The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-12-03
THE INDIANS.
NEW POLICY RECOMMEND
ED BY COMMISSIONERS
ATKINS.
THE SEVERALTY SCHEME, AND
DESTRUCTION OF THE
TRIBAL SYSTEM.


commissioner of Indian affairs has submitted to
the secretary of the interior his annual report for
the fiscal year, ended June 30, 1885. The commits
soner prefaces the report with the statement that
lit requires to foretell foresee, the civil
lzauon OF the Indian race, result naturally de-
duclble from the knowledge and practice upon their
part OF the knowledge of agriculture for the his
tory OF agriculture, among all people, in all coun
tries intimately connect it with the highest intel
lectual moral development of man.
He continues: ''The increased interest in 9g
culture manifested since the opening of last spring
and preparations several reservations for still
larger increase of acreage in farming, are among
the hopeful signs of the Indians progress and de-
velopment. This brings me directly to the con-
Slderatlon of
A PRACTICAL POLICY
which, believe, should be adopted by congress
and the government in the management of the In
dians. It should be industriously and gravely i'm
pressed upon them that they must abandon tribal
relations, and take lands in severalty, tie cor
ner stone OF their complete in agriculture
which means selfsupport, personal independence
and material thrift The government should, how
eAer in order to protect them retain the right to
their lands in trust for twenty-five years, longer
but Issue trust patents at once to such Indians
have taken individual holdings. When the Indi-
ans have taken their lands in seye, atty in suff-
cient quantity and number of acres in each hold
ing, and should vary in different localities
according to fertility productions, climatic and
other advantages. Then, having due regard to the
immediate and early future needs of the Indians,
the remaining lands of their reservations should be
purchased by the government and opened to home
stead entry at fifty seventy five cents per acre.
The money paid to the government for lands
should be
HELD IN TRUST
in five per cent. bonds to be invested as congress
may provide, for the education, civilization and
material development and advance of the red race
reservng for each tribe its own money.
If this policy be adopted Systematically by the
government, it would be strange if, in five years
| from its inauguration and establishment, there
should be an Indian of any tribe in the whole
| country who would refuse to accept 80 favorable
| ADVANTAGEOUS q done
with reference to the Indians should
be with view of impressing upon them that this
| upon by the government in reference to their man
| agement. They must abandon tribunal relations
must give up superstitions, must forsake savage
| habits, and learn the art of civilization. They
must learn to labor, to rear families white peo
pie do, and to know more of the obligations tC
government and society; in q word, they must un
derstand that it is their interest to send their chill
| dren to school.
| When the farm and the school have become ia
miliar institutions to the Indians, and reasonable
time interviewed for the transition from barbarism
to one of civilization has elapsed, then will the
Indian be prepared to take upon himself the higher
| and more responsible duties and privileges which
appertain to American business.
There are in the United States, exclusive OF
Alaska,
| ABOUT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. INDIANS.
OF that number there are in five civilized tribes
of the Indian territory 81, 600. There are in New
York, 1870; in North Carolina, 300; and there
are some an fe "a G @
Northwest who are civilized, and still others who
can lay some claim to civilization. Many others
ON reservations have cast off the blanket and are
adopting the fashions and dress of white people,
| but among all these, except among the Indians of
| New York and North Carolina, and few in the
Northwestern states and part of the five civilized
tribes in the Indian territory, there is very large
number who do not till the soil. Nearly all who
are caIfed 'sblanket indians never titled the soil
to any extent and fully half of the Indians Of the
| United States, exclusive of Alaska, as yet have
declined to commit themselves to the life of a
| farmer
Exclusive of the land cultivated by the five civil
lied tribes the number of acres in cultivation by
Indians during the present year is 248,341; in
crease of 49, 473 acres over last year.