Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-06
THE INDIANS.
THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN
AFFAIRS REPORTS.
The Logic of 1t is that the Indians May
Only Keep Enough Land to Live On.
The Rest for Settlement.

| WASHINGTON, Oct 5.-The siXtieth an
| nual report of the commissioner of Indian
| affairs has Just been submitted To the secre-
| tary of the interior After abiding to the
| increased public interest in the subject of
| Indian administration, the commissioner
| outlines what he regards as the settled
| policy of the government in its dealings
| with the indians, emphasizing cOmprehen-
! sively the deiinitenesS of the aim and the
clealness of outline and adaptation of the
means TO the end, justice, hrmaeSS. hu-
manity, radicalness and stability, as
| essential elements of such policy. He
thinks that great forces are now at work.
Land III seVeralty with ii ac-
companying dissolution OF the tribal
relation and the breaking up of the
| reservation, the destruction of the agency
system, aud citizenship and all that belongs
thereto. of manhood, Independence.
privilege and duty, education
generation of Indians into right
relationship with the age in which they
live, and put into their hands the tools by
which they may gain for themselves food
and clothing. and building for themselves
homes. will, if allowed to continue for Il
reasonable length of time, accomplish
their beneficent ends. The report dis
status of the Indians tracing the
evolution Of the present policy Of
dealing with the Indians as wards. After
giving an account of the progress made
in the allotment of lands to Indians during
the past year the commissioner says
that this radical and far reaching
revolution in the social status
OF Indians is making satisfactory progress.
Land III severaliy has in it promise and
potency of great things, but only promise
and policy. In many cases 1t brings
uuutterable woe and in all it is liable 10
lea re the Indians worse off than before.
He further says: Il AIN not in receipt OF
enough information, nor indeed has sufi-
cient time elapsed to enable me to
the allotment policy have seen
nothing during the year TO lead Inc to
change my views rs to its ultimate result"
Regarding the reduction of the reservations
which has proceeded with great rapidity
during the year the report says;
"While it is possible TO push this
work too rapidly perhaps, ] do
not hesitate to say that the ultimate de-
struction of the entire system OF reserva-
tions is inevitable. There is no place for it
in our present condition OF life. Mil
lions of acres of Indian lands
now lying absolutely unused are
needed for the homes of very rapidly in
creasing population, and this must be SO
until they are used. What right and title
the Indians have on this subject
must yield to the demands of
civilization. They should be pro
tected in the permanent possession OF
all their land that is necessary for their
own support, and whatever is coded by
them should be paid for ut its full mar
ket value, but it cannot be ex-
pected under any circumstances that those
reservations can remain intact. hlnderlng
the progress of civilization, requiring an
army to protect them from the encroach-
ments of home-seekerS, and maintaining
perpetual abode of savagery and animal
ism.
The report discusses quite at length the
subject of Indian education The enroll
ment of Indian pupils for ne year ending
June 30 has been 1926. an increase over
last year of 1919.
The amount of congressional appropria-
ton for Indian education available for the
year to come is nearly S2.225,O 0O.
The commissioner regards the educa
ton of the Indian as nearly solution of
the Indian problem. Regarding contract
schools the commissioner recommends the
maintenance of the statu quo for the present.
but urges that the appropriation OF public
funds for sectarian education is
contrary to the spirit OF the con-
stitu;ion, opposed to public policy
and ought at an early date TO be discon-
tinued. He expresses a strong appreciation
of the missionary work done among
the Indians by the churches
and thinks the present time is
peculiarly favorable for the increase OF
such work. Yhe report discusses great
variety of topics. and contains full statisti-
cal tables and other information regarding
all matters that have been under considera-
ton during past years.