Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-04


considerable. advance and lives on fertile
farming soil it is possible to allot the
members lands in severalty much "a, as Is
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 In6ian schools situated remote
from any Indian reservation do a special
and peculiar work of great Importance.
But excellent though these are, an inn
mense amount of additional work must be
done on the reservations themselves among
the ole. and above all among the young.
The first and most important step toward
the absorption of the Indian is to teach
him, to earn his living; yet 1t Is not neees-
sarily to be assumed that in each commun-
ity all indians must become either ttllers
of the soil or stock raisers. Their industries
may properly be diversified, and those who
| dustrial or even commercial pursuits
shoulG be encouraged so far as practicaple
to follow out each his own bent.
Every effort should be made to develop
the Inean along the lines of natural apti-
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
/ loquial English, and should ordinarily be
prepared for a vigorous struggle with 1.-The the
:.
| rather than for. immediate absorption into
some more highly developed community.
ment Mt in dealing With the Indians work I'M
der hard conditions, and also under condi.
| tions which render 1t easy to do wrong and
| Very difficult to detect wrong. Consequent
ly they should be amply paid on the one
hand, and on the other hand a particularly
ro 81 where
! can be proved the punishment shoulG pc
exemplary.
Scientific Aid to Farmers.
In no department of governmental work
In recent yearS has there been greater sue
the farming population, thereby showing
them how most efficiently to help them
its Importance, for the welfare OF the
farmer is Fundamentally necessary to the
| welfare of the republic as whole. In ad.
animal and vegetable plaques, and, war
ring. against them, when here introduced.
much efficient help has been rendered to the
specially fitted for cultivation unGer the
peculiar eefStans existing in ete hs
been established in the semi-arid west.
For instance, the practicability of ,produc-
Ing the best types Of maear9ri wheats IN
~ Demonstrated. Through the introduc-
ton of new rices in Louisiana and Texas
the production of rice in this, country has
been made to about equal the home de.
mand. In the southwest the possibility Of
regrassing oNerstocked range lanes has
been demons trated; in the north many new
forage crops have been introduced, while
in the easteit has been shown that some of
our choicest fruits can be stored and
shipped in such way as to find a profitable
marke. abroad.
sieeration of the congress the plans of the
Smithsonian instieution for making the
nae ana for as at the
capital not only records of the vanishing
races of men but of the animals Of this con-
tinent which, like the buffalo, will soon be-
come extinct unless specimens from which
their representatives may beSyenewed are
sought , I'll. i Their n atty regions sbd mssin-
The District of Columbia is the only part
of our territory in which the national gov
tiors, anG where. in consequence. the gov
eminent has a free hand in reference to
wbsn u be snd eds sgs
municipal in their character The govern
ment should see to it. for instance, chat the
Washington is of a high character The
evils of Stun, dwellings. whether in the
shape of crowded and congeste6 tenement
house districts or of the back-alley type,
J washington. The city should Be a model
The and
systems of the. district should receive con-
sheraton at the hands of the congress to
the end that they may embody the results
of the most advanced thought in these
fields. Moreover. while Washington is not
trialsm Sere and DO our iI Iabor sp egisation
) while it woulS not be important in Itself,
: might be made model for the rest of the
wise employers LIABILITY act for the Dis
: trict of Columsia, and we need such an act
IN our navy-yaras. Railroad companies in
| the district ought to be required by law to
block their frogs.
Protection for Railway Employees.
] The safety.applianee law. for the better
way e;mplo sy s which was passed in 1893.
l has resulted in .avertirg thousands of
r casualties. Experience shows; however, the
! | necessity of additional legislation to per-
j feet this. law. A bill to provide for this
E passed the senate at the last session. tits
: TO be, hoped that some such measure may
now be enacted into law.
q There Is growing tendency to provide
V Tor the, puolication OF masses of docupents
for the printing Of Which there is no real real
: necessity. Large numbers of volumes are
,urned out by the government ,grintine
Nothing should be printed by any of the
;, departments unless it contains something
!. Of permanent value, and the congress
N could With advantage cut down very mate
!, rally on all the printing which II has now
u become customary to provide. The exces-
: sive cost of government printing is strong
= argument against. the position Of those who
. are inclined on abstract grounds to aGvo-
;, Gaze the soyernments doing any work
h hands.
4 Gratifying progress has been made dur.
y Ing the year in the extension of the
q merit system of making appointment.
3 In the government service. 1t should bs
extended by law to the District of Co
lumbia. 1t is much to be desired tina
our consular system be established by
e law on a basis providing for appointment
and promotion only in consequence o
u proved fitness.
f The New. White House.
a Through wise provision of the con
II gress at Its last session the white house
:, which has become disfgured by incon
- gruous additions and changes, has nov
a been restored to wat iG was planned I,
: be by Washington. In making the restor
. atoms the utmost care has been exer
d clsed to come as near as possible to TIL
y early plans and to supplement these plan
= by careful study of such buildings a
e that of the University of Virginia, whicl
" was built by Jefferson. The white hous
e is the property of the nation and so ia
IS as is compatible with living therein
II should be kept as it originally was, TO
$ the same reasons that we keep Noun
= Vernon as It originally was. The state
i iy simplicity of its architecture is al
,e expression of the character of the perio
IL in which 1t was built, and is In accor
1t with the purposes 1t was designed Il