St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-30
TH z R ED M EN-.
Interesting Extracts From the Re.
port of the Conn M ssioner of Indian
Affairs.

TH Z RED MEN.
Interesting Extracts From the Re.
port of the Com issioner of Ind an
| Affairs.
WASHINGTON, Oct 29-The commits
| sioner of Indian affairs. j. ID. c. Atkins.
has just completed his annal reports show
| ing the operations of the Indian bureau
| during the last fiscal year. He begins by
calling attention to the unmistakable evi-
denceS OF progress made by many of the
| tribes, and says.
| The excellent temper, subordination and
general tranquility which, with two or three
| exceptions, have everywhere prevailed, is of
| itself most auspicious omen of progress.
| Many facts fully establish the claim that DUR
| ing the past year the Indian race has taken q
| firrner step in the march toward civilization
! than ever before in the same length Of time.
| The estimates for carrying on The Indian
| service has been reduced from S7.34674 74S in
| 1885 to $3.50 .973 for 1885, and but for an in
| crease of SIT, 500 in the estimate for educa-
| tiOnal work, the reduction would have been
greater.
Considerable space is devoted to dis
cussion of the condition and future of the
five civilized tribes in the Indian Territory.
Referring to the
ATTEMPTS OF BOOMERS"
to encrOach upon their reservation, the COM
missioner says:
1t is not reasonable to expect that the gov
ernmcnt will never tire of menacing its OWE
people with its own army. Therefore it be-
comes vastly important that the i've civilized
tribes should cooperate with the government
in establishing peace and quiet within their
borders.
After speaking of the failure OF these
Indians to sympathize with the government
in its effort to promote the taking up of
allotments of land, Commissioner Atkins
says that it would be best for the Indians to
divide their land in severalty of 100 acres to
each head of family and eighty acres to
each minor child. The large surplus re-
naming should be sold to actual settlers at
a just price. and the proceeds would enable
the poorer Indians to improve their allOt-
ments. put up school buildings, etc. Says
the commissioner:
Let these Indians assume all the RESPONSE
bilties OF citizens of the United States, with
its law extended as
A PROTECTING EGIs
over them and the day of their fear and ap-
prehenSlonS of marauding whites will be for
ever ended.
The commissioner dwells at length upon
the surplus lands in the Indian territory
and says:
We're all the Indians of the United States
to be uprooted and transplanted to that ter
ritory there W ould be 25654 acres to each
living Indian.
He suggests that the Kiowas. Conan.
ches, Wichitas, Cheyennes and Arapahoes,
the only tribes in the territory west of lon
gitude SO, be removed to lands east of that
line. He expresses his conviction that the
proposition to throw open Oklahoma to
white settlement would be an experiment
dangerous to all concerned. 1t is therefore
recommended as a preliminary step that
congress authorize the department to ap-
point a commission who shall visit the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes, the Wichitas
and the KiOwas, COmancheS and Apaches
in the Indian territory to ascertain their
views with reference to the subject of re-
moval to lands in said territory east of 9S
degrees. The report says that the mme-
diale necessity for the establishment of a
United States districG court in the heart of
the territory of
THE FIVE CIVILIZED NATIONS,
say Muckogee or Fort Gibson, no longer adj
mts of doubt. The necessity for legisla-
ton by congress upon the question of leas-
ing Indian lands is also subject of remark.
The commissioner refers to his instructions
to agents looking to the teaching of Indians
how to farm, and says he intends to see to
it, that they are fully carried out The
success or n0n-success of the Indians farm
ing experiment, he says. will require some
years to demonstrate. The commissioner,
in treating of Indian schools, says the diff
Guilty experienced is in freeing the pupils
from adverse home influences. and after
some discussion of the matter. says:
At this time. however, would not advise
4
OF the different kinds of schools now fostered
by the government. All are doing excellent
service in their particular spheres.
He suggests that an Indian graduate who
marries an Indian graduate be assisted in
purchasing a team, settling on 100 acres of
land, fencing, breaking and building a
house, and that if he takes up land outside
of any Indian reservation, he be made a
citizen of the United States. The commits
siOner SAYS:
The general public has long had the i'm
preston that corruption prevailed in the In
dian service; that many agents having in
their own hsnds the power to employ or dis
miss their assistants had surrounded them
selves with such material as they could COM
pIetely control through fear of discharge or
by collusion with them in
DISHONEST PRACTICES:
that this condition of affairs rendered fraud
az ents and this Office almost impossible, and
that thus the government and the Indians
were pundered with lmpunity. / determined
to make q change as would effectualy re-
move al just cause for doubt as to the hon.
esty and integrity Of the service in this par
ticular. Indian agents and school superin-
tendents were therefore notified that the
Office would select and appoint all clerks, as
well as physicians and additional farmers. /
arr pleased to be able to report that most of
the agents cordially support this move. The
ruling that agency clerks shall be selected by
the Indian Office is wise one, and has alre ady
been found to tend directly and plainly to the
improvement of the service.
OF the necessity for an appropriation to
defray the expense of taking a census of
the Indians the commissioner says:
/ do not doubt that an accurate census
would show a decrease in the rumber of In
dians throughout the country. or at least Of
several of the agencies The outlay for tax
ing the census is inconsiderabe when CON-
pared with the great saving it would probably
effect. The saving in two instances will
amount to great saving annually.
Duplicated ay accounts.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29.--The proceed
lngs OF the court martial convened in this