Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-03
THE INTERIOR Departures +.

Ol Apld.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTlESF.
SECRETARY MOBILES REPORT.
The report of the secretary OF the
interior exhibits the trarsact lOns of the
government with the Indian tribes.
Substantial progress has been made in
the education of the children of school
age and in the allotment OF lands to
adult Indians 1t is to be regretted
that the policy II breaking up the tri-
bal regulations tnd of dealing with the
Indians as an Individual, did not appear
earlier in our legislation. Large reser-
yat,nns held in common and the main
tenance Oh the authority Of The e CHIEFS
and head men, have deprived the Indi-
ans OF every incentive to the eXer-
else OF thrift, aud the annuity has con-
| triouted an affirmative impulse
towards state of confirmed paupers.
THE INDIAN TREATIES.
Oar treaty stipulations should be ob
served with fidelity, and our legislation
should be highly considerable of the
best interests of an ignorant and help.
less people. The reservations are now
| generally surrounded by white settle
ments. We can no longer push the
Indian back into the wilderness, and
IT remains only by every suitable
agency to push him forward into the
estate of self-supporting and respon-
| slbie citizen. For the adult the first
| step is to locate him upon q farm, and
| for the child TO place INN III a school.
SCHOOLS FOR THE INDIANS.
School attendance should be promOt-
ed by every moral agency, and these
| failing should be COMPELLED The ma
1 CnhnnlC
very successful and should be muir,
piled and as far as possible sif4tld We -
organized and conducted rs to farssss.N.
tate the transfer of the schools to the
states in which they are located when
the Indians in neighborhood have ac-
cepted citizenship and have become
otherwise fitted for such transfer.
| This condition of things will be attain
| ed slowly, but IL viii be fastened by
Keeping 1t IN mind. and IN the mean
time that cooperation between the gov
eminent and the mission schools which
| has wrought much good should be cor
daily ana impartia!ly sustained.
THE SIOUN REsERVA rIoN.
| The last congress enacted two dis
tlnct laws relating to negotia,. lens with
the Sioux Indians of Dakota for n re
| HnquiShment of a.portion of their
lands to the United States, and for di
viding the remainder into separate
reservations. Rolh were approved or
the same day, March .. The one sub
mitted to the Indians specific prop
oSitlon, the other (secti0n of sbt
Indian appropriation act) authorized
by the president to app oiut three com
missloners to negotiate with the In
dianS for the accomplishment of some
general purpose, and required th;., any
agreements made should be submitted
to congress for Publications. On tn,
| 10th day of April last, l appoint eJ
Hon. Charles Foster of Ohio, Hon. VIM
Warner of Missouri and Maj. Gen. Geo
| Crook of the United States army
commissioners under the las
named law. They were, however
authorized and directed first to submit,
TO the Indians the definite proposition
made to them by the act first mention
ed, and only in the event of failure &
secure the assent of the requisite num
Der TO that proposition to open nego
tiatlons of a modified term under tn
other act. The work of the commits
sion was prolonged and ardorous
but the assent of the requisite humble
was, It IS understood, finally obtaine,
to the proposition made by congr.s,
although the report,of the commissio,
has not yet been submitted In yiey
of these facts l shall not as At pfesen
advised, deem it necessary to subml
the agreement to congress for ratilics
ton, but il will in due course be sub
united for information. This agree
ment releases to the United STATE
about nine million acres of land.
THE CHERoREES.
The commission provided for by SO,
ton IA of the Indian appropriatio
bill to negotiate with the Cherokee II
dams and ali the other Indians ownin
or claiming laads lying west of th
/ 9Th degree of longitude for the cessio
to the l nittee.tt SStal 81 81 Al -sus},sn s
was constituted by the appointment a
Hon. Lucius Fairchild of Wiseonsiy
Hon. Jno. +. Hartranft of Pennsy
vania, and Hon. Alfred III. Wilson q
Arkansas, and organized ON June :
last. Their hrs. conference VIII
the representatives of the Chero
KEGS was held at TahleouaI
July 90, with no definite results. Ter
John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania wa
prevented by i'll health, from tak,n
part in the conference. His deaf;
which occurred recently, is fully am
generally lamented by people he ha,
served with conspicuous gallantryIin ws
and with great fidelity IN peace IN
vacancy thus created was Oiled nv m
appointment of Hon. WIG. Sayre =
Indiana. A second conference betwee,
the commission and the Cheros, a.
was begun November 9th, hut no Re
suits have yet been obtained. nor is
believed that a conclusion can n.
immediately expected.
THE CATTLE SYNDICATE.
The cattle syndicate now occapyin
the land for grazing PURPOSES is ciearI