The herald., 1896-12-08
HERALD. TUESDAY

| Sucn an aspect as 10 reHuer IL dlIIlOst III
| dispensable that there should be an en-
| tire change in the relations of these In
dians to the general government This
seems to be necessary in furtherance OF
thir own interests as well as for the pro-
lection of non-Indian residents in their
| territory. A commission organized and
empowered under several recent laws is
| now negotiating with these Indians ror
the REIMBURSEMENT of their courts and
the division of their common lands in
| severalty, and are aiding in the settle
| ment of the troublesome question Gf
| tribal membership. The reception of
their first proffers of negotiation have
has been encouraging. but through pa
| tience and such conduct on their part as
| demonstrated that their intentions
| were friendly and in the interest of the
| tribes, the prospect of success has be-
come more promising. The effort should
be to save these Indians the conse-
quences of their own mistakes and inn
providence and to secure to the real In
dian his rights as against intruders pro-
fessed friends, who profit by his re-
| trogressions.
A change is also needed to protect life
| and property through the operation oe
courts conducted according to strict jus
tice, and strong enough to enforce their
| mandates.
As a sincere friend of the Indian. am
| exceedingly anxious that these reforms
| should be accomplished with the con-
sent and aid of the tribes and that no
necessity may be presented for radical
or drastic legislation.
| L nope, therefore. that the commission
now conducting negotiations will soon
be able to report that progress has been
made toward a friendly adjustment Of
existing difficulties.
| 1t appears that a very valuable deposit
| OF silsonite, or asphaltum, has been
found in the reservation in Utah occu-
| pied by the Uncompahgre Indians. Ev-
| cry consideration of care for the public
interest and every sensible business rea-
son dictate such management or dis
| posal of this important source of public
revenue as will except it from the gem
| eral rules and incidents attending the
| ordinary disposition of public lands ani
| secure to the government fair share
| at least of its advantages in place of its
transfer for nominal sum to interested
| individuals.
| indorse the recommendation made by
the present secretary of the interior as
| we'll as his predecessor that a permanent
commission, consisting of three men,
bers. one of whom shall be an army Off
Ger. be created to perform the duties now
| devolving upon the commissioner and
| assistant commissioner in Indian affairs
| The management of the bureau involves
| such numerous and diverse details and
| the advantages of an uninterrupted pol
| icy are so apparent that I hope the
| change suggested will meet with the ap-
proval of congress.
| PENSION EXPENDITURES
| The diminution of our enormous pen
sion roll and the decrease of pension ex-
penditures which have been so often
confidently foretold still fail in material
| realization. The number of pensions OH
| the rolls at the close of the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1896 was 97,67S. This is
| the largest number ever reported. The
| 4 -1,r
| during the year was $780, 1874,
slight decrease from that of the preced-
| ing year, while the total expenditures
| on account of pensions, including the
| cost of maintaining the department and
| expenses attending the pension distri
| buttons, amounted to $142, ,206, ,550.59, or
| within very small fraction of one-third
| of the entire expense of supporting the
| government during the same year. The
humber of new pension certificates is
| sued was 9640. OF these 40,374 represent
original allowances of claims and 49,
SIS increase of existing pensions.
| The number of persons receiving pen
sions from the United States, but resid
| ing in foreign countries. at the close OF
the last fiscal year was 31S1 and the
| amount paid to them during the year
| was $685., 1888. The sum appropriated
| for the payment of pensions for the cur
rent fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, l.;
$l40, 900 900, and for the succeeding year
it is estimated that the same amount will
| be necessary.
The commissioner of pensions reports
that during the last fiscal year 339 in
dictments We're found against violators
OF the pension laws. Upon these indict-
ments 167 convictions resulted.
In my opinion, based upon such state
ments as these, and much other informa-
ton and observation, the abuses which
| al lipxyrad tn into npn-
| sions have done incalculable harm in
demoralizing our people and undermln-
| ing good citizenship. l have endeavored
| within the sphere of my official duty to
protect our pension and make it what II
| should be, a roll of honor, containing the
names of those disabled in their coun-
try's service and worthy or their coun-
| try's affectionate remembrance.
| When [ have seen those who pose as
| the soldiers friends, active and alert in
urging greater. laxity and more reck-
less pension expenditures, While nursing
selfish schemes, / have deprecated the
| approach of a situation when neces-
sary retrenchment and enforced econo-
my may lead to an attack upon pension
abuses so determined as to overlook the
discrimination due to those who, worthy
of nations care, ought to live and die
under the protection of nations graf
itude.
PACICIFIC RAILROADS
The secretary calls attention to the
public interests involved in an ADJUST
ment of the obligations of the Pacific
! railroads to the government. deem 1t
to be an important duty to especially
present this subject to the consideration
of congress. On January l, 1897, with
the amount already matured. more than
$13, 600, 900 of the principal of the sub
sidiary bonds issued by the United
States to aid in the construction of the
Union Pacific railway, including its
| Kansas line and more than $4,000 900 of
like bonds issued in aid of the Central
Pacific railroad, including those issued
to the Western Pacific Railroad Com
pany, will have fallen due and paid or
must on that day be paid by the gov
ernment, without any reference to the
application of the sinking fund now in
the treasury. This will create default
on the part of these companies to the
government as will give it the right to
at once institute proceedings to fore
close its mortgage lien. In addition to
this Indebtedness, which will be due
Jan. l. 1897, there will mature between
that date and Jan. 1. 1899, the remaining
principal Of such subsidy bonds. which
must also be met by the government.
These amount to more than $4,000, 900
on account of the Union Pacific lines,
and exceed $21 ,0000 900 on account of the
Central Pacific lines. The situation of
these roads and the condition of their
Indebtedness to the government have