The news & observer., 1905-12-06

the western plains was the great shag-
gy-maned wild OK, the bison, common
iy known as buffalo. Small fragments
Jf herds exist in a domesticated state
here and there, a few of them in the
Yellowstone Park Such a herd as
that on the Flathead Reservation
should not be allowed to go out of eX-
istence. Either on some reservation or
on some forest reserve like the Wichi-
ta reserve and game refuge provision
should be made for the preservation
of such a herd. l believe that the
scheme would be of economic advan-
tage, and the same is true of the robe
of the crogsbred animals.
Life-Saying Service.
| call your especial attention to the
desirabilty of giving to the members
of the Life-Saving Service pensions
such as are given to firemen and po-
licemen in all our great cities. The men
in the Life Saving Service continually
and in the most matter of fact way do
deeds such as make Americans proud
of their country They have no pOlit-
ical influence; and they live in such
remote places that the really heriOc
services they continually render re-
1eive the scantest recognition from
the public. 1t is unjust for a great ma
ton 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
:Ort of reward. If one of them serves
thirty years of his life in such q po-
sition lie should surely be entitled to
retire on half pay, as q firemen or pO-
licoman does, and if he becomes total
ly incapacitated through accident or
sickness or loses his health in the dis
charge Of his duty he or his family
should receive a pension just as any
soldier should. 1 call your attent ton
vita especial carneStneSs to this mat
cr because it appeals not only 10 our
iudeln6 ut but TO our sympathy; for the
0ooplc ON whose behalf | ask il are
comparatively few in number, render
ncalculable service Of a particularly
dangerous kind, and have no one to
speak for them.
Indians.
During the year just past, the phase
NJ the indian question which has
)ecn most sharply brought 10 public
attention is the larger legal signifi-
canoe of the Indians induction into
citizenship. This has made itself man
ifest not only in a great access of lit
igaton in which the citizen Indian fig
urcs as party defendant and in q
more widespread disposition to levy
local taxation upon his personally, but
in q decision of the United States Su-
preme Court which struck away the
main prop on which has hitherto rest
ed the Governments benevolent eff
fort to protect him against the evils
of intemperance. The court holds, in
aff hot Tn1
by virtue of an allotment Of land to
him, q citizen OF the State in which his
land is situated, he passes from under
Federal control in such matters as
this, and the acts of the Congress pro-
hibit ng the sale or gift to him of in
toXicants become substantially ino-
perative 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 trusteeship forced upon the Fed
erai Government. Nevertheless. l
would urgently press upon the atten-
tion of the Congress the question
whether some amendment Of the in
ternal-revenue laws might not be of
aid in prosecuting those malefactors,
known in the Indian country as boot
leggers," who are engaged at once in
defrauding the United States Treas
ury Of taxes and, what is far more i'm
poTtant, in debauching the Indians by
carrying liquors illicitly into territory
still completely under Federal juris-
dictiOn.
Among the crying present needs OF
the Indians are more day schools Sit
uated in the midst of their settlements,
more effective instruction iii the i'm
dustrics pursued on their own farms.
and Of more liberal extension OF the
ileidm&trOn service, which means the
education of the Indian women in the
arts of home making. Until the moth
ers are well started IN the right direc-
ton we can not reasonably expect much
from the children who are soon to
form an integral part Of our Americ-
can citizenship. Moreover. the excuse
continually advanced by male adult
Indians for refusing offers for remU-
neratiVe employment at q distance
from their homes is that they da.e
not leave their families too long OUT
of their sight. One effectual remedy
Tor this state of things is to employ
the minds OF ana strengthen the morat
fiber of the Indian Womcn-the end
% which the work of the field matroi
is especially directed. / trust that the
Congress will make it's appropriations
for Indian da-- schools and field mat
rons as generous as may consist with
the other pressing demands upon its
providence.
The Philippines.
During the last year the Philip
pine Islands have been slowly recover
ing from the series of disasters which
since American occupation, have
&reatly reduced the amount Of aGri-
cultural products below what was pro-
duccd in Spanish times. The war, the
the locuSts, the drought,
and the cholera have been united rs
causes TO prevent q return of the pros
p2rity much needed in the islands. The
most serious is the destruction By the
riderpest of more than rs per cent.
OF the draft cattle. because it will
take several years of breeding to res
tore the necessary number of these
indispensable aids 10 agriculture. The
Commission attempted to supply by
purchase from adjoining countries the
needed cattle, but the experiments
made were unsuccessful. Most OF the
cattle imported were unable to with
stand the change of climate and the
rlgOrS Of the voyage and died from