Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05

has done as regards the Yosemite.
Nothing should be allowed to inter,
fere with the preservation of Niagara
Falls in all their beauty and majesty
II the state can not see To this then
1t Is earnestly to be wished that she
should be willing to turn II over tn
the national government, which should
In such ease (f possible, In cOnjunc-
ton with the Canadian government
assume the burden and responsibility
of preserving unframed Niagara
Falls, just as II should gladly assume
a similar burden and responsibility
for the Yosemite national park, and
/ IS II has already assumed them for
the Yellowstone national park. AIDE.
uuate provision SHOULD be made by
congress for the proper care and 81.
pervision of all these national parks.
| The boundaries OF the Yellowstone
rational park should be extended to
the south and east to take In such pOr-
lions Of the abutting forest reserva.
zion as will enable the government to
protect the elk in their winter range.
The most characteristic animal of
the western plains was the great
shaggy-maned wild OK, the bison. com.
monty known as buffalo. Small frag-
ments of herds exist in a domesticated
state here and there, a few OF them
In the Yellowstone park. Such q herd
as that OF the Flathead reservation
should not be allowed to go out OF
existence. Either on some reserva.
| ttAy N. an nrn rAcAct ,~aom,o A..
the Wichita reserve and game refuge
provision should be made for the pre-.
%servation of such a herd. | believe
that The scheme would be of economic
advantage, for the robe Of the buffalo
Is of high market value, and the same
Is true of the robe of the crOssbred
animals.
Life-Saving Service.
! call your especial attention to the
desirability of giving to the members
Of the life-saving service pensions
such as are given to firemen and pol.
icemen in all our great cities. The
men in the li~fe-saving service continu-
ally and in the most matter of fact
way do deeds such as make Ameri.
cans proud of their country. They
have no political Influence; and they
live in such remote places that the
really heroic services they contain
ally render receive the scantiest re-
cognition from the public. 1t Is un..
just for a great nation like this to
permit these men to cOm totally
disabled or to meet death in the per-
Torrance of their hazardous 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 entitled to retire on half
pay, as a fireman or policeman does,
and If he becomes totally ~incapaci-
tated through accident or sickness or
loses his health in the discharge of
his duty he or his family should re
ceive a pension just as any soldier
should. | call your attention with es-
pecial earnestness to this matter be-
cause it appeals not only 70 our judg-
ment but to our sympathy; for the
people on whose benalf l ask 1t are
comparatively few in number, render
incalculable service of a particularly
dangerous kind. and have no one to
speak for them.
indians.
During the year just past, the
phase of the Indian question which
has been most sharply brought to pub
lie attention is the larger legal signi-
ficance of the Indians induction into
citizenship. This has made itself
manifest not only in a great access
of litigation in which the citizen In
dian figures as a party defendant and
In a more widespread disposition to
levy local taxation upon his person
ality, but in a decision Of the United
tates supreme court which struck
away the main prop on which has
hitherto rested the governments be,
nevolent effort to protect him against
the evils of intemperance. The court
holds, in effect, that when an Indian
becomes, by virtue of an allotment
of land to him, a citizen Of the state
in which his land Is situated, he pass
es from under federal control in such
matters as this, and the acts Of the
congress prohibiting the sale or gift
to him of intoxicants become substan-
italy imperative. 1t is gratifying to
note that the states and municipali-
ties 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 federal government. Never
theless, I would urgently press upon
the attention 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 "~bootleggers," who are engaged at
once in defrauding the United States
treasury of taxes and, what Is far
more important, in debauching the
Indians by carrying liquors illicitly
into territory still completely under
federal jurisdiction.
Among the crying present needs Of
the Indians are more day schools
situated In the midst of their settle
ments, more effective instruction in
the industries pursued on their own
farms, and a more liberal extension of
the field-matron service, which means
the education of the Indian women
in the arts of home-making. Until
the mothers are well started in the
right direction we can not reason.
ably expect much from the children
who are soon to form an integral part
Of our American citizenship. More
over, the excuse continually advanced
by male adult Indians for refusing
offers of remunerative employment at
q distance from their homes Is that
they dare not leave their families TOO