New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-21
IN BEHALF OF THE INDIAN.
GENERAL MoRGAN's PLEA FOR HIN.

ADDRESS BEFORE TIE woMEN's NATIONAL AS
soc,,r,oN THE TENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION.
Commissioner Thomas J, Morgan. of the Bur'au
NJ rna,.p Affairs delivered an address IN Newark last
NIGHT before tbe Womcns National Indian Associa-
ton which Is holding rs annual m ct ma IN mat cl'
This is the tenth annual convention Of the society,"
There was big attendance % dcicGses MIS- M'
q. BALDWIN delivered address of welcome 10 the
deacatrs Mrs sanford, of Poughkcepsic. made
III, response Mrs. \. =. Qulnton, OF Pennsylvania
made the annual address. Miss w. II. Foote of
penn,ylvania reported rom the State auNiis'y as
sociatops Miss Kate Foote. of Wash ngton
read a report Mali nal Ind an legislation Inc
following officers were elected: Honorary President
Mrs Mary l.. Bonney Ranlbaut, Hamilton. y. y;
president Mrs Amelia :. Quinton, Philadelphia :
frst vice essicn Mrs sara T. kinney Hartford.
Conn; second cc-prcSidcnt, Mrs. Theodore irving
New-york; corresponding secrialy. Miss Helen IL
Foote, Philadelphia; recording secretary Mrs H. ~
Taylor, Philadelphia Treasurer, Miss Anna VI. Zen
nett, Philadelphia; auditor OF accounts, Miss T. o.
Bougbon, Philadelphia.
There will be another meeting Of the convention
al 10 80 n IN. to-day.
General Morgan's address was an explanation of the
probable expense of his proposed scheme OF lndlah
education. lie began by some references to the
nature OF the scheme II contemplate the establish
ment of compulsory system OF public education
among every tribe now under Government care anu
scrutiny All children between six AMI sixteen years
old srs TO be compelled TO attend. There are TO he
primary, grammar and high schools.
Tho Commissioner said there wcrr now under
Government care about 10000 Indians, OF whom
3s 600 were children OF school age. OF these the
po,sble enrolment should reach $1,000. and the
average attendance could be made to be 22'ooo'
lie thought the school capacity should be wthih w
DIR cent of the enrolment There now In Govern
ment schools about l. 900 pupils but the schools are
not at all efficient, and not only must their nump9r
be largely increased, but the system in every way
improved. 1t Is proposed 10 provide for 11Ooo pups
in Government boarding schools. and for 1900 IN
Government day schools The cost of the buildings
proyfed for the Haskell Institute. at Kansas CITY,
are taken as the basis OF estimate for the cost or
many of tn, proposed boarding schools 1t is thought
that provision should be made dur ne the next hsca'
year for at least onequarer OF the Indian youths now
uncared for The estimated cost OF this work is
1860 500 of which 1857 800 IS for boarding schools
and So 800 for new day schools. The remaining
so 900 win be required for repairs and improvements
10 present bu dincs. The Comm ssiOner argued that
this was small TO be asked foe such PURPOSE
lie said
II IS only little double the amount paid by
The citizens Omaha for their hghschoo buhdng ana
scarcely more enough 10 build two such grammar
schools as are the boast city Of Providence ana
oDe.half the that was spent in buIdlh9 'he
Providence City Hall j. is estimated that the Govern
Francisco
$1,000 COO and with that understanding Congress has al
ready appropriated $4,000 purchase the site upon
which the building will be placed. The Government
building at with it, site sie0oO0o and the
building AMI site Milwaukee cost the same amount
defence Of kind there was APPROPRIATED
for the fiscal year ended June 80 1850 sl.5oO,oo0.
The amount asked for was also declared H. De less
than half the sum appropriated for The same purpose
last year. The attendance to be thus secur'd
and supported next year in the boarding schools i
1863 an increased average OF 24i7 pupils. the per
capita cost being $40. making total boarding
school expense of 81 34O.335 The total day school
attendance is 2.9jS. which al Per capita cost OF
SCI 80 would Involve eXpens, OF Slo4,s73 In
addition 10 these expenditures. there must aso be
included in the appropiaOn that for the maintenance
Of The present contract schools where 1922 boarding
pupils and go day pupils instructed, which would
amount 10 S5OG09l. The total estimated cost of
support would therefore reach for the coming year
81 O32 ,194. A sum would be required 5000 900 in
excess of this for the new buildings and additional
pupils 10 he cared for the yeas In commenting
upon these estimates. General Morgan said:
comparing the cost OF educating Indians by the
Government with the OF school education as
carried OH by States should be borne in nina that
tie Government plan includes the considerable Toms
Of board clothing aud industrial ttalning The scnoo
expenses proper viii probably exceed the average cost
Of Ike the public schools To Offset the cost It
remembered that tn Government already pro-
yidcs for clothing and iators for large number oil In
dans, and c.othc and feed the
young school in camp II should also be remcm
bcred Government IS urdcr positive treaty obli
cations with body Of Indians TO furnish them suit
able education. still further significant that the
Indians are showing disposition 10 take their lands
in scvcalty dispose Of the surplus ands fer fair con-
sdcrati0n and Unrest very siderable portion Of the
proceeds Of the sales thereof in eiuc9tiCu.
The Commissioner gave the sum Of S5,102.170 "a his
estimate OF the cost of placing and supporting all the
Indian children in schools; Q! This sum -. $40
would need he spent IN construction. The rest
would bc annual chargr for maintenance. He
compared this with the cost % the public school
systems OF leading cities showing thai his proposition
was exceedingly inexpensive The work 10 be done
considered He added
system for the Indians great economical facts should
steadily be borne IN mind. The first is that by this
system public education the Indian will distant
day be prepared only SELF support but also
his place productive element in social economy.
The second lands Indian reservations
now aggregate nearly 10000 square miles This land
for the most part unculvsted and unprOductvc When
Indians shall have been properly educated they will
utilize "A sufficient quantity Of these lands for their
support will the remainder that IL may be
restored the public domain and thus will be added TO
National wealth immense tracts Of farming land and
mineral resources.