Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-04

don q Ash and fisheries. Alaska should have
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
Investigate lite needs on the ground.
. In dealing with the Indians our aim should b.
their ultimate absorption into tho body OF cur
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
~ the same time with progress in wealth and
education, 50 TINT there are plenty Of men withr
varying degrees Of purity Of Indian blood who +
are absolutely ndisingushahle in point OF social
political and economic ability from their whitef
associates. There are other tribes which have asf
yet made no perceptible advance toward sueiH
equality. To Try TO force such tribes too fast u
to prevent their going forward at all. Moreover a
The tribes live under widely different conditions A
Where tribe has made Considerable advance an ~
lives on fertile farming soil 1t Is possible 10 ailoG
the members lands in seVeralty much as Is then
case with white settlers. There are other tribes&
arid prairie lands the effort should be to induce
the Indians TO lead pastoral rather than agricul-&
,ural lives and e permit them to settle in vii
The large Indian schools situated remote fromX
any lndiaE reservation do special and peculiar3
work Of great Importance; but, excellent thouzh}
these are, on immense amount Of additional worl#
must be done on the reservations Themselves
among the old, and, above all, among the youn,3
The first and most important step toward th@
Absorption Of the Indian Is 10 teach him 70 carIA
his living, yet II fs not necessarily TO be assumed
that In each community all Indians must becomaE
either tillers Of the soil or stock raisers Thei1M
industries may properly be diversified, and thosa
who show special desire or adaptahilty for indus.
trial or even commercial pursuits should be en-.
souraged 50 far as practicable TO follow out each
his own bent 4s
Every effort should be made TO develop the In.
dian along the, lines Of natural aptitude and to
encourage the existing native industries peculiar
20 certain tribes, such as the various tinds Of
basket weaving, canoe building. smith work and
blanket work. Above all, the Indian boys and
frls should he given confident command of COLI
ioquial English and should ordinarily he prepared
for vigorous struggle with the conditions il,der
which their people 1--we rather than for ilnmtdi-
ste absorption into some more highly developed
The officials who represent the government in
oealing with the lndisns work under hard oondi-
lions and also under conditions which render II
easy to do wrong and very difiicult 10 detect
wrong Consequently they should be amply paid !
tcnlafly high standard Of conduct should be de
mandcd from them. and where misconduct can btfi
proved the punishment should be exemplary. H
In no department OF governmental work IN re.it
cent years has there been greater success THANH
In that Of giving scientific aid 10 the farming
population thereby showing them how most sfy
insisting upon its importance, for the welfare on
the fatmer is Fundamentally necessary 70 the,
welfare OF the republic as whole. In addtionI
10 such work as quarantine against animal nndl 4
vegetable pllgiies, and warning against them wheu
here introduced. much efficient help has been ren-
deEed to the farmer by the introduction Of newt
plants specially fitted for cultivation under theA
peculiar conditions existing 10 different portionsS
In the semarid west. For instance. the prsnfi.p
cahfity Of producing the hesi types OF tpacsrsnil
wheats N regions Of an annual ianfall Of pnlyl
Tea inches or lhcreabout has been ronclasis tyl
demonstrated. Through the Introduction of aewl
rices in louisiana and Texas the production OH,
rice In this country has been male 70 about cqualH
the homc demand. IN the southwest the possihil-4
iy Of rtgrsssng oyerstotked range lands has beenE
demonstrated; In the north many new fofage&
crops have been introduced. while in the east it
has been shown that some of our choicest frrits
can he STORED and shipped In sueh way as 10
ind nrohtabl. market abroad
i q In Va d"
ton Of the congress the plans Of the Smithsonian
institution ior making the ruseum under III
charge worthy Of the nation and for preseryins
at the national capital not only records ot tbs II
vanishing races OF men, hut Of the animals OF thii
continent which, like the buffalo, will soon be.
come extinct unless specimen from which theii III
representatives may be renewed are sought il H
th,ir native regions and maintained there il "A
safety.
The District Of Columbia il The only mart II
our territory in which the national governmcniH
exercises local or municipal functions and whcr
in consequence the government has a free hanfU
10 reietenre 10 certain types OF sorinl and ccot
nomie legislation which must be essentially lOcn.N
or municipal ~ their character. The goiefamcnit
shothG see TO 1t, for instance, that the hygi nicM
and sanitary legislation affecting Washington .N
Of high character. The evils Of sllm dwellinssIH
whether in the shape Of crowded and cnngestel
type. should nrver be permitted to graM up inWI
washington The city should he model in cyeryH
respect for all the cities Of the country TheE
charitable and correctional systems Of The Dis-Nl
trlct should receive cunsderRtionSIrt hands of
C.rholrNN
the results OF the most advanced thought IN tn ssf4
fields Moreover, while Washington is not preatt'
industrial City, there is some ndustriaiism here.
and our labor legislation. while It would nat bsN
important IN itself, might he nlado model fol III
the rest Of the nation We should Pass, Tor in
stance. wise employers liability act for tho bis II
orr navy yards. Railroad companies in The nisNl
tFiet ought to be required by law to block thsh
The safety appliance law. for the better rse-
lection Of the lives and limbs Of railway en- y
ployees which was passed in 1so1, went inin iu1 IA
ing thousands Of casualties. Experience tnows II
however, the necessity Of additional Legislation Al
to perfect this law. A bill TO nroyide for thl Fl
passed the senate at the last session. It is 10 b III
acted into law. M
publication Of masses Of documents for whici III
there is no public demand and for the printing ~
which there is no real necessity. Large number s
OF volumes arc turned ont by the goyernmen EE
printing presses for which there is No jusihcation Nv
Nothing should he printed by any Of the deIart IA
ments unless 1t contains something Of psrmanenik
value, and the congress could with advantage rtri
down very materially all the printing whirlN
1t has now become customary to provide Til
argument against the position OF those who ard
inclined on abstract grounds to advocate the Eorl
ernments doing any work which can with pro
priety he left in private hands.
Gratifying progress has been made during tn,
year in the extension q the merit system 81 max.
ing appointments in the government service I'd
should be extended by law TO the district Of col
lunlbia 1t is much TO he desired that our con- u
suar system he established by law on a bafis
providing for appointment and promotion only in l
consequence Of proved fitness
Through wise provision Of the congress at itsF
last session the White House, which had become
disiEured by incongruous additions and changes, n
has now been restored 10 what 1t was planned 10 /
be by Washington. In making the restorationsf
the utmost care has been exercised 20 come asN
near as possible to the carly plans and to supple
ment these. plans by careful study OF RlichH
buildings that Of the University of Virginia.
which was built by Jefferson, The White Houss
is tho pra.nriy o. the nation. and so far as Is
comphtt'i with living therein il should be kept Il
as 4 nj i'ly was for the same reasons thltT
we keeI GVirt Vernon as IL originally was The #
stately simplicity Of its architecture Is an ex. "
preston 81 the character Of the period in whchk
II was built and is in accord with the purposes
II was designed 10 serve- 1t IS a good thing 10
preserve such buildings historic nonnmen;sN
which keep alive our sense Of continuity with ths
nation's rasi.
The reports Of the several executive depart.
ments are submitted tn the congress with tlifl
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Opininn Versus Proof.