The Daily Tombstone. [volume] (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1885-1886, 1885-12-05


the fiscal wear ended June 30, 1885.
The commissioner prefaces his report
with the statement that it requires no
seer to foretell or foresee the civiliza-
ton of TIE Indian race as a result
naturally deducible from a knowledge
and practice on their part OF the art
OF agriculture, for the history of agri-
culture, among all people and in all
countries, intimately connected 1t
with the highest intellectual and
moral development OF man.
He continues: The increased inter
est in agriculture manifested since
the opening of last spring and the
preparations on several reservations
for still larger increase Of acreage i'll
farming, are among the peaceful signs
of Indian prog ress and development.
This brings me to the consideration of
the practical policy which | believe
should be adopted by congress and
the government in the management
of the Indians. 1t should be industri-
ousl, and grayely impressed upon
them that they must abandon their
tribal relations and take lands in sew
eralty as a guarantee OF their success
in agriculture, which means self sup
port, personal independence and
material thrift. The government
should, however, in order to protect
them and retain the right to their
lands in trust for twenty-five years or
longer, to issue trust patents at once
to such Indians as have taken individ
ual holdings When the Indians have
taken their lands in severalty in suf-
ficient quantities, the number OF acres
in each holding may and should vary
in different localities according to
fertility. climate and other advantages +;
then having due regard to the imme-
diatc 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 or seventy-five
cents \ acre The money paid by
the government for their lands should
be held in trust in per cent bonds
to be invested as congress may pro-
vide, for the education, civilization
and material development and ad-
vancement OF the red race, reserying
for each tribe it's own monev. Ii this
policy were adopted syste natically by
the government it would be strange
that if in five years from its Inaugural
ton and establishment, there should
be an Indian of any tribe in the whole
country who would refuse TO accept
30 favorable and advantageous a
measure. Every step taken, every
move made, every suggestion offered,
everything done with reference to the
Indians should be with view of i'm
pressing upon them that this is the
policy which has been permanently
decided upon by the government in
reference to their management. They
must abandon tribal relations, they
must give up their superstitions, they
learn arts of civilization. .rNs must
learn to rear their f-hillies az white
people do, APP )Snow more of their
ob,;a..;oto the government end
.oo;e.. In word, they must learn
>"ork for living, and must under
stand that it is their interest and duty
to send their children to school, and
when the farm and school have be-
come familiar institutions to the In
dams, and a reasonable time has in
tervened for transition from barbarism
or a semi-civilized state to one of civil
ization, then will the Indian bs pre-
pared to take upon himself the higher
and more responsible duties and pri-
vileges which appertains to American
citizenship. Fully half of the Indians
OF the United States and of Alaska
have declined to commit themselves
to the life of the farmer. Exclusive
OF the land cultivated by the five
civilized tribes in Indian Territory,
the number of acres in cultivation by
the Indians during the present year
is 24S ,241, an increase of 1S,475 acres
over last wears fipures