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Show CXLX REPO~ZTOF TEE COUX~SSICKCB OF ETDIAN AFT'AIiZ.3. iiiavajoagent. H i s wise suggestion conld, 3 tlrink, be st~l[firthere x-tended. With more than G0,000,000 of people to elroosc from it ought to be ensy to find for tile 1ncli:~n serrise in all its branches men a ~ ~ c l Tomon of ggotl cbrri~c$ere, f%c.ic.qtl ;ad-fzifitfnl; arlrl, indertl, a large proport.ion of *hose &ow em;?loxeS are pcrscus of such c!laracter and attainments. All s'lonld be such. Wlratever amount of money may be expended for the Indians effects vary l i t t :~fo r t.hcrir nplifting if it is iiisburseci by dishonest agents, adnrioistered by men of ir;temperak habits, or by psrsons nn~aitlrfillo r inwmpete~t.: A very scrions drawback to progress is the nncertaiu tennreof oEce. Agents and employ6s if selected with spscizl reference to their fitoess should have a reasmrable degree of certaintg that they will be retilined so long as they show fitness and fidelity in tLe discharge of their dnties. Uncertainty as to permanence brseds intlecision of parpcse, largelely pre-vents the formation of cornprehensi\.u plans which reqnire years for their completion, and hindols the vigorous euecatiolr of thoso for~ln-lated by the G.ivernment. 1 Gee no good reason wby politics should enter a.s b wnlzolling elemen: in the selectim or removal of Govern-ment officials in this service. If there is any place in the entire range of oScia! ewplaymee~t ahere the employ6 should feel L-ntrammeled by mere partisan considerations, aucl free to devote his entire 8treog:h and time to the ~ o r tko w hich he has beeu appoiuted, anii where Le 1s to be freed from the temptation to ucfaithfulness or dishonesty 5y tllo fear of rclnoval for mere political reasons, it ougJit to 2s in the Indian serv-ice. The spirit, if not the rules, of the civii service dlonld be exte1:ded absolutely over tlris entire branch of public worlc. The Indians h : ~ c :lo politics, and those sent to them as agents onght to be concerned ?,bso-lntely and ou!y with the promotion of their weleare. This is especially true regarding the scl~oosle rvice. It is a cardinal and well-established principle in .the Am2rican mind that the pcblic schools shall be nonpartisan, and so far ,w I know there is no corn-munie in the United States where the ap]pl,ointrnent and dismiss:rl of school teachea is dictated by parcisan politics. The schools are for all and are genera1ly administered on such bma6 principles as to be ac-ecptable to all classes regardless of p o l i t i ~ ld iiFercnce~,a nd school teacl~msa re not nsoal l~s ubjected tu t!ke flnctu~tionso f party senti-sent Every consideration nhich can be nryed in fawr of nonperti-san edoeation in the public ssbools, an& fcr tke retention CI; schcol teachers during good beha~iorh, as added weight wkbn applied to In-dian schools. J t l~inki t not too strong a statement to make when I say from facts 'iuat have heen brought to h in^ ?ersonai attention, that the chief hindrancs in thedevc?Iopmel:t of the Isdim schools beretofom has been the of%ensive al:d ~e26'esss lllmsion into their manilgen~enl' of partisan politics. iiiel?, zzii;. Tomen, bo, wholly devoid of eny singlo analitication for such vork: 2nd sial11y 2s a iewarr: for party serrice, eithhr by tEi~=seIueso r Cheir :Sends, have.bmu empIoyeci, a~r di t goes ~ i t h o ust a ~ i n gt1 1at snclr appointments hav3 worked evil and only evil, 2nd thzt. some of tho sclroois that merr, supp~sed to bc for the eleva. tioz aud civilization of the Indians hzvo been useless to them and dis-~ gracefnl tp the Government. The criticisms made upon some of thr:.c seheols ind x?pon the inen m6 womzn in c11arge of them i y the semi-sXiZgeS; i*o: vltosc benefiipt'ac; .:;.crc soppdserl to be eslablished ham been very scrarct?.;ng, sc~thir,g;::a x1 just. Doring the period in r-ilrich I Irr,ve ixd tba responsibility and the honor ofasln:%stering the Zi?(l.iaa 8er@ai?I, hare in no sing!o.instaneo dis- |
