Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1877.djvu/14

XII meritorious philological work, but as far as the education of Indian children is concerned, the teaching of the English language must be considered infinitely more useful. If Indian children are to be civilized, they must learn the language of civilization. They will become far more accessible to civilized ideas and ways of thinking when they are enabled to receive those ideas and ways of thinking through the most direct channel of expression. At first their minds should not be overburdened with too great a multitude of subjects of instruction, but turned to those practical accomplishments, proficiency in which is necessary to render civilized life possible. In addition to the most elementary schooling, boys should be practically instructed in the various branches of husbandry, and girls should receive a good training in household duties and habits of cleanliness. In this way, a young generation may be raised up far more open to civilizing influences of a higher kind and more fit for a peaceable and profitable intercourse with the white people.

8. At many of the agencies farmers are employed, and salaried by the government. But in some, if not most cases, the farms have been worked by white men, merely to raise crops for supplying the agencies and the Indians. They are to be turned to much greater advantage. The farms should be used in the first place for the instruction of the youths at school. Besides this, the farmers are to visit the farms cultivated by Indians, to give the latter practical instruction in their work and aid them as far as may be in their power.

9. On the reservations the labor of white men is to be dispensed with and Indian labor to be employed as much as possible. To what extent this can be done, under prudent and energetic direction, is shown by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in his description of the results accomplished by Agent Wilbur. Proper discrimination should be made in the distribution of supplies and annuity goods and the granting of favors between those who work and those who live as idle vagabonds, so that honest effort be encouraged by tangible recognition and reward.

Some of these reforms have for some time been in progress; others are in course of preparation. Their accomplishment requires time and patient labor, and, above all things, an honest and efficient Indian service.

The Indian service has, in some of its branches, long been the subject of popular suspicion. Without attaching undue importance to vague rumors or allegations, it must be said that frequent investigations have shown that suspicion to be not without good reason. Inquiries instituted by myself since I was charged with the conduct of this department have convinced me of this fact. As a result of such inquiries, presumptive evidence of fraudulent practices of a gross character came to my notice, which justified me in handing over a number of cases to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution as well as civil action. While following the principal object of discovering abuses at present existing, I have thought it my duty to extend, incidentally, such