Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-12-06

reasons there has been little interference with
such Enclosures in the past, but ample notice has
sources AZ the Command ~ the government will
hereafter be used TO pul stop to such trespassing
IN view q the capital Importance 81 those mat
terS l commend them 10 the earnest consideration
q the congress- and u the congress finds din.
Guilty ~ dealing wlth them nom lack 81 thorough
knowledge ~ the subject recommend that pro-
vision * mace for commission 1T experts spe
ciali9 ~ investigate and report npau the com
plieAted questions involved.
especially urge upen tho congress the need ~
wise hesitation fsF MASKS II "a not 10 our
credit as nation that Alaska. which has been
ours fer thlrpeuse years. should sti have as poor
system Il laws Is tAe case No country has
4 nore valuable possession IA mineral wealth. in
fisheries. rWfs fel9stS and 4ise III iana afaahie
tor certain ki1ds " ta4v,ing aud stock glowing
Il Is 9 territory OF great si8e and varied nj
SOURCES we'll htted 10 support large permanent
population, ALASKA needs a good land Law and
such provisions Tor hafnes'c'as and Prescriptions
~ WI enceNraEr permanent seit ment We
should shape Legislation With view not TO TIM
exploiting and abandoning OF the fetiitfy hut
20 the building up e honios thsfeia fhe land
laws should he liberal ia t,pr, S. a. "a hold nut
Inducements to the actual settler wadn W. most
deeife 60 see take possession 81 the country. The
forests Of Nsska should Dc protected. and, as
secondary hut stll important matter the gansa
also, and az the same time il Is imperative that
the settlers should be allowed q cut timber. IN.
der proper regulations for their ewn use Laws
should be enacted 10 protect the Alaskan salmon
fisheries against the greed which would destroy
them They should hc preserved ~ . permanent
industry and food supply. Their management
and control should be turned over 70 the commits
scn q fish and fisheries. Alaska should have q
delegate IL the consfsss. Il woN'd be we'll II a
congressional conlrIittes could visit Alaska and
investigate its meets on the gfouna.
Ia dealing with the Indians our aim should be
their ultimate absorption into the body Of our
people, but in msry essee this absorption must
and should be very slow. IA portions ~ the In
dian Territory the msxture u biood has gene on
AZ the same time with progress In wealth and
education, 20 that there are plenty Of men with
varying desrsss flrits q Indian blood who
are ABSOLUTELY iaeissi ssDahe in point u social,
political ailt ~ from their white
associates, lApse tibes which have
yet n,afe 80 'as.ssr seward such
equalits. 50 81 suoa tribes too fast il
to prevent their ksias Forward at all. Moreover,
the tribes iisp IN ~ sly tidgrent conditions
Whore ttihe bus Wa nssierahle advance and
the members lands siA ssveialty much as is the
case with wllita ssttesss There are other tribes
where sAeh eel1se n not desirable ON the
arid prairie anes shs iiuft should be To induce
the lnuians 20 had lps ofal rather than agrieul
| tWal ifts ans 90 them to settle In vii
ingss aaiheF tlan 10 ms them into isolation,
The large att lRa spAs1s situated remote from
am Indian saryatiqn do a special and peculiar
work ei great iuportance. but, excellent though
these are an inlH4tlse aiaount of additional work
must he done on tbs reservations themselves
Indians.
The first and most important step toward taa
absorption OF the Indian Is TO teach him to earn
his living yet II t. hot necessarily TO be assumed
that in each community al lndians must become
either tilrrs Of the soil ur stock faiAers, Their
industries may properly BE- diversified, and those
who show special desire Or adaptability for iadus
triai of even commercial pursuits should be en-
outraged so far practicable TO follow ont each
his bent,
Every effort should he made TO develop the In
dian along the lines ~ natural aptitude and to
encourage the existing native industries peculiar
10 certain tribes, such the various kinds OF
basket weaving, canoe building, smith work and
blanket work Above ALL the Indian hnys and
girls should be given confident command OF col.
loqual English and should ordinarily be prepared
tor vigorous struggle with the conditions under
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 it
easy to DO wrong and very eitiicult TO detect
wrong. Consequently they should he amply paid
on the one hand. and ON the other hand par
teularly high standard Of conduct should be da-
handed from them, and where miscondtet can be
proved the punishment should be exemplary.
In no department Of governmental work 10 re-
cent years has there been greater success than
in that of giving scientific aid to the farming
population. thereby showing them how most eff
GENTLY 70 help themselves There Is no need u
insisting upon It's Importance. tor the welfare u
the farmer Is fundamentally necessary to the
welfare q the republic as whole. In addition
to such work ns quarantine against animal and
vegetable plaques and warning against them when
here introduced much efficient help has been rem
defed TO the farmer by the introduction OF new
plants specially htted for cultivation under the
peculiar conditions existing In different portions
in the semiarid west For instance, the practi.
eahility Of producing the best types 81 macaroni
wheats in regions Of annual rainfall Of only
ten inches or thereabout has been conclusiyely
demonstrated Through the Introduction Of new
rtces Ia Louisiana and TeSas the production OF
rice IN this country has been made TO about equal
the home demand. In the southwest the posslhil.
ty OF Requesting overstocked range lands has been
demonstrated; IN tho. north many new forage
crops have been introduced, while In the east II
has been shown that some N our choicest fruits
can be stored and shipped in such way as TO
find a profitable market abroad.
again recommend TO 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 soon be.
come extinct unlefs specimens from which their
representatives may be renewed arc sought In
their native regions and maintained there ia
safety.
The District, Of Columbia Is the only psrt Qi
our territory IN which fhe national government
exercises local municipal functions and where
in consequence the government has free hand
in reference 70 certain types Of social and eco
nomic legislation which must be essentially local
or municipal IN their character The government
and sanitary legislation affecting Washington il
Of high character The evils Of SUM dwellings,
whether In the shape q crowded ard congested
tenement house districts or 0f the back alley
type, should never be permitted to grow up In
Washington. The city should be model In every
respect for ali the cities Of the country. The
trict should receive consideration at the hands Of
the congress to tile end that they may embody
the results Of the most advanced thought fn thase
fields Moreover, while Washington Is not great
industrial city, there IS some industralism here.
and our labor legislation, While II would not be
important In itself might be made a model for
the rest "A the nation. We should pass. for in
stance, wise employers liability act for the Dis
trict OF Columbia, and need such an act in
our navy yards. Railroad companies Ia the Dis
trict ought 70 be required ~ law 70 block their
frogs.
The safety. appliance law; IPr the better pro.
lection VI the lives and limbs OF railway en-.
ployees which was passed In 1893. went into full
effect Aug /, 1901 II has resulted in avert
ing thousands Of casualties. Experience shows.
however, the necessity o. additional legislation
TO perfect this law. Bill To provide Tor this
passed the senate at the last session II is to be
hoped that some such measure may now be en-
acted into Law.
There is a growing tendency 70 provide for the
publication Of masses u documents for which
there is no public demand and for the printing Of
which there Is real necessity. Large numbers
Of volumes are turned out by the government
printing presses for which there Is Justification
Nothing should be printed BY any Of the depart
ments unless 1t contains something OF permanent
value. and the congress could with advantage cut