Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-03

4 BEE: w EDN ESDA Il
held rigidly for the home builder. the set
tier who lives on his land and for no one
else. In the actual use the desert land law.
the timber and stone law, and the commu-
tation clause Of the homestead law have
been so perverted from the intention with
which they we're enacted as to permit the
acquisition Of large areas Of the public do
main for other than actual settlers, and
the consequent prevention OF settlement.
Moreover. the approaching exhaustion Of
the public range has Of late led to much dis
%cussion as to the best manner OF using these
public lands in the west which are suitable
chiefly or only for grazing. The sound and
steady development OF the west depends
upon the building up OF homes therein.
Much Of our prosperity as a nation has been
due to the operation Of the homestead law.
On the other hand. we should recognize the
| fact that in the grazing region the man who
corresponds to the homesteader may be I'M
able to settle permanently IL only allowed
TO use the same amount OF pasture land that
his brother. the homesteader. is allowed TO
use OF arabic land. One hundred and sixty
acres Of fairly rich and ~well-watered soil,
or a much smaller amount Of irrigated land,
may keep a family in plenty, whereas no
one could get a living from 100 acres Of dry
pasture land capable Of supporting at the
outside only one head Of cattle to every ten
acres.
Illegal Fences Must Come Down.
In the past great tracts of the public
domain have been fenced in by persons
having no title thereto, in direct defiance Of
the law forbidding the maintenance or con-
struction Of any such unlawful Enclosure OF
public land. For various reasons there has
been little interference with such Enclosures
in the past. But ample notice has now been
given the trespassers, and all the resources
at the command Of the government will
hereafter be used to put a stop to such tres
passing.
In view Of the capital Importance of these
matters, 1 commend them to the earnest
consideration Of the congress, and IL the
congress finds difficulty in dealing with
them from lack Of thorough knowledge Of
the subject, l recommend that provision be
made for a commission OF experts specially
to investigate and report upon the compli-
Gated questions involved.
nj to Alaska.
1 especially urge upon the congress the
need of wise legislation for Alaska. 1t is
not to our credit as a nation that Alaska,
which has been ours for thirty-fve years,
should still have as poor a system OF laws
as is the case. No country has a more val
liable possession-in mineral wealth, in
fisheries. furs, forests, and also in land
available for certain kinds of farming and
stockgrowing. 1t is a territory Of great
size and varied resources, we'll fitted to
support a large permanent population.
Alaska needs q good land law and such
provisions for homesteads and prescriptions
as will encourage 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 desire to
see take possession of the country. The
forests OF Alaska should be protected, and,
as a secondary but still important matter,
the game also, and at the same time it is
imperative that the settlers should be al
lowed to cut timber, under proper regu-
~lations, for their own use. Laws should be
enacted to protect the Alaskan salmon
fisheries 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 a delegate
in the congress. 1t would be well If a con-
gressional committee, could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs on the ground.
Demonstrating the Indians.
In dealing with the Indians our nim
should be their ultimate absorption into the
body Of our people. But in many cases this
absorption must and should be very slow.
IN n0FfiOna Of tho Indian Tarrifory tbo ,,Ew
, ture OF blood has gone on at the same time
with progress in wealth and education,
80 that there are plenty of men with vary
ing degrees OF purity Of Indian blood who
are absolutely indistinguishable in point Of
social, political, and economic ability from
their white associates. There are other
2 tribes which have as yet made no per
. ceptible advance toward such equality. To
> try to force such tribes too fast is to pre-.
vent their going forward at all. More
. over, the tribes live urder widely different
: conditions. Where a tribe has made con.
. siderable advance and lives on fertile farm.
a ing soil 1t is possible to allot the mem.
, bers lands in severalty much as is the cas-,
. with white settlers. There are other tribes
!. where such is not desirable. On the arIc
a prairie lands the effort should be to in.
duce the Indians to lead pastoral rather
- Nh0h = a live LII " ptTIull luGu
to settle in villages rather than to forct
them to isolation.
TIE large Indian schools situated remot,
from any Indian reservation do a specia
and peculiar work OF great Importance
But, excellent though these are, an i'm
mense amount Of additional work must b.
done on the reservations themselves amonl
: the old, and above all among the young
Indians.
The first and most important step towaru
the absorption Of the Indian is to teacl
Il him to earn his living; yet it is not neces
sarily to be assumed that in each com
munity all Indians must become eithe
tillers Of the soil or stock raisers. Thief
industries may properly be diversified, an
. those who show special desire or adapta
bility for industrial or even Commercial
pursuits should be encouraged so far a
u practicable to follow out each his own benz
Every effort should be made to develo
: the Indian along the lines Of natural apti
tude, and to encourage the existing natiy
industries peculiar TO certain tribes, sue
u as the various kids of basket weavinl
canoe building, smith work and blanke
work. Above all, the Indian boys and girl
20 shouId ha oIyan copAdant COMMENCED - -