The Van Buren press., 1902-12-06

hereafter be used to put a stop 10 sueh
trespasslng.
Alaska LegixIntion Asked For.
I especially urge upon the congress ING
need OF wise legislation lor A,asha' ,,at
is not to our credit as nation that
Alaska. which has been ours for 30 years;
should still have as poor system Oh
laws as is the case. No country mas
more valuable possesson-in mineral
wealth in fisheries i1rs' totesrs' r,nd. %d.
of farming and stock growing. IL IS
territOry OF great size and varied re-
sources, well fitted to support large
permanent population. Alaska needs
good land law and such provisions lor
homesteads and preemptions as VIII en-
Courage permanent settlement. We
should shape legislation with a view not
TO the exploiting and abandoning OF the
territory, but to the building up OF homes
therein The land laws should be liberal
in type, so as to hold out inducements
to the actual settler whom we most de-
sire to see take possession OF the coun-
try The forests of Alaska should be
protected, and, as secondary Dut Stii
important matter. the game also, and az
the same time 1t Is imperative that the
settlers should be allowed to cut tim
be- under proper regulations, for their
own use Laws should be enacted to
protect the Alaskan salmon hSherles
against the greed which would destroy
them. They should be preserved as a
permanent Industry and food supply,
Their management and control should be
turned over to the commission OF fish
and fisheries Alaska should have dele
gate in the congress. 1t would be well
II a congressional committee could visit
Alaska and investigate It's needs on the
ground.
In dealing with the Indians our aim
should be their ultimate absorption INTO
the body OF our people. But In many
cases this absorption must and should
be very slow In portions of the Indian
territory the mixture of blood has gone
on at the same time with progress in
wealth and education, so that there are
plenty OF men with varying degrees OF
purity OF Indian blood who are abso-
iutely lndstingulshable in point OF social
political and economical ability from
their white associates. There are other
tribes which have as yet made no per-
ceptble advance toward such equality.
To try to force such tribes too fast Is 10
over, the tribes live under widely differ
ent conditions, Where a tribe has made
considerable advance and lives on fertile
farming soil II is possible To ailot the
members lands In severaIty much as ls
the case with the white settlers, There
are other tribes where such course is not
desirable on the arid prairie lands the
effort should be to induce the Indians to
lead pastoral rather than agricultural
lives, and to permit them to settle In
villages rather than to force them Into
ISOLATION
The large indian schools situated remote
from any Indian reservation DO special
and peculiar work Of great Importance.
But. excellent though these are, an I'M
mense amount of additional work must be
dore on the reservations themselves among
the old and above all among the young'
Indians
The first and mos, important step toward
the absorption of the indian Is to teacn
him TO earn his living. yet 1t Is not neces-
sar.ly to be assumed that IN each commun-
ity all Indians must become either tilIers
of the soil or stock raisers, Their indus tries
may properly be diversified, and those who
show special desire or adaptabiIity Tor M
Gustrial or even commercial pursuits
should be encouraged so far as practicable
TO follow out each his own bent
Every effort should be made to develop
the Indian along the lines Of Fatural aptl-
tude, and to encourage the existing native
as the various kinds Of basket weaving,
canoe building, smith work, and blanket
work Above ALL the Indian boys and girls
should be given confident command OF coD
ioquial English, and should ordinarily be
prepared for a vigorous struggle with the
conditions uEGer which their people live.
rather than for immediate absorption into
some more highly developed community
The officials who represent the govern-
mert IN dealing with the Indians work un-
lions which render II easy to Go wrong and
very Gllilcult TO detect wrong, Consequent
ly they should be amply paid on the one
hand, and on ,he other hard a particularly
high standard Of conduct should be De-
mardei from them, and whore misconduct
can be proved the punishment should be
exemplary
scientific Ala to Farmers.
In no department Of governmental work
In receut years has there been greater suc-
cess than IN that OF giving scientific aid TO
the farming population, thereby showing
them how most efficiently to help them
selves, There IL no need OF insisting upon
It's importance, for the welfare Of the
farmer Is Fundamentally necessary 70 the
welfare Of the republic as o whole, In ad-
dition to such work as quarantine against
animal and vegetable plague and war;
ring against them when here introduced,
much efficient help has been rendered TO tho
farmer by the Introduction OF Lew plants
specially 'ntted for cultivation under ths
peculiar conditions existing In different
portions Of the country, New cereals have
been established IN the semi-arId west
For instarce, the practIcabllity Of produc.
ing the best types OF macarOn wheats in
regions VI an annual rainfall OF only ten
Inches or thtrCabOuts has been ConCluslye-
ly demonstrated, Through the introduce
uon Of new rlees IN Louisiana ard Texas
been made to about equal the home de-
maUd, Ia the southwest the possibility ot
rcgrosslng Ovtrstockod range lanes has
been demonstrated; In the north many new
forage crops have been Introduced, while
In the east II has been shown that some Of
our choicest fruits can BIZ stored and
shipped N such way as to hnd profitable
market abroad,
The Dlstric, Of Columbia Is the only part
Of our territory In which the national gov.
al In %
UoEs, anc where IN consequence the goy-
crnment ha, a free hand In reference 10
certain types OF soci al and economic legls-
Atlon which must be essentially local or
municipal IN their character The govern.
ment should see TO II, TOR instance, that the
hyglenic and sanitary legislation affecting
Ia Of a high character Tho
eEEls OF sum dwellings whether In tho
shape OF crowded and COngcstrl lencWaut-
mouse districts or Of the bacK-allcy type,
Warrington The city should Be a model
IN every rcspccl for AL the, cities OF mo
country The charitable and correctional
nderlt,on at the hands Of the congress to
the END th1t they may pmbody tho rpsult,
OF ihe most advanced thought in these
nelGM Moreover while Washington il not
tria!Ism here, and our labor lcgisiatIon.
while i would not be important Tn Itself
m'IEhS be modG a model for the rcst OF the
n9 non. we should pass, for IuStarce, A
Mise 'mpI9yort t'llNblllly act for the Bis
lilet Of Columbia, and We need such nm no,
u oIF n4NyslArGs Rallgoud oompAnIos in
i3e dhirlet ought to be required 6y law 10
block their frogs ~ '"" w
nrotrri'on Tor Railway Employees,
ne sately.applIanco law. for the better
protection OF the lives and limbs nf rall.
way. employees, which was passed In iSpa.
wont mo lull effect on August /, lIOl, Il
:, Gas ~ iGsultoG IN aVertlGg Thousands 0t
Sdsu'Il les Experience shows, howCvcr. tha
t,oeHly OF additional legislation to pGr.
key lhls Jaw. a bill to provide for his
Paibs,1 the "pale at the Ia u session, liz
now be enacted Into law ''"'
1rou Tying progress has been made dur
Ing 'ho year IN the. extension of ina
inott system of making NppoIntmcnia
~ mo government service, II should Ia.
oNlNNlol ny law TO the District of Co'
,al iuilpll IL much to be desired ,hot
in,r VuusVlar Hystom be established by
lnW on A lnulA ppnNtIInu f,u .,.....i,.,' ~