Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-28
AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY.
What Has Been Accomplished by Blu
reau Devoted to 1t.

Washington, July 27.-With a history
Of the North American Indians, already
acknowledged by the scientific world to
be the most accurate and compressor
sive chronological account Of a print
tive race, completed, will the Bureau OF
American Ethnology have further rea-
son for being?
This is a question to which sub
committee Of the next Senate Appro-
oriations Committee will be forced to
give careful consideration. Senator
Hale has already shown serious oppo-
sition to the continuance of the appro-
nriation, varying from $4,000 to $780,
300 a year; Senator Platt. OF Connect
cut. 81 regent of the Smithsonian 1nsti-
tuition. has indicated to the Senate com
mittec that the present work OF the
bureau Is almost complete. and Other
members Of the Senate are known to
believe that It's mission has been vir-
tually accomplished.
There Ia no question but that when
In the late 70's, Major Powell organ
ICED, with the consent of Congress anc
under the supervision of the Smithson-
ian Institution, the Bureau of Ameri-
can Ethnology, he had In view the sole
purpose Of collecting evidence and IN
formation and reducing them to sys-
tematic anthropological history OF the
North American Indians. And in CON
nection with their aim 1t is gratifying to
learn that, Notwithstanding the wealth
OF intellect and unlimited funds devoted
to the allied sciences OF anthropology
and ethnology in the Old World. it has
TA hA nj tnR
States. to produce the most perfect eth
biological history thus far given to tho
scientific world, fact gratefully ac-
knowledged by numerous scientific
bodies. and further shown by the gener-
GUS praise bestowed upon 1t by for
eigners whose own lives have been de-
voted to similar work.
That the most interesting study OF
man Is man clearly demonstrated by
even a cursory examination of the work
thus far accomplished by this bureau
and even from a purely commercial
| point of view the fact that complete
sets of the bureaus publications sell
over the counters of second hand book
stores in this country and abroad for
from 800 to $22b each, and single vol
umes for never less than 81 each. fur
| nishes tangible evidence Of the value of
its work.
| In these works the Bureau Of Eth
nology has accurately described the
manners, customs traditions and Ian
guag es OF the Indians. 1t has demon
strnted the existence Of 10000 Ian
qua ees and has reduced them to seven
| ty linguistic classes. 1t has clearly
traced throughout the Indian customs
tho patriarchal system 50 accurately
portrayed in the Old Testament. II
has created n system of comparison ir
terms of language" universally ac-
knowledged standard throughout the
scientific world. 1t has produced new
and valuable evidence in support of the
Thesis that mankind advances toward
1 what Is termed civilization through
four successive stages-the savage ir
which the entire conception of law Is
based on maternel kinship. paternity
being usually unknown: the barbarian
in which the kinship Of both parents
forms the basis OF all law; the patri-
archal. or sel,i-civilized. in which trib-
nj rights take precedence over those OF
1.-THE individual, this being the most IA