Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-07
The Presidents Message.
continued from First Page.l ]

Ill the interest OF economy, tne OoNeInhehe
aud humanity, fairness and Justice to our
people.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE IN
TERROR
Presents comprehensive summary OF the
work of the various branches OF the publlc
service connected with his department, ana
the suggestions and recommendations
which IL contains, for the imrrovement lor
the service, should receive your care1uI ~
tention. Tne exhibit made OF me ,,'n ooriu, ,irn
tion of our Indian population, ana tne pro
gress Of the work for their enlightenment.
Notwithstanding those OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
which hinder the better admlnlstGatioii VI
this important branch OF the servlee, is
gratifying and hopeful one. The iuIas up
propriated for the Indian service Tor the Us
cal year just passed. with the avallaple ln-
amounting in all to 81 s50, ,775.12, were ample
for the service, under the conuitiohs anu ii
slrictions of laws regul itlng tbelr eApsnui
lures There remainea a., n, oaian1 m rhicb ~ Z, az
763. Il are permanent funds tor u fulhll lment
of treaties and other like purposes, ana tne
remainder 1928. .2550 90 subjectto be carried to
the Surplus Fund as required py law
THE ESTIMATES PRESENTED
For appropriation for the ensuing fiscal
year amount to s., 5,6Qss73 Ga, or $442, ,3s6 20
less than those laid before the Congress last
year. The present system of agencies,
while absolutely necessary and well adapt
ed for the management of our Indian aft irs
and for the ends in view when ii was adopted,
is in the present stage of Indian manage
ment inadequate of standing alone for the
accomplishment for an object which has be-
come pressing in its importance by the more
rapid transition from tribal orgadizations
to citizenship of such portions of the Iu-
dians as areiucapable of civilized life. When
the existing system was adopted the In
dian race was outside the limits of organ
lied States and Territories and beyond the
immediate reach and operation of civiliza-
tion and all efforts were mainly directed to
the maintenance of friendly relations and
the preservation of peace and quiet of the
frontier, and all of this is now changed.
There is no such thing as the Indian from
tier. Civilization, with the busy hum oil
industry and the influence of Christianity,
surrounds this people at every point. None
OF the tribes are outside OF the bounds OF
organized government and society, except
that the territorial system has not been ex-
tended over that portion OF the country
known as the Indian Territory. AS race
the Indians are no longer hostile. but may
of the Government, as few of them are
troublesome. Except the fragment of sew
eral bands are all now gathered
s ,ns t ss is sv no the ensss ehsa
and spontaneous productions of nature.
with an abundance of land. If furnished
with the means and implements for profit
able husbandry. Their life of entire de-
pendence upon government rations from
day to day Is no longer defen:ible. Their
inclination long fostered by a defective
system OF control Is to cling to habits and
customs OF their ancestors and struggle with
persistence against the change of life which
their altered circumstances impress upon
them but barbarism and civilization cannot
live together; 1t is impossible
THAT SUCH INCoNGRUoUs CONDITIONS
'eshould co-exist Oh the same soil. They are
a portion OF our people, are under the au-
thority of our government and have pecu-
liar claim upon and are entitled to the
fostering care and protection of the nation.
The government cannot relieve itself of this
responsibility until they are so far trained
and civilized as to be able wholly to man
age and care for themselves. The path in
which they should walk must be clearly
marked out for them and they mu
be led or guided until they are
familiar with the way and competent to
assume the duties and responsibilities of
our citizens. Progress in this great work
will continue only at the present slow pace
and at great expense unless the system
and methods of management are improved
to meet the changed conditions and urgent
demands of the service. The agents having
general charge and supervision in many
cases OF more than five thousand Indians
scattered over large reservations and bur
dened with the details of accountability for
funds and supplies, have time to look after
the industrial training and improvement of
a few Indians only and the many are neg
leCteu ana remain 1ulc ana QepenQenG con-
ditions not favorable for progress in civili-
zatiOn.
THE COMPENSATION ALLOWED THESE AGENTS
And the conditions of the service are no.
calculated to secure for the workmen who
are fitted by ability and skill to properly
.splan and intelligently direct the methods
best adopted to produce the most speedy re-
aults and permanent benefits. Hence the
necessity for supplemental agency or sys
tenn directed to the end of promoting the
general and more rapid transition of tribes
from habits and customs OF barb rity to the
ways of civilization with an anxious desire
to devise some plan of opertiOn by
which to secure the welfare of the Indians
and to relieve the treasury SO far as posi-
BILE from the support of an idle and depend
ent population. recommended in my pre-
vious annual message the passage of a law
sion as an instrumental auxiliary to those
already established for the care of the In
dians. 1t was designed that this committee |
or 1s commission on should be composed OF six
detailed from the army. having practical |
ideas upon the subject of treatment of In |
dians and interested In their welfare, and |
that it should be in charge and under the |
direction of the Secretary OF the Interior |
with the management of such matters OF |
details which cannot with the present or |
conducted, and which present different |
phases as the Indians themselves differ in |
their progress, disposition and capacity for |
improvement or immediate self-support |
By the aid of such commission much un- |
wise and useless expenditure of money,
waste of materials and uuavailing efforts
might be avoided, and it is hoped that this |
or some measure which the wisdom OF Con |
gress may better devise to supply the def |
cheney of the present system, may receive |
your consideration and the appropriate leg |
islation be provided. The time Is ripe for |
the work of such an agency. There Is less |
oppositionto the education and training of |
the Indian youth, as shown by the Increased |
attendance upon the schools. and there is a
yielding tendency for the individual hold |
ment in these directions are essential and |
should have every encouragement. AS the |
rising generation is taught the language of |
eiyiliz ition and trained in habits of indus |
try thew should assume the duties, privi |
leges and responsibilities of citizenship, no |
obstacles should hinder
THE LOCATION AND SETTLEMENT OF ANY IN
!. willing to take land in severalty; on the
contrary, the inclination to do so should be
stimulated at all times when proper and ex-
pedient, but there is no authority of law for
making allcttments on some of the reserva
tions, and on others the allottments pro-
vided for are SO small that Indians, though
ready aud desiring to settle down, are not
willing to accept such small areas when
their reservations contain ample lands to
afford them homesteads of sufficient size to
meet their present and future needs. These |
inequalities OF the existing special laws and
treaties should be corrected and some gen |
eral legislation on the subject should be
provided SO that the more progressive mem |
bers of the different tribes may be settled |
upon homesteads and by their example !
learn others to follow, breaking away from
tribal customs and sub bstituting therefore |
love for home, the interest of the family. |
The Indian character and nature |
areSuch that they are not easily led while |
Drooding over unadjusted wrongs. This is |
especially so regarding their land matters |
arising from the construction and operation |
OF railroads across some of the reservations, |
and the claims of title and right of occu-
pancy set up By white persons to some of |
1op nd within 0thar rasa