Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-17
FOR THEIR EDUCATION
Secretary Bliss on School Appropria-
lions in Indian Territory.
SHUT FROM EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
Commissioner of Education Con-
ours in a Detailed Report.
THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES

In The Star yesterday brief mention was
made of the letter Of the Secretary of the
Interior to the Senate concerning the ed
ucation of the children in the Indian terri
tory.
Secretary Bliss, in his letter, says:
A most extraordinary and anomalous con-
dition has been brought to my attention
relating to the education of children of
white and colored residents of the Indian
territory.
All the lands in that territory belong to
the Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes,
and the United States cannot make any
provision Tor educational purposes therein,
except by direct appropriations from the
public treasury. No appropriations for The
purpose have ever been made, consequently
no provision for the education of white and
cclcred youth exists.
The white and negro residents are there
by sufferance only, having no voice in the
government under which they live or own
ership in the soil on which they reside.
1t is represented to me that there are at
this time, at least, between two hunorea
and fifty thousand and three hundred thou
sand white residents in the Indian terri
tory, to which large accessions are made
each year. OF this number there are be-
lieved to be not less than thirty thousand
children Of school age, all of whom are
shut out from the schools supported by
the governments of the five nations of In
dinas who control the territory, as well as
from those supported by the United States
for the benefit of Indian youth. Besides
these, the children Of the entire colored
population, said to number twenty-five
thousand, are little, If any, better off. In
the Chickasaw Nation they are disowned
and cast off by the tribal government. The
other nations have nominally admitted their
colored population to citizenship, but prac-
tically their childre are not better provided
for than those of the whites. 1t appears.
therefore, that there Is a mass of more
than fifty thousand children of both races
of school age for whose education. either
Industrial or literary, there is absolutely no
ing up without any of the advantages pos
sessed by those in all other parts of the
vast domain Of the United States.
Petitions for Appropriation.
Petitions signed by white residents of
White and vicinity have been received
by the department, asking Congress to
make an appropriation to educate the
white children of the Indian territory,
and making specific request for the ap-
preparation of land-scrip covering an area
equal to the number of acres given other
territories, the same to be sold and the pro-
ceeds devoted to the establishment of free
schools for the education of children in
the territory.
Believing the subject to be of vital i'm
portance to the future welfare Of the ter
ritory, as we'll as to the surrounding states,
/ have caused the matter to be laid before
the commissioner of Indian affairs, the
commissioner of education and the COM
mission to the five civilized tribes, for an
expression of their views, and herewith
transmit copies Of the said petitions and
OF the reports of the officials named, for
the Information of the Congress, and for
M tic WIG
proper and necessary to take in the
premises.
In submitting this matter, 1 cannot too
strongly urge the Importance of the sub
Ject to the welfare Of the persons whose
educational interests seem to have been
wholly lost sight of. Attention is also re-
specially invited to the application for
some provision for the blind of all races
within the territory, referred to by the
commission to the five civilized tribes,
and in the inclosed copy of a communica-
ton which accompanied their report.
From Commissioner Harris.
Accompanying the letter is copy of the
petition setting forth the needs of schools
within the territory, and the following let
ter from the commissioner of education:
1 have within the past three or four
years heard more than once a statement of
the conditions existing among the white
ana colored population settled in Indian ter
Information Is correct it seems that the
youth or both races are growing up not
only without proper school education, but
also without proper industrial training.
with industrial training the youth can look
forward to lettering his condition even If
ne Is 1lllterate. Without it he cannot hope
to obtain an honest living. A population
that cannot acquire title to land, and which
cannot enter manufacturing or commercial
establishments certainly is not receiving an
education In self-respect, and is not pre-
pairing itself for useful citizenship. This
is difficulty which appeals to the national
government as the only authority able to
remedy 1t; 1t Is too much to expect that
olOOO Indians will look after the wants of
!3O,Ooo white or colored people Census Of
leoO), who have no claim on them. Mean
whlie the surrounding states-Kansas. Ok
lahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Colorado
can do nothing to help the matter for 1t
hes beyond their jurisdiction. And yet all
these surrounding states will suffer through
the existence of a population near their
borders which has neither Industrial nor
literary education. It Is likely to form a
vast slum into which that dangerous class
OF people known as train robbers looters
or village banks, and other mauraders, may
escape and hide itself from pursuit The
existence OF such a population is menace
10 the civilization of the states surrounding
the' territory.
The Only Emeient Remedy.
The only efficient remedy for this evil is
provision on the part Of the national gov
eminent for the Industrial education for
the youth Of both races colored and white.
now resident in the Indian territory. With
industrial education In the common arts
and trades carried on in western states,
and with instructions in the elementary
English branches means Of self support
Will be furnished to the children whose I'M
fortunate parents have settled there. It is
not likely that they will ply their trades
ana occupations within the territory, al
though there may be some opportunity 10
90 this. 1t is more likely that they will
migrate to the surrounding states and be-
come worthy members of civilized COM
mun1ties So long as the anomaly exists of
patr1archal society or village community
IN the midst of modern industrial civiliza-
uon protection is due from the general gov
eminent to misguided people Of whatever
race that migrate into the circle Of It's in
The question Of administering the schools
provided for this class Of people Is already
serted by the existence Of tho edueationa,
DIVISION OF the Indian bureau. The Office
that has charge Of the distribution of the
annual appropriation for the benefit Of In
dian youth can manage with smallest en-
barrassment the schools adapted TO white
he x,3of