The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-11-21
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The Commissioner Reviews the Pro-
gress of Affairs in the Service.
Over 1000 Persons Are Employed i'm the
Indian Service-Ihe Policy is to EN-
ploy Indians in Every Position 10
Which They Are Fitted

WAsHING ToN, Nov. 2O.-The annual
report of the commissioner of Indian
affairs, William A. Jones, besides re-
viewing the progress of affairs in all
branches of the service, urges more
systematic methods, study of individ-
ual traits and consideration of subse-
quent environment in outlying stud
les in the Indian schools. The entire
educational system of the Indian Of
flee, he says, is predicated upon the
final adjustment of the anamalous
Indian reservation system.
There are now 20, 522 boys and girls
in attendance in the various Indian
schools OF an enrolment of over 10000.
The Indian population from which
these are taken, being 1S1, 900, while
the population has remained station.
ary chere has been such a steady in
crease in the number of the Indians
being educated as TO warrant the opin-
ion that the next quarter century will
witness not a diminution of the In
dian population, but an extinguish-
ment of Indian tribes.
One discouraging factor however, is
disclosed by the unsatisfactory results
of the past nine years trial of co-edu-
cation of the Indians with the whites
in the public schools. The report says
the results of this co-education are not
commensurate with the expenditure;
that the idea theoretically is an ad-
mirable expedient for breaking down
prejudices and civilizing the Indian
but the figures show it is not an I'M
qualified success.
The full blood, who needs such con-
tact most, is rarely secured, and the
groundwork, at least, of Indian educa-
ton, must be laid under the govern
ment's auspices and control. Stronger
measures for forcing the attendance on
Indian schools are urged. There are
2, 562 employees in the Indian service
and the policy is to employ Indians i'll
every position to which they are adapt
A thorough and exhaustive investi-
cation of the Seminoles in Florida has
resulted in the discontinuance of the
offices of industrial teacher and other
employees, and no school will be estab-
lished for them at present, their real
and fancied wrongs having embittered
them against governmental assist
ance.
Concerning the Indian territory, the
report severely arraigns nepotism, lack
of management and demoraized con-
ditions and deplorable state of af-
fairs generally in administering the
schools and orphan asylums of the five
Indian nations.
Out of 81 boarding schools not more
than four of the superintendent are
competent to teach the ordinary En-
glish branches, and financial misman-
agement is especially complained of.
Reporting on the Chippewa outbreak
of last autumn, Commissioner Jones
says:
For many years Chippewas have
been arrested and taken from their
homes to st. Paul and other points as
witnesses or as offenders, chiefly in
whisky cases. Often wholesale arrests
have been made solely for the fees
which would accrue to the officials.
Indians have been helped to obtain
whisky by the very ones who arrested
them for using it.
'In some cases Indians carried off to
court have been left to get back home
as best they could. The whole matter of
arrests by the deputy marshals have
come to farce, fraud and hardship
to the Chippewas and a disgrace to the