Show INDIAN LANDS AND SCHOOL Fox FOR a number of years in succession succession r sion slon a conference has been held at Lake Mohonk N Y each au- au autumn au autumn attended by persons interest interest- interested interested ed ad in the welfare of the I Indians n ians A b leading object of th these conferences I E Is the discussion maturing and per per- perI perE perfecting perfecting of measures designed to benefit the red This man year 1 Rev Lyman Abbott editor of the New York Christian Union estimated estimated estimated ed in America as one of the ablest 1 theological writers and best known philanthropists in the country pre pre- presided presided presided sided over the conference and Mr Morgan United States Indian Com Com- Commissi Commissioner Commissioner missi missioner ner was a central figure dur dur- during during 1 ing its deliberations Josiah Strong Justice Justice ex-Justice of the United States a Supreme Court took part in the a proceedings addressed the confer confer- conference confers conference conference s ence and manifested an au earnest in- in interest interest in interest terest in its work The features of the Indian ques ques- question question question tion which received most attention were Indian schools and the allot allot- allotment allotment allotment ment of lands in severalty Mr Morgan held that the American a 8 school hool system with the supplementary supplementary tary aid of ot private schools and mis mis- mission mission J j sion work maintained by philan philan- philanthropic philanthropic i and Christian people was adequate to the work of educating the Indian He favored the con con- continuance conA continuance A of the government con con- contract contract contract t tract schools as long as they were useful in connection with the trans trans- transition transition 0 of the In Indian ian from his present condition to one of civilization in which he would be a land owner j Mr Morgan is credited with having laid before the conference a well wrought plan for the education of the Indian which after a full criticism criticism criticism cism by the conference was endorsed by it ry ryA A subject fraught with far more perplexity than the education of the Indians was that of di dividing viding among among them in severalty their lands A clear statement of the difficulties lying in the way of the accomplishment of this purpose under the present laws was waa made mades s to the conference Some SOllie of them are thus given by the S Republican In the first place there is his own suspicion widely evident that the al- al allotment allotment al allotment plan is another trap to circum circum- circumvent circumvent vent him and get getaway t away his land To begin with if he does wish an allot allot- allotment allott allotment t ment how shall he obtain it The The process process is slow taking from two to three years to to complete completo the surveys adjust the boundaries and legalize his hiR V patent It costs him several dollars to tofile tofile tofile file the necessary application he is poor as well as ignorant and what s r 5 shall he do if it no good friend like Alice Fletcher stands by to show h hm m i how w And what shall he do when he heE E gets his land in severalty severally If It he is surrounded by the common and un- un undivided undivided un undivided divided lands of a reservation he has no law worth the name to protect his rights If he is in a State he becomes L a citizen of the State and the protection protection protection tion of the federal government is with with- withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn drawn At the same time not like fr F other citizens of the State he is for five twenty five years to be a tenant fet fet- fettered fettered fet fettered in the use of his property He cannot E even ven sell the dead and down wood The realty must be preserved intact It is so 80 difficult for him to find out what he can oan do to make his land available that with all the red tape and the adjacent hostility about all he C can n do legally and properly is to tolie tolie lie down and die on his land I Among other difficulties spoken of were the following The lands after allotment are to be free from taxation for tor twenty-five twenty years be be- because because because cause the Indian is adjudged too poor to pay taxes yet how are the schools for tor th the education of his t children to be maintained Are all Indian marriages 8 to be recognized in a manner that will make their theirY r Y of pring l prang heritable Should an In- In Indian Indian In Indian dian die doie without issue will his hist t land revert to the government So 80 many perplexing features of this character were brought to light li- li during the deliberations of the con con- conference conference ii ference that it was resolved to urge f Congress to adopt further legislation r for the purpose of ot meeting them i x The Thayer bill now pending in inthe the Senate was endorsed with the recommendation that certain pro pro- provisions provisions provisions visions be added to it l ti These conferences c participated d in inas inas as they are by well known philan philanthropists r earnest and able workers NIL NIL- NILand and thinkers au and aud even by high r government officials who all aU labor AV r together for the amelioration r of f the condition of the In- In Indian Indian In Indian dian are a pleasing sign of ot the they f times and amI it is hoped an indica indica- Indication indication y ji tion that a better day is da dawning for forthe the red wan man j In this connection a statement of the number of ot Indians in the United P States may be he of interest The fol- fol following fol ii lowing statistics were lately com com- comE compiled compiled E piled by O 0 0 O Howard and publish published ed ad i in n Wide Awake Making a careful computation from c the latest latent reports which embrace all allI I the states and territories excepting Alaska we count The accompanying accompanying accompanying table shows us how they are distributed Arizona North Carolina 8 8 4 California Oregon Dakota 3 49 Texas Idaho 4 4 s Uta Utah 2699 2690 Indian Territory 88 t t C i 1 r Washington Territory Iowa Wisconsin Kansas Wyoming Territory 1855 Michi Michi- Michigan Michigan Michigan gan Florida Seminoles and Ind T Minnesota Mon Mon- Montana Montana Montana tana Maine Old Town rown Indians Nebraska I Nevada New Mexico 80 30 30 i New York Total These fig figures res are accompanied by bythe bythe j the statement that as I Indians be- be become become be become come accustomed to the food of f the i white man and his regular habit of eating they thrive and are more healthful than when in their savage state one day and starving the next That they are not decreasing in number but on the contrary more than hold their own is another indica indication ion that the tate fate of early extinction so 80 often pre dieted for them will not overtake them |