, 1889-12-05
H
THE INDIANS.
Results of tho Work of the Cherokee
and Crock Commissioners.

ana sfeck
The report of the secretary of the in.
terror exhibits the transactions 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 of breaking up the tribal rela-
ton and of dealing with the Indian as
an individual did not appear earlier In
our legislation Large reservations had
in common and the maintenance of the
authority of the chici and hcadmen have
deprived the individual of every inccn.
tive to the exercise OF thrift, and the an
nuity has contributed an affirmative i'm.
pulse toward u state of confirmed pau
perism. Oar treaty stipulstions should
be observed with fidelity and our legis.
lation should be highly consid.
crate of the best interests OF an
ignorant and helpless people. The
reservations are now geeerally surround
ed by white settlements. We can no
longer push the Indians back into the
wilderness, and 1t remains only by every
suitable agency to push him upward
into the estate ofa self-supporting and
responsible citizen. For the adult the
first step is to locate him on a farm, and
for the child to place him in a school.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
School attendance should be promoted
by every moral agency, and those fail.
ing to attend should be compelled to do
so. The national schools for Indians
have been very successful, and should
be multiplied, and as far as possible
should be so organized and conducted as
to facilitate the transfer of the schools to
the states or territories in which they are
located, when the Indians in a neighbor-
hood have accepted citizenship and have
been otherwise fitted for such u transfer.
This condition of things will be attained
slowly, but it will be hastencd by Keep
ing II in mind, and in the meantime
that cooperation between the govern
mcnt and the mission schools, which
has wrought much good, should be cor
daily and impartially sustained.
THE SIOUX COMMISSION.
The last congress enacted two distinct
laws relating to negotiations with the
Sioux Indians OF Dakota for the relin-
quishment of q portion of their lands 10
the United States and for the dividing
| VI viz ASMoihASA Ahto oSPsAosS ASSSiN0
tions. Both were approved on the same
day, March 2. The one submitted Ia
the Indians . specific proposition, the
other (soction 8 of the Indian appropria-
ton act) authorized the president to ap.
point three commissioners to negotiate
with tho Indians for the accomplishment
Of the same general purpose and required
that any agreement made should bt
submitted to congress for ratification.
On the 10th day of April last ap
pointed Hon. Charles Foster Of Ohio
Hon. William Warner Of Missouri nnd
Major General George Crook of the
United States army commissioner!
under the last-named act. They were
however, authorized and directed first tc
submit to the Indians the definite prop
osition made to them by the act frs
mentioned, and only in the event of 1
failure to secure the assent of tn,
requisite number to the proposition /,
open negotiation, for tho modified term
under the other act. The work Of tn,
commission was prolonged and arduous
but the assent OF the requisite numbe
was, it is said, finally obtained to th