The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-12-18

brings the men who live the soil into close
the farmer in daily touch with the markets; it is
potential educational force; it enhances the
value of farm property, makes farm life tar
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
liberal appropriations for the continuance of the
service already established and for its further ex
tension.
Few subjects of more Importance have been
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
good beginning therein has been made. Now
that this policy of national irri CATION has been
adopted the need Of thorough and scientific fores.
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the public land states
Legislation should be provided for the protee-
ton of the game and the wild creatures gener-
ally the forest reserves. The senseless siaugh-
ter of game. which can by judicous protection be
permanently preserved on our national reserves
for the people whole. should be stopped at
once 1t is, for instance, a serious count against
national good sense to permit the present
practice of butchering off such stately and
beautiful creature the elk for its anters or
tusks
So far as they are available for agriculture and
to whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law, the remaining public
lands should be held rigid!y for the homGbuidcr,
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
clause of the homestead law have been per-
yerted from the intention with which they were
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 are suitable chiefly OF
only for grazing The sound and steady develop
rnent of the west depends upon the building up
of homes therein. Much of our prosperity as a
nation has been due to the operation Of the home
stead law. On the other hand should reco2
nize the fact that in the grazing region the man
who corresponds to the homesteader may be I'M
able to settle permanently if only allowed to use
the same amount OF pasture land that his brother
the homesteader, is allowed to Of arabic land
One hundred and sixty acres OF fairly rich and
we'll watered soil or a much smaller amount Of
irrigated land may keep family in plenty, where
az no could get living from 100 acres of
dry pasture land capable of supporting at the
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 forbidd1ng
the maintenance or construction Of any such un
lawful Enclosure of public land. For various
reasons there has been little interference with
such Enclosures In the past, but ample notice has
sources at the command of the government will
hereafter be used to put stop to such trespassing
In view of the capital Importance OF these mat
tiers commend them to the earnest consideration
Of the congress, and il the congress finds diff
Guilty in dealing with them from lack OF thorough
knowledge of the subject l recommend that pro
vision be made for a commission Of experts spe-
cially to investigate and report upon the com
plicated questions involved.
wise legislation for Alaska 1t is not to our
credit as nation that Alaska, which has been
ours for thirty five years, should still have poor
system Of laws as is the No country has
more valuable possession in mineral wealth, in
fisheries furs forests and also il land available
for certain kinds OF farming and stock growing
1t is territory OF great size and varied re-
sources, well fitted to support large permanent
population. Alaska needs good land law and
such provisions for homesteads and rre-c.nptions
as will encourage permanent settlement. We
should shape legislation with visw not to the
exploiting and abandoning Of the territory. but
to the building up Of homes theren The land
laws should be liberal in type, Is to hold OFT
inducements to the actual settler whom we most
desire to see take possession of the country. The
forests Of Alaska should be protected, and as a
secondary but still important matter, the game
the settlers should be allowed to cut timber I'M
der proper regulations, for their USE. Laws
should be enacted TO protect the Alaskan salmon
them They should be preserved permanent
industry and food supply Their raanax cement
and control should be turned to the commits
SION OF fsh and fisheries Alaska should have a
delegate in the congress 1t would be well if a
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs on the ground.
In dealing with the Indians our ain, should be
their ultimate absorption into the hoLy Of cur
people, but in many cases this absorption must
dian Territory the mixture Of blood has gone on
at the same time with progress in wealth and
eaqTin 50 that there are plenty Of men with
are absolutely indistnguishab!e in point Of social
political and economic ability from their white
associates There other tribes which have az
yet made perceptible advance toward such
equality. To try to force such tribes too fast is
to prevent their going forward at all Moreover,
the tribes live under widely different conditions
Where tribe has made considerable advance and
lives on fertile farming soil 1t is possible to aio,
the members lands in severalty much as is the
case with white settlers. There are other tribes
where such a course is not desirable. On the
arid prairie lands the effort should be TO induce
the Indians to lead pastoral rather than Rcric,,I
tural lives and TO permit them settle in vii.
Iages rather than TO force them into isolation
The large Indian schools situated remote from
any Indian reservation DO special and pectIi a,
work Of great Importance; but, excellent though
these are, an immense amount Of additional work
must be done on the reservations theuszlye,
among the old. and. above ALL among the youn,
Indians. -7
The first and most important step toward ,,s
absorption OF the Indian is teach hin to carr
his living, yet it is not necessarily to he ASSUMED
mat IN each community all Indians mist become
either tiliers of the soil stock raisers T1n;,
industries may properly be diversified and tho
VINO show special desire or adaptabi.ity for indus
tIla OF even commercial pursuits should be en-.
his bent ~ sASh
Every effort should be made to develop the In.
dian along the lines Of natural antjtr9ee - -.
encourage the existing native industries nar1;s,
TO certain tribes, such the various tints =,
basket weaving. canoe building smith work and
b!anket work Above all, the Indian hoys 49,
girls should be given confident command =, al1
!oquial English and should ordinarily be n-ensaL
Ios vigorous struggle with the conditions unde,
ate absorption into some more hi-bly dexaInnAd
community. e''po
The officials who represent the government j.
ueAlng Win the Indians work under hard coadi
uons and also under conditions which rarde, !,
easy to do wrong and very difficult IN -.
wrong Consequently they should be amply M il
On ine one hAnd. and on the other hand par.
nanded from them, and where r,iscond,c, = - &c &c
proved the punishment should be exemplary.