The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-12-04

lawful inclosure OF public land Fo~ various
reasons there has been little interference with
Tuch Enclosures in the past but ample notice has
now been given the trespassers. and all the re
sources at the command OF the government will
hereafter be used to put stop to such trespassing
In view OF the capital importance OF these mat
ters commend them 10 the earnest considerations
Of the congress. and il the congress ends dif1-
Guilty in dealing with them from lack OF thorough
kr owledge Of the subject l recommend that pro-
vision be made for commission Of experts spe-
cially to investigate and report upon the COM
plicated questions involved.
/ especially urge upon the congress the need OF
wise legislation for Alaska. II is not TO our
credit as a nation that Alaska, which has been
ours for thirtyve years. should still have as poor
a more valuable possession in mineral wealth. in
fisheries, furs, forests and also in land available
for certain kinds Of farming and stock growing.
II Is q territory OF great size and varied re-
sources, well fitted to support a large permanent
population Alaska needs a good land Law and
such provisions for homesteads and pre-enptions
should shape legislation with q view not 10 the
exploiting and abandoning OF the territory but
TO the building up OF homes therein. The land
laws should be liberal in type, 50 a. TO hold out
inducements to the actual settler whom most
desire to take possession Of the country. The
forests Of Alaska should be protected. and, Q
secondary but still important matter. the gzms
also, and at the same time il Is imperative that
the settlers should be allowed 10 cut timber.
der proper regulations. for their own use. LsvS
should be enacted TO protect the Alaskan salmon
them They should be preserved a. permanent
industry and food supply. Their managern~zt
and control should be turned over 10 the commits
mon OF FISH and fisheries Alaska should have .
delegate in the congress II would Be well il
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs on the ground
In dealing with the Indians 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 In
dian Territory the mixture Of blood has gone on
a flrna xy1fh In nd
education, 50 that there plenty Of men with
varying degrees OF purity OF Indian blood who
are absolutely indistinguishabe in point Of social
political and economic ability from their white
associates There other tribes which have
yet made no perceptibe advance toward such
equality. To try 20 force such tribes too fast y
the tribes live under widely different conditions.
Where tribe has made considerable advance and
lives on fertile farming soil it is possible TO ail,t
the members lands in severslty much as is the
case with 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 agricul-
tural lives and 10 permit them TO settle in vii
lages rather than TO force them into isolation.
The large Indian schools situated remote from
any Indian reservation co special and peculiar
work OF great importance: but excellent though
these are, immense amount of additional work
must be done on the reservations themselves
among the old, and. above all. among the young
Indians
The first and most important step toward the
absorption of the Indian is to teach him 10 earn
his living, yet it is not necessarily 10 be assumed
that in each community all Indians must become
either tillers of the soil stock raisers. Their
industries may properly be diversified, and those
who show special desire or adaptability for indus
trial or even commercial pursuits should be en-
couraged so far as practicable TO follow out each
his bent.
Every effort should be made to develop the In
dian along the lines OF natural aptitude and to
encourage the existing native industries peculiar
to certain tribes, such 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 col
1oquial English and should ordinarily be prepared
for a vigorous struggle with the conditions under
which their people live rather than for immedi-
ate absorption into some more highly developed
community.
The officials who represent the government in
dealing with the Indians work under hard condi-
tions and also under conditions which render il
easy to do wrong and very difficult TO detect
wrong. Consequently they should be amply paid
ticularly high standard OF conduct should be de-
manded from them. and where misconduct be
proved the punishment should be exemplary.
In no department OF governmental work in re-
cent years has there been greater success than
population. thereby showing them how most en-
cteftly TO help themselves There Is no need OF
insisting upon its importance. FOR the welfare Of
the farmer Is fundamentally necessary TO the
welfare Of the republic whole. In addition
TO such work as quarantine against animal and
vegetable plaques. and warning against them when
here introduced. much efficient help has been rem
dered 10 the farmer by the introduction Of new
plants specially fitted for cultivation under the
peculiar conditions existing in different portions
Of the country. New cereals have been established
in the semiarid west. For instance, the prscti-
cability OF producing the best types Of macaroni
wheats in regions OF an annual rainfall OF only
ten inches or thereabout has been conclusiyely
demonstrated. Through the introduction Of new
rces in Louisiana and Texas the production Of
nee in this country has been made to about equal
the home demand. In the southwest the possibil-
ity OF regrassng overstocked range lands has been
demonstrated: in 'he north many 1ew forage
crops have been introduced, while in the east it
has been shown that some Of our choicest fruits
be stored and shipped in such way 10
find profitable market abroad.
i again recommend 70 the favorable considera-
ton OF the congress the plans Of the Smithsonian
institution for making the museum under its
charge worthy Of the nation and for preserving
at the national capital not only records Of the
vanishing of men. but of the animals of this
continent which, like the buffalo. will be-
come extinct unless specimens from which their
representatives may be renewed are sought in
their native regions and maintained there in
safety. -
The District OF Columbia is the only part Of
our territory in which the national government
exercises local or municipal functions and where
in consequence the government has free hand
in reference TO certain types OF social and eco
nomic legislation which must De essentially local
or municipal in their character. The government
should see TO 1t, for instance, that the hygienic
and sanitary legislation affecting Washington Is
of q high character. The evils Of slum dwellings,
whether in the shape OF crowded and congested
tenement house districts or of the back alley
type, should never be permitted to grow up in
Washington. The city should be a model in every
respect for all the cities OF the country. The
charitable and correctional systems Of the Dis
trict should receive consideration al the hands Of
the congress to the end that they may embody
the results Of the most advanced thought in these
industrial city, there is some industrialism here
and our labor legislation, while il would not be
important in itself. might be made q model for
sspce wise ' emDIoVer, i.blits act aos the e' Dis
trict OF Columbia, and We need such an act in
our navy yards Railroad companies in the Dis
trict ought to be required by law to block their
frogs
The safety appliance law for the better pro-
lection Of the lives and limbs OF railway
ployees, which was passed in 1898. went into full
effect on Aug. !. 1901. II has resulted in avert
ing thousands OF casualties Experience shows
however. the necessity Of additional legislation
to perfect this law. bill to provide for this
passed the senate at the last session. II is 10 be
hoped that some such measure may be
acted into law.
There is . growing tendency TO provide for the
publication OF masses of documents for which
there is public demand and for the printing OF
which there is no real necessity. Large numbers
of volumes turned out by the government
printing presses for which there is justification.
Nothing should be printed by any OF the depart
ments unless it contains something of permanent
value, and the congress could with advantage cut
down very materially on all the printing which
il has now become customary TO provide. The
excessive cost Of government printing is strong
argument against the position of those who are
inclined on abstract grounds to advocate the gov
ernments doing any work which can with pro-
priety be left in private hands.
Gratifying progress has been made during the
year in the extension Of the merit system OF max
ing appointments in the government service. II
should be extended by law to the District of CO.
lumbia. II is much to be desired that our con-
sular system be established by law on basis
providing for appointment and promotion only in
consequence of proved fitness
Through q wise provision Of the congress at its
last session the White Houee, which had become
disfgured by incongruous additions and changes.
has now been restored to what il planned TO
be by Washington. In making the restoraticns
the utmost care has been exercised TO
near possible to the early plans and to supple
ment these plans by careful study of such
buildings as that OF the University OF Virginia,