The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-12-03

now been given the trespasscrs, and ali the ne.
sources at the command " the government will
hereafter he used TO put stop 10 such trspassing.
In view Of the capital importance Of these mat
lerS l commend them to the earnest consideration
OF the congress, and il the congress finds din.
Guilty M dealing with them from lack Of thorough
knowledge Of the subject | recommend that pro.
vision be made for commission Of experts spe.
Clully 10 investigate and report upon the com.
phCat0d questions involved.
especially urge upon the congress the need Of
wise legislation for Alaska. Il is not 10 our
credit as a nation that Alaska which has been
ours for thirtyhye years. should still have as poor
system Of laws as is the case. No country has
a more valuable possession in mineral wealth in
Fisheries, fur, forests and also in land available
for certain kinds u farming and stock growing
ID 0, territory ut great size and varied ne.
sources, we'll htted Co support large permanent
population. Alaska needs good land law and
such provisions for hOmusteads and prc-emptiop.
as viii encourage permanent settlement We
should shape legislation with a view not to the
exploiting and abandoning Of the territory. but
20 the building up ot homes therein. The land
laws should hc liberal In type SO as to hold out
inducements TO the actual settler whom We most
desire 10 see take possession Of the country. The
forests Ot Alaska should be protected and, as
secondary hut still important matter, the game
also, and 1t the same time It is imperative that
the settlers should be allowed to cut timber un-
der proper regulations, for their own use. Laws
should be enacted TO protect the Alaskan salmon
fisheries against the greed which would destroy
them. They should be preserved as a permanent
industry and food supply. Their management
and control should be turned over to the commits.
sion Of fish and fisheries. Alaska should have a
delegate in the congress. Il would be well il a
congressional committee could visit Alaska and
investigate its needs on the ground.
In dealing with the Indians our aim should BE-
their ultimate absorption into the body Of our
people, hut IN many cases this absorption must
and should be very slow In portions uf the In
uian Territory the mixture OF blood has gone on
lt the same time with progress in wealth and
education, that there are plenty Of men with
varying degrees Of purity Of Indian blood who
are absolutely indstinguishahc in point Of social,
political and economic ability from their white
associates. There are other tribes which have as
yet made no pcrCcpuhc advance toward such
equality To try 90 force such tribes too fast Is
10 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 IL is possible TO alOt
the members lands in s-vrraty much as Is the
ease with 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 90 lead pastoral rather than agricul.
luial lives and TO permit them TO settle In vii.
laggs rather than TO force them into isolation.
The large Indian schools situated remote from
any Indian reservation do special and peculiar
work Of great Importance; but, excellent though
these are, nm immense amount Of additional work
must hr done on the reservations themselv
among the old, and, above all, among the youn
Indians.
The drst and most important step toward the
absorption Of the Indian Is TO teach him 10 earn
bis living, yet IL Is not necessarily TO be assumed
that In each community an Indians must become
either tilprs ut the soil or stock raislrs. Their
industries may properly be- diversified and those
who show special desire or adaptability for indus
trial ur even commercial pursuits should be en-
,0uragrd so far as practicable to follow ont each
his own bent
Every effort should be made to develop the In.
dian along the lines OF natural aptitude and TO
encourage the existing native industries usruIi,r
TO certain tribes, such as the various kinds of
basket weaving. canoe building smith work and
blanket work AbDye all tbe Indian bnys ami
girls should be- given confident command of col.
l0guial English and should ordinarily he preparcd
for q vigorous struggle with the conditions under
which their people live rather than for immedi.
ate ahsorption into some more highly deyelonad
community
The officials who rcprpsent the government In
dealing with the Indians work under hard condi.
tious and also under conditions which render il
easy to do wrong and yrry tif6rult to dptpcf
wrong Consequently tbey should he smpIy Maid
on the one hand. and on the other hand a mar.
ticuarly high standard of conduct should be do.
proved the punishment should be- exemplary
In no department Of governmental work in re-.
cent wears has there b,en greater .uccrs. Than
in that Of giving scientific aid to the farming
population, thereby showing them how most eff.
Cigntly 20 help themselves. There is no need Of
insisting upon its importance, for the welfare ~
the farmer is fundamentally necessary to the
welfare Of the republic as a whole In addition
vegetable plaques, and warning against them when
here introduced, much efficient help has been rem
drrrd to the farmer by the introduction Of new
plants specially fitted for cultivation under the
peculiar conditions existing In different portions
of the country. New cereals have been established
In the semiarid west For instance, the practi-
Clbility Of producing the best types Of mlCnrln
whcats IN regions ut an annual rainfall of only
ten inches or thcrcabout has been conclusiycly
Through the introduction Of new
rice, In Louisiana and Texas the production of
rice In this country has been made to about equal
the home demand. In the southwest the possibil.
ity Ot rCgrlssing OverstOckcd un., lands has been
In the north many new forage
crops have been introduced, while In the east IL
has been shown that some Of our choicest fruits
tan BE- stored and shipped in such a way a. to
lind a profitable market abroad
l aCain recommend to the favorable consdera.
Iion ot the congress the plans Of the Smithsonian
Institution Elr making the museum under its
uurgr worthy Of the nation and for preserving
lt the national capital not only records Of the
vanishing races Of men, hut of tLe animals uf this
continent which, like the buffalo, will soon be.
,ome ,Lllnc. unless specimens from which their
representatives may be renewed are sought in
hgir native regions and maintained there In
'licty,
The District Of Columbia Is the only mart OF
iur territory m which the national government
Exercises local or municipal functions and where
n consequence The government has a free hand
% reference 90 certain types u social aud eco
i0mc legislation which must b. essentially local
ll NlNIltlIdl Ut lUflI tUhlAtIfFs tu' government
h0uld -Uc To IL, for instance. that the hygenic
md sanitary legislation affecting Washington is
Il high character. The evils 0f slam dwellings
whether In the shape of crowded and congcsted
rucmont house districts or nf the hsCk alley
ypu, should never hp permitted t1 l.row up IN
Washington The city should be a model In every
tspg,t tor all the cities of the country The
hlritablc and correctional systems of The Dis.
rirt should receive consideration al the hands 0f
he coUgrcss To the end that thew may embodv
hp results uf the most advanced Thought in these
plds Moreover. while Washington Is not a great
Industrial riry. there Is some industrillism here.
md our labor legislation while 10 would not he
iu itself might be- made a model for
hr rest Of tbr nation We sbouII mass Tor In.
tlrrn wise ,npIover's liability aef f1r the Ms.
rirt Of Columbia and we ucerl s1trb an act In
fIr navy Yards Railroad c1fDp,pirs ia tbr nj.
rirt ought TO he required by law 4, blork tbcir
rogs
'Thr safety appIi1urc law for tho bettcr pro.
cotton of tLa lives and limbs N r,il,y,y I'm
Igrres which was p,gsld i'm ISM won't ipio t,iI
arrt a1 Arg / 1glI II b,s re.,,IteJ h, ,ysrt'
nd, tI4r.lris M ,lsi,Ifies Eyrlri.,,. sba,s
oJygycr tbr necessity M ,IIifinp,I IgisIafion