The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-02

notice has been given the trespassers, and
all the resources at the command OF the
government will hereafter be used to put
a stop to such trespasslng.
In view of the capital Importance Of
earnest consideration of the congress, and
if the congress finds difficulty in dealing
with them from lack OF thorough knowl-
edge of the subject, recommend that pro-
vision be made for a commission of ex-
perts specially to investigate and report
ppm L .IzS FoR ALASKA
especially urge upon the congress the
need of wise legislation tor Alaska; 1t
is not TO our credit as a nation that Alas
ka. which has been ours for 30 years.
should still have as poor system OF laws
valuable possession-in mineral wealth. in
fisheries, furs, forests and also in land
available for certain kinds of farming and
stockgrowing- 1t is territory OF great
size and varied resources, well htted to
support a large permanent population
Alaska needs a good land law and Sucn
provisions for homesteads and pre-enlp-
lions as will encourage permanent settle
ment We should shape legislation with a
view not to the exploiting and abandoning
Of the territory, but to the building up or
homes therein The land laws should be
liberal in type as to hold out induce
1nents to the actual settler whom We
most desire to take possession OF the cOun-
try. The forests OF Alaska should pc pro
tected. and, as secondary out sun I'M
portant matter, the game also, and at the
same time it is imperative that the set
tiers should be allowed to cut TIMBER, I'M
der proper regulations. for their own use.
Laws should be enacted to protect -he
Alaskan salmon fisheries against the greed
which would destroy them They should
be preserved as permanent industry ana
food supply: Their management and con
troll should be turned over 10 the conrnls-
sion of fish and fisheries. Alaska should
have a delegate in congress 1t woul1 be
we'll if a congressional committee could
visit Alaska and investigate its needs on
80 THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
In dealings with the Indians our 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 Indian Territory
the mixture of blood has gone on at the
same time with progress in wealth and co
ucation so that there are plenty of men
with varying degrees OF purity OF indian
blood who are absolutely 1ndistiagulshaDle
in point OF social, political and economic
ability from their white associates There
are other tribes which have as yet mace
no perceptible advance toward such equal
ity To try to force such tribes loo fast is
to prevent their going forward at all
Moreover, the tribes live under widely Gil
ferert conditions Where a tribs has made
considerable advance and lives on fertile
farming soil it is possible to allot the mem
bers lands in severalty much as is the
case with white settlers On the arid pra1-
RE lands the effort should be to induce the
Indians to lead pastoral rather than aErl-
cultural lives, and to permit them 10 , SCI
tie in villages rather than to force them
into isolation
The large Indian schools situated remote
from any Indian reservation do a special
and peculiar work of great Importance
But excellent though these are, an I'M
rnense 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 to-
ward the absorption of the Indian is to
teach him to earn his living: yet II Is not
necessarily to be assumed that in eacn
community all Indians must become either
tille1s of the soil or stock raisers. Their
Industries may properly be diversified and
those who show special desire or adapta,
bility for Industrial even commercial
pursuits should be encouraged so far as
practicable to follow out eacn his own
bent.
Every effort should be made to develop
the Indian along the lines Of natural aptl-
tudc and to encourage the existing. natlye
industries peculiar to certain tribes, Slcn
as the various kinds of basket weaving,
canoe building smith work and blanket
work. Above all the Indian boys and
girls should he given confident command
of celcauial English and should ordinarily
be prepared for a vigorous struggle with
the conditions under which. their people
live rather than for immediate absorption
into some more highly developed comnu-
NIT
The officials who represent the govern
naent in dealing with the Indians work
1nder the hard conditions, and also under
corcftions which render it easy to DO
wrong and very difficult to detect wrong;
Consequently they should be amply paid
on tie one hand, and on the other hand q
particularly high standard of conduct
Should be demanded from them. and WfaeIe
misconduct can be proved the punishment
should be eInplary.