The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-11
LAKE M0HONK CONFERENCE
PRoCgEDINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH
 ANNUAL MEETING.

Report of the Conference Just Edited by
 Isabel c. Barrows, the Official Reporter
 The Indian Question Discussed by
 Authorities In It's Different Phases
 Interesting Papers and Reports Read.
 A most interesting report of the fif- teenth Lake Mohonk Indian conference has just been compiled from report of the conference by Isabel c. Barrows, who edits the report. The fifteenth con- ference assembled at Lak Mohonk Oc- tober IS, 1897, by invitation of MT. and Mrs. A. K. Smiley. The report gives the address of welcome delivered by MT. Smiley on the assembling of the conference. Mr. Smiley also introduced Mr. Philip Garrett of Philadelphia as the presiding officer of the conference.
 On motion of MT. Herbert Welsh, Mrs. Isabel c. Barrows. MT. Joshua w. Da- wis and Miss Martha D. Adams were elected secretaries.
 On motion of MT. c. F. Meserve, MT. Frank Wood of Boston was elected treasurer.
 On motion of President Seelye, Rev. Addison F. Foster, D. D., of Boston, Rev. c. J. Ryder, D. D.. of New York, President William F Slocum of Colo rado, President c. F. Meserve of Ra- leigh, N. C., and Mrs. A. s. Quinton of Philadelphia, were elected a business committee. The chair stated that the publication committee would consist, as last year, of the treasurer and secreta- ries, unless there were objection, and it was so ordered. The committee: MT. Frank Wood, MT. J. w. Davis, Mrs. Barrows.
 The first address of the conference was delivered by General E. Whittle- sey, secretary of the board of United States Indian commissioners. Among other things General Whittlesey said:
 Some things have occurred that have been disastrous to the Indian such as attempting to drive them from their lands by oppressive taxation; such as the attempt to eject the Indians from the Warner ranch in Southern Califor- nia--a case now before the courts These indicate that vigilance and earn est and watchful care are still needed to protect the Indian from injustice, and that the time has not yet come for relaxation of such effort. or for any laissez faire policy to be adopted. But hope the time will come when justice shall be done to all Indians as well as to white men under the law in all our .x,ha c1oa1 cta md Inv our side as fellow citizens, supporting themselves without any further help from us or from the government. We hope the time will come when we can dispense with the government Indian schools, and when the states shall take up the work of absorbing all our schools into their public school system. We hope the time will come when all the Indians shall be settled upon their homesteads; but this is looking for ward many years. I fear. Much work remains yet to be done in alloting lands and giving homesteads to the Indians, and vast amount remains to be done for their education. There is also a vast amount of work for our churches to do through their missionaries, and that is the thing in which am most deeply interested. All our efforts, all the generosity of the government, and all the labors of superintendents, teach CTS and others to educate Indians in in- dustrial pursuits and to give them in- | tellectual training, will be failure un- less there is deep foundation laid under this instruction of earnest, relig- ious training"
 | Mrs. Francis E, Trupp spoke on ''The Indian of the Vest Speaking of needed reform she said:
 | Another reform which would be wei come is the abolition of what started in very insignificant way, but has grown to large proportions-the Indian division of the secretary of the inter ior's office. I hope that no one will accuse me of casting any reflection up- on the persons who have administered that division in the past or who are administering it now, I am striking simply at the system. Years ago, in view of the responsibility of the de-
 partment of the interior for the Indian
 administration, the secretary found it | necessary to have clerk at his elbow who could arrange his papers. for him
 with details of matters treated in the
 correspondence of the Indian office. | This clerk found his duties growing so
 large that he had to have an assistant; i and the assistant had in time to have an amanuensis; and so the thing went l on until there are now perhaps a doz- en or fifteen persons in that division. From having been simply an office of
 suggestion, the division has generally assumed power to veto, or hang up, or
 pigeon hole anything that comes over
 from the Indian office. To give an il-
 lustration: Last spring a simple ques-
 tion came up, which any person &C.,
 quainted with business methods could
 have settled in short order, surveying the whole field and satisfying himself sufficiently. It was laid before the sec
 retary of the interior by the Indian bu- reau, which had passed on it thorough | ly. Every agent and inspector concern
 ed had given his views upon it, and all to the same purpose. A majority of the
 board of Indian commissioners were
 thoroughly acquainted with it, and a
 unit in favor of the plan suggested. Outside experts, wholly without person.
 al interest one way or the other, had
 considered it and given one verdict
 It need not have taken four hours to settle that question. As matter of | fact, it took four months.