The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-11-03

/ the proper care and supervision OF all these ma
, tional parks, The boundaries of the Yellow
stone National park should be extended to the
! south and east to take In such portions Of the
! AUDITING forest reservation as will enable the
| government to protect the elk on their winter
| range.
The most characteristic animal Of the west
ern plains was the great shaggy-maned wild
| OK, the bison, commonly known as buffalo Small
| fragments of herds exist in a domestcated state
! here and there, few Of them In the Yellow
stone park. Such herd that on the Flat
| head reservation should not be allowed to go
out of existence. Either on some reservation
| or forest reserve like the Wichita
| reserve and game refuge provision should be
| made for the preservation of such herd.
believe that the scheme would be OF economic
| advantage. for the robe of the buffalo is of high
| market value. and the is true Of the robe
Of the crossbred animals.
Life-Saving Service.
| call your especial attention to the desir
ability of giving to the members of the Life
| Saving service pensions such given to
| fremen and policemen in all our great cities
| The men in the LfcSaving service continually
and in the most matter of fact way do deeds
| such as make Americans proud of their coun-
| try. They have no political influence; and they
live In such remote places that the really heroic
| services they continually render receive the
scahtiest recognition from the public. 1t is
| unjust for great nation like this to permit
these men to become totally DISABLED or to
| meet death in the performance of their haz-
| ardous duty and yet to give them no sort OF
reward If one of them serves thirty years of
| his life In such a position he should surely be
| policeman does, and If he becomes totally In
| capacitated through accident OR sickness or
| loses his health In the discharge Of his duty
| he his family should receive pension just
| as any soldier should. call your attention
| with especial earnestness to this matter because
| 1t appeals not only to our Judgment but to
our sympathy; for the people on whose behalf
| l ask it are comparatively few in number, rem
| der incalculable service of particularly dan
gerous kind, and have no one to speak for
| them.
During the year just past the phase of the
| Indian question which has been most sharply
| brought to public attention is the larger legal
j significance of the Indians induction into citf-
! zenship. This has made itself manifest not only
in great access of litigation in which the citi-
| zen Indian figures party defendant and in
a more widespread disposition to levy local tax
| alton upon his personally, but in decision of
| the United States Supreme court which struck
! away the main prop on which has hitherto rested
| the governments benevolent effort to protect
| him against the evils of intemperance. The
| court holds in effect that when Indian be-
| comes, by virtue of an allotment of land to
| him, citizen Of the state in which his land
| is situated, he passes from under federal con-
| troll in such matters this, and the acts Of
| the Congress prohibiting the sale or gift to him
Of intoxicants become substantially imperative.
1t is gratifying to note that the states and
| municipalities Of the West which have most at
| stake in the welfare Of the Indians are taking
| up this subject and are trying to supply, in a
measure at least, the abdication of its trustee
J ship forced upon the Federal government. New
! ertheless would urgently press upon the at
| tenton of the Congress the question whether
some amendment of the internal-revenue laws
| might not be of aid in prosecuting those male
factors, known in the Indian country as boot
| leggers.' who are engaged at once in defraud-
| ing the United States treasury of taxes and
| what is far more important, in debauchng the
| Indians by carrying liquG@a tllsltlJ iulU ierri-
tory still completely under federal jurisdiction.
Among the crying present needs of the In
| dams are more day schools situated in the midst
of their settlements, more effective instruction
| in the industries pursued their farms,
| and a more liberal extension of the feld-matron
service which means the education of the In
| dian women in the arts Of home making. Until
| the mothers well started in the right d.
rection we can not reasonably expect much
| from the children who are soon to form an
| integral part of American citizenship.
Moreover, the excuse continually advanced by
male adult Indians for refusing offers Of
muneratve employment at distance from their
| homes Is that they dare not leave their fam-
| lies too long out Of their sight. One efectual
remedy for this state Of things is to employ
| the minds and strengthen the moral fiber Of the
Indian women-the end to which the work of
| the field matron is especially directed. trust
| that the Congress will make its appropriations
| for Indian day schools and field matrons as
generous may consist with the other press
| ing demands upon its providence.
The Philippines.
During the last year the Philippine islands
have been slowly recovering from the series of
| disasters which, since American occupation,
| have greatly reduced the amount Of agricultural
| products below what was produced in Spanish
times. The war, the rinderpest, the lOcusts,
| the drought, and the cholera have been united
| as causes to prevent a return Of the prosperity
much needed in the islands. The most serious
is the destruction by the rinderpest of more
| than rs per cent of the draft cattle because
| it will take several years of breeding to re-
store the necessary number of these indspensa-
| BILE aids to agriculture. The commission at
countries the needed cattle. but the experiments
made were unsuccessful. Most of the cattle i'm
| ported were unable to withstand the change of
climate and the rigors of the voyage and died
| from other diseases than rinderpest.
The income of the Philippine government has
necessarily been reduced by reason of the bust
ness and agricultural depression in the islands,
and the government has been obliged to
else great economy to cut down its expenses,
to reduce salaries, and In every way to avoid
deficit. 1t has adopted internal-revenue
law, imposing taxes on cigars, cigarettes and
distilled liquors. and abolishing the old Spanish
industrial taxes. The law has not operated as
smoothly as was hoped, and although it's prin-
ciple is undoubtedly correct it may need
amendments for the purpose of reconcling the
people to its provisions. The income derived
from it has partly made up for the reduction
in customs revenue.
There has been a marked increase in the
number of Filipinos employed in the civil SER
vice, and corresponding decrease in the
number of Americans. The government in every
one of its departments has been rendered more
efficient by elimination of undesirable material
and the promotion Of deserving public servants.
improvements of harbors, roads, and bridges
continue, although the cutting down of the rev.
enue fOrbids the expenditure of any great
amount from current income for these pur-
poses. Steps are being taken by advertise
ment for competitive bids, to secure the con
struction and maintenance of 1000 miles of
railway by private corpora lions under the re-
cent enabling legislation of the Congress. The
transfer of the friar lands, in accordance with
the contract made some two years ago, has been
completely effected, and the purchase money
paid Provision has just been ma de by statute
for the speedy settlement in a special proceed
ing in the Supreme court Of controversies over
the possession and title Of church buildings and
rectories arising between the Roman Catholic
church and schismatics claiming under ancient
municipalities. Negotiations and hearings for
the settlement of the amount due to the Roman
Catholic church for rent and occupation of
churches and rectories by the army of the
United States are In progress and it is hoped
a satisfactory conclusion may be submitted to
the Congress before the end of the session.
Tranquility has existed during the past year
throughout the Archipelago, except in the prov
ince of Cavite, the province of Batangas. and
the province of Samar, and in the island of
Joo among the Moros. The Jolo disturbance
put an end to by several sharp and short
engagements, and now peace prevails in the
Moro province. Cavite, the mother of ladrones
in the Spanish times Is permeated with the
traditional sympathy of the people for ladron
ism as to make 1t difficult to stamp out the
disease. Batangas only dstu bed by rea
of the fugitive ladrones from Cavite. Sa