. except, that they
|
| benefit of the United States"
| 1t is not for the common benefit OF the
| United States that large area Of the pub
! lie lands should be acquired, directly or
! through fraud, in the hands OF a single indi-
| vidual. The Nations strength is in the people
! The Nations prosperity is in their osperity
| The Nations perpetuity is in the patriotism of
| all her people. Hence, as far as practicable
| the plan adopted in the disposal of the public
| lands should have in view the original policy.
| which encouraged many purchasers OF these
lands for homes and discouraged the masses of
| large areas. Exclusive of Alaska, about three
| fifths of the national domain has been sold or
| subjected to contract or grant.
| Or the remaining two-hfthSa considerable por-
| tion is either mountain or desert. y rapidly
| increasing population creates a growing de-
maud for homes, and the accumulation OF
| wealth inspires an eager competition to obtain
| the public land for speculative purposes. In
the future this collision OF interests VIII be
| more marked than in the past, and the eEecu-
ton of the Nations trust in behalf OF our set
! tiers will be more difficult. therefore COM
mend TO your attention the recommendations
| contained in the report of the Secretary of the
| Interior with reference to the repeal and mod
| iticatiou OF certain of our land laws.
The nation has made princeiy grants and
| subsidies to system OF railroads projected as
| States with the East 1t has been charged
| that these donations from the people have
| been diverted to private gain and corrupt
| uses, and thus public indignation has been
| arous ID and suspicion engendeTed. Our great
| nation does not begrudge its generosity, but it
| abhors POPULATION and fraud; and the favor
| pOratons to which these grants were made,
| can only be revived by restoration of con-
fidence. to be secured by their constant, I'M
| equivocal and clearly manifested integrity.
| y faithful application of the undiminlShed
| proceeds Of the grants to the construction
| and perfection their roads, and honest dis
| charge of their obligations, and entire Justice
| rO all the people in the enjoyment of their
| rights on these highways of travel, is all the
| public asks. and it will be content with no less
| 10 secure these things should be the common
| purpose Of the officers of the Government. as
as well as of the corporations. With this ac-
| complishment, prosperity would be perna-
| nently secured to the roads, and national pride
| would take the place Of national complaint.
1t appears rom the report OF the o4 4ha rs
day Of July. 1885, $40, l23 persons borne
upon the pension rolls. who were classified as
nor children, and dependent relatives of de-
| ceased soldiers, 1851; Navy inValids, 2.14o;
Navy widows, minor children, and dependents.
| / 926; survivors of the war of 1872, 2,94o;
| rnd widows of those who served in that war,
| 1922. About one man in ten of all of those
| who enlisted in the late war are reported as
| receiving pensions, exclusive of the depend
| ents of deceased soldir On the 1st of July,
1875, the number of toner's was 234,s 21
| and the increase within the ten years next
| thereafter was 1f0,3O4.
While there is no eXpediture of the public
| funds which the people more cheerfully ap-
| prove than that made in recognition of the
| services OF our soldiers living and dead. the
| sentiment underlying the subject should not
be vitiated by the introduction of any fraudu-
| lent practices. Therefore it is fully as i'm
| portant that the rolls should be cleansed of all
| those who by fraud have secured a place
| thereon, Is that meritorious claims should be
| speedily examined and adjusted. The reforms
| in the methods of doing the business of this
| bureau which have lately been inaugerated
| promise better results in both these directions
| The operations of the Patent Office demon
| stTate the activity of the inventive genius of
the county. For the ended June go, 1885 the
| applications for patents, including reissues.
| and for the registration OF trademarks and
labels, numbered IS, 6SS. During the same
| period there We're p, 9S2S patents granted and
| reisSued. and 1.429 trademarks and labels
registered The number of patents issued in
| the year 1873 was 1887. The receipts dur
ing the last fiscal year were 81 ,Or4, 974.35, and
/ the total expenditures, not including contin-
| gent expenses, 1881, 123. IL.
! A number of suggestions and recommended
| tons are contained in the report of the Com
| missioner of Patents which are entitled to the
| consideration of Congress.
| In the Territory of Utah the law of the Uni
| ted States passed for the suppression OF DO
/ lygamy has been energetically and faithfully
executed during the past Year, with measura-
| bly, good results. a number of convictions
| have been secured for unlawful cohabitation
and in some cases pleas of guilty have been
| entered and a slight punishment imposed,
/ upon q promise by the accused that they would
not again offend against the law, nor advise,
counsel, aid, or abet, in any way, it's violation
| by others.
The Utah Commissioners express the opin-
/ ion, based upon such information as they are
! able to obtain, that but few poygamous mar
| riages have taken place in the Territory dur
! ing the last year. They further report that
while there cannot be found upon the regis
tration lists Of voters the name of man actu-
/ ally guilty of polygamy, and while none of
| that class are holding office, yet at the last
| election in the Territory, all the officers
! elected except in one county, were men who,
| though not actually living in the practice of
4 polygany, subscribe to the doctrine of polyg-
| law unto all, higher and more binding upon
/ the conscience than any human law local or