The Dickinson press., 1892-10-01
THE STATUS OF LO|
Indian Commissioner Thomas
j. Morgan Files His An
nual Report.
Condition of the Nations Wards
Discussed in All Its
Phases.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2s.-Gen. T. J. Nor
gan. commissioner of Indian affairs has
submitted to the Sc, rotary of the interior
his fourth annual report. Following are
he most salient features of the report:
The government has q well defined policy Of
dealing with the Indian. the outcome OF more
than u century OF experience and OF discussion,
tie essential clement OF which Is suggested by
the one phrase, lam -rican citizenship" Citi-
Ienship accompanied ny the allotment Of lands
necessarily looks toward the entire destruction
OF the tribal relation aud the dealing with the
Indians as individuals. 1t will destroy the
whole agency system and eventually do away
with the necessity Of All Indian bureau. The
evils connected with the agency are INSOFAR
able from the anomalous condition OF
the Indians and are to be corrected
not by n notification OF the system, but
by it's ultimate destruction. Citizenship is to
be conf FRED upon all the Indians, but it should
be done intelligently. Citizenship is simply op.
portunity. To confer upon at une6ucated ln-
dian, ignorant OF the English laneu &c and un-
accnstOm d to American ways, the full privil-
eyes OF liberty does not necessarily carry with
it any advantage; it does not change bis nature;
confers upon him no new facilities, does not ill.,
crease his intelligence nor necessarily awaken
any new desires. He should be prepared for
this great change in his status by education.
THE DETAILING OF ARMY OFFICERS
10 the charge of Indian agencies is fully
discussed and disapprovcd. Generals w. I.
Sherman. W. S. Harvey, A. II. Terry and
G. G. Augur are quoted as saying:
Ii we intend to have war with them the bu-
reau should go to the secretary OF war; il we
intend 10 have peace 1t should be IN the civil
department. The chief duty of the bureau ia
to educate and instruct in the peacefM arts, in
other words to civilize lniians. The military
arm Of the government is not the most admir-
ably adapted to discharge duties OF this char
acter.
There is given an historical survey OF tue
evolution of the Indian agent. Alter q
prolonged and careful consideration OF the
subject OF law and courts of the Indians,
the commissions concludes that 1t is not
desirable to formulate any elaborate special
system. The Indians OF New York, Michi-
gan, the five civilized tribes, the Pueblos
o New Mexico. the Mission Indians OF
Cali ornia and those who are not on any
reservation, scattered through Nevada,
California and other states could not be
brought under such Il system.
The thousands whn are taking their lands IN
s~everalty and acquiring citizenship come under
the OF GRAFTON OF the laws i'll Their seperate
sta e., While the Apaches and some Of the moro
turbulent, tribes are not prepared for any eiab.
Olute legal system. line rules for the Indian
courts have been carefully revised, giving to
them larger jurisdiction and placing them on e
higher plane. 1t is thought that these will
y ! WI NV l'a O"> wv HSSSNS ~
Others Dc completed.
"WIIAT IS AN ISDIAN?"
The report discusses quite fully the ques-
ton what is an Indian? and says:
The common law princip G is applicable to H.
dinlls, that offspring of free cltizeus follow the
position OF the fathers and helps to determine
The status OF children born OF u white man, q
citizen of the United states and an Indian
woman his wife.
The commissioner does not think that
Itolii(o, al .t,o1, v,uraptS orn fharofnra hv
birth not Indians but citizens o. the United
States" He thinks the question should be
determined not by the common rule nor
upon chronological grounds, but upon
historical considerations. The law Of
descent must be determined not q ter
Roman or English precedent. but in &C
cordance with Indian usage and our Amer
lean adminislratiye sanction. Amy other
conclusion announced now as to a binding
rule, us q result Of actual consequences
would result in inva ldating treaties and
agreements, disregarding vested rights and
introducing confusion II the entire In
dian question.
The subject OF Indian education is COW
cred fully, its tiiculties are pointed out,
q general survey of the field is presented
and the tables are giving the showing ofthe
different schools inoperation, their capacity
and their attendance.
There are now i'll operation, or Soon to be
opened twenty large training schools locateu in
the midst OF civilizei communities remote from
the Indian reservations. Three years ago there
we're eight such schools. When completed their
total capacity will be about 10000 pupils. Tho
total enrolment in all the schools, government
and contract. for the year ended June 80. 1892.
is nearly O,OOO,a an increase OF more than 1000
| within three years. -Four years more at this
rate Of progress will see practically all Indian
children gathered into schools. Rapid progress
has been made during the year In %allotting lands
to Indians. A careful survey o. the entire work
accomplished and in progress shows that allot-
ment Of Indians the land to whom the applica-
| ton OF the severaity law would be tor their in
next three or four years, with the possible ex-
ception OF the Sioux Indians. Reports from
Indian agents regarding he
EFFECT OF ALLOTMENTs
Upon the Indians are on the whole favorable.
A system has been inaugurated in the Indian
reservation OF opening and constructing roads
and highways similar IN character to those in
have been taken and great progress Is being
made in the encouragement OF industries and
altho"gh the work Is slow great progress Is
tematic remunerative labor. Two hundred
Thousand dollars are being expended on the
Crow Reservation III Montana, In the develop.
ment Of a system irrigation and more than
$50. 1000 are being expended for the same
purpose on other reservations. n Irritating
canal il also being built through the Fort Hill
| reservation. 10000 head OF stock cattle have
been purchased and distributed e1nong the
| Sioux Indians who are taking a lively interest
Tables are given showing that nearly co.
600 Indians received stated wages regularly
from the government Tor services perform d,
and that including those employed at their
labor an aggregate sum- Of nearly 100000 q
year is paid out Tor Indian l.. or. The
total amount of cash paid to Indians dur
ing the last year in fulfilling treaty stipu.
lations, payment on interest on funds he'd
in trust. payment for Ian 8 r linquished to
the government, was over So. 400. 900, and
does not include thepayments made to the
five civilized nations. Most OF this large
amount of money is being we'll expended
by the Indians.
Asking Too Much.
Chicago Iuter-Ocean: "How about the rent
Of this house OF yours. Jones? Doesn't the
landlord ask q good deal for til"
Jones-Yes: he often asks five and six times a