Show TO EDUCATE THE INDIANS SOME weeks ago we made reference to the lake mohonk indian conference held during last autumn and comprised of persons interested in the welfare and progress of the indian considerable zeal was developed among the persons attending the conference upon this subject and their efforts promise to bring forth extensive and important results at an early date dr lyman abbott one of the leading workers in the interests of the indian wrote a letter to a number of officials in each of the states and territories in which indians are found inviting from the recipients an expression of their bp opinions Inious upon the subject of a general system of compulsory education for the children of the red men in accordance with a plan which was adopted at the lake mohonk conference this plan was to this effect 14 that the united states government organize at once at federal expense and under federal control a system of compulsory education on a sufficiently large scale to secure the education of all indian children of school age now or lately upon the reservations in support of this proposition the following reasons were given ast 1st if the indians are allowed to grow up in ignorance and pauperism they will inevitably become A burden upon the communities in which they reside ad the burden involved in their education ought not to be thrown upon the people of the states and territories in which they reside it is a national and not a local dut duly 41 3rd ard it is too great a tax to Z be undertaken 0 by the churches who have all ah they y can do to prosecute successfully their ale legitimate amate work ath the he government has abundant resources in the indian bureau the necessary machinery and in the present head of that bureau general morgan and the present superintendent of schools dr dorchester men abundantly capable to organize such a system of indian education hon henry sabin superintendent of instruction des moines I 1 iowa favo favors rothe the plan but would include manual training he observes the indians indiana should be taught that work is honorable in the highest degree defree and I 1 should have little confidence in any system of education for them which left that out of the account to educate the indian should mean to civilize him and that must be the persistent work of generations the nation is abundantly able and some immediate plan of organization should be attempted tending to the solution of this race problem hon HOD 8 B axtell ex governor of new mexico writes a letter in favor of the main features of the plan and embracing a number of excellent suggestions he remarks that most of the ind indians ja n 8 in h his is territory live in villages and recommends 14 that the laws be extended over them and enforced in the district courts he favors compelling the attendance of indian children at school by penalties to be inflicted upon the parents by the courts perfect freedom of religious instruction but a nonsectarian non noia sectarian character for the schools and instruction in the principles of morality as distinguished guir shed from theology or religious tenets hon jacob 8 boreman territorial school com commissioner issi onor of utah writes a somewhat lengthy reply to dr abbotts letter favoring in the main the proposed plan of compulsory indian education he would have the curriculum include both 1 intellectual and industrial instruction and also some course of training that would develop 4 the manhood and self reliance of the red men and teach them that there to is in themselves an ability to provide for themselves he to is of opinion that unless the indians are taught how to take hold of business as the white man takes hold bold of it 11 their aex extinction is inevitable general thomas J morgan the present head of the indian deppa department t A is heartily in favor of the adoption of some adequate system of education for indian children and there are a large number of persons persona of national reputation embracing editors and clergy clergymen inen who are committed to the recommendations of the lake mohonk conference and who will bring their personal influence to lear upon congress with a view to securing legislation in line with the plan adopted by that body it is therefore probable that the united states government will at an early date place in operation a system of education designed to lift the american indian out of the depths of ignorance in which he has lain so long |