Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-12-03

trouble came would insure disaster. tatuons sci
vanity or shortsightcdness in re
fusing to prepare for danger is both foolish anu
wicked in such nation as ours. and past expert
ence has shown that such faulty in refusing 70
recognize or prepare for any crisis in advance Is
usually succeeded by mad panic OF historical
fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
The striking increase in the revenues OF the
postofice department shows clearly the prosperity
Of our people and the increasing activity OF the
business of the country
The receipts of the postothee department for
the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted to
1921 .s4so47.26. increase OF Sl0,2los5s.s7 over
the preceding year, the largest increase known in
of this increase will best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to but Ss,5ls,067.
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage II has become fixed policy
The results following Its introduction have fully
made for its establishment and extension The
average yearly increase in postoface receipts in
the rural districts OF the country is about . per
show that where rural free delivery service has
been established to such an extent as to enable
US to make comparisons the yearly increase has
been upward OF 10 per cent
On Nov. /, i0O2, IL ESQ rural free delivery
routes had been established and were in operation,
covering about one.third Of the territory OF the
service. There are now awaiting the action OF |
the department petitions and applications for she
shows conclusively the want which the establish
ment Of the service has met and the need Of fur
ther extending 1t as rapidly as possible; 1t Is
practical benefits to our rural population, it |
brings the men who live on the soil into close
relations with the active business world; it keeps
the farmer in daily touch with the markets; 1t Is
q potential educational force; 1t enhances the
value Of farm property, makes farm life Tar
pleasanter and lees isolated, and will do much to
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
il is to be hoped that the congress will make
liberal appropriations for the continuance Of the
service already established and for Its further
tension.
taken up by the congress in recent years than
the Inauguration Of the system of nationally aided
irrigation for the arid regions Of the far west.
that this policy Of national irrigation has been
adopted the need Of thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the public land states.
Legislation should be provided for the protec-
tion OF the game and the wild creatures gener-
ally on the forest reserves. The senseless slaugh.
permanently preserved on our national reserves
Tor the people as whole. should be stopped at
once 1t is. for instance. serious count against
our national good sense to permit the present
practice Of butchering of such q stately and
beautiful creature the elk for its antlers or
tusks.
So far they are available for agriculture and
to whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law, the remaining public
the settler who lives on his land, and for no one
else. In their actual use the desert land law,
the timber and stone law. and the Communication
clausa oi the homestead law have been SO per-
ycrtes' from the intention with which they were
enacted as to permit the acquisition Of large
areas OF the public domain for other than actual
settlers and the consequent prevention OF settle.
ment. Moreover, the approaching exhaustion OF
the public ranges has Of late led to much dis
cussion to the best manner Of using these pub
lie lands in the west which suitable chiefly or
only for grazing. The sound and steady. develop
ment of the west del'5rds upon the building up
Of homes therein Much Of our prosperity as
nation has been due to = operation OF the home-
stead law. On the othyf i.sad, we should recog-
nize the fact that in the grazing region the man
able to settle permanently il only allowed to use
the same amount Of pasture land that his brother.
the homesteade,, is allowed to use Of arabic land.
One hundred and sixty acres of fairly rich and
well watered soil or much smaller amount OF
irrigated land may keep family in plenty. where,
as no one could get a living from 100 acres Of
| dry pasture land capable of supporting at the
outside only head OF cattle TO every ten acres
! 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 forbddins
| the maintenance or construction OF any such I'M
| lawful inclosure OF public land. For various
| such Enclosures in the past but ample notice has
now been given the trespnssers. and all the re-.
sources at the command Of the government will
In view Of the capital importance Of these mat.
| tiers commend them to the earnest consideration
Of the congress, and i the congress hnds din
Guilty In dealing with them from lack Of thorough
knowledge Of the subject recommend that pro
| vision be made for commission Of experts ipe-
ci.lly to investigate and report upon the com
| especially urge upon the congress the need Of
wise Liquidation for Alaska. 1t is not to our
| credit ms nation that AlRska, which has been
ours for thirtyhve years, should still have poor
| system Of laws as is the case. No country has
more valuable possession in mineral wealth. In
fisheries, furs forests and nlao In land available
for certain kinds Of farming and stock growing
1t Is territory Of great size and varied re
well Aztec to support large
such provisions for homosteads and prescriptions
As viii encourage permanent settlement. We
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 zee take possession OF the country. The
forssts Of Alnska should be protected. and, as 0
secondary but till important matter. the gam.
also, and ut the same time 1t ID imperative that
the settlers should be allowed to cut timber, un
der proper regulations. for their own use. Law
fisheries against the greed which would destro,
them. They should be preserved as a permanent
industry and food supply. Their n,anagcmen
don Of fish and fisheries. Alaska should have
delegate in the congress- 1t would be well il
congressional committee could visit Alaska ant
investigate its needs on the ground.
In dealing with the Indians our aim should b
their. ultimate absorption into the body OF GU
and should be very slow. In portions of the In
dian Territory the mixture Of blood has gone Oh
at the same time with progress in wealth an
varying degrees Of purity Of Indian blood ed VIII
are absolutely indistinsushable in point Of social
political and economic ability from their whit
associates. There are other tribes which have n
yet made no percepuble advance toward sucl
equality. To try to force such tribes too fast
to prevent their going forward at all Moreover
Where tribe has made considerable advance an
lives on fertile farming sell it is possible to alo
tho members lands in severalty much as is tn
where such course Is not desirable. On tn
arid prairie lands the effort should be to Undue
the Indians to lead pastoral rather than agricul
lagos rather than to force them into isolation.
The large Indian schools situated remote fror
any Indian reservation do special and peculia
work OF great Importance but, excellent thong
these are. an immense amount Of additional wor
q he 6l above m e
Indians.
The first and most important step toward til
absorption Of the Indian ia to teach him to ear
bin living, yet 1t is not necessarily to be assume
that In each community all Indians must becom
either tillers Of the soil stock raisers. Thei
industries may properly be diversified. and thos
who show special desire or adaptsbiity for indu.
trial or even commercial pursuits should be er
couraged SO far as practicable to follow out eac
his own bent
Every effort should be made to develop the Ir
dian along the lines Of natural aptitude and t
to certain tribes. such as the various kinds
basket weaving, canoe building. smith work an
blanket work. Above all, the Indian boys an
girls should be given confident command Of co
loquial English and should ordinarily be prepare
for o vigorous struggle with the conditions unde
, which their people live rather than for immed
ate absorption into some more highly deyclope
, community.
The officials who represent the government
dealing with the Indians work under hard cond
! tons and also under conditions which render
easy to do wrong and very difficult to detec
wrong. Consequently they should be amply pal
on the one hand and on the other hand pa
> tcularly high standard Of conduct should be d,
manded from them. and where misconduct can
! proved the punishment should be exemplary.
= In no department Of governmental work in r,
, cent years has there been greater success tina
, In that OF giving scientific aid to the farmin
, population thereby showing them how most eff
! GENTLY to help themselves. There is no need
insistin. upon its Importance. for the welfare
n the farmer is fundamentally necessary to Il
welfare o. the republic whole. In addito
to such work quarantine against animal an
vegetable plaques, and warning against them whe
here introduced. much efficient help has been rel
dered 10 the farmer BY the introduction OF ne
plants specially fitted for cultivation under I'll
peculiar conditions existing In different portion
OF the country. New cereals have been establshe
in the scnMarid west For instance, tile pract
cability Of producing the best types Of macarol
!, wheats in regions OF an annual rainfall Of onl