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Show I 22 REPORT OF THE COJlIJdISSIONER OF' INDIAN AFFAIRF nnderst;~udingu pon i ~ ~ ~ p o r tqnunets tions iurolring large iuterr Indian abil I I P : I ~e~n pe~~di t l~brye sll le (;~\~erumeut.T he t l ; ~ ance of the ~urchasingc ommittee. and other members of I. 1 dur ingt i~eo +llinpof tile bids, itnd'the an.anl i~~gofao~i t rar t : 11 s~tpliliesa, nd the clrlivery arnl in~prctiouo f gootls, ellable11 tl 1)nrchase and ellter into cor~tl.:ictsf or articles desired amount 'r 1 $2,000,000, at reasonable and entirely satisfactory rates. TI no question but that for the superior quality of goods, and ' rates at which they were nrocured. the Oflice is indebted to thb care and peraot~n~kttenti;no f tilebe gentlen~erl,\ rho serve the (:ore. I lnent without pas. 111 my , j i~i l g o~r1~11~0 tfu, ll annoout sppropriated fur tlleeXptIiSesof this Board lr;lu beell saved nluu,!- told by tltilrserrice whicl~ they l~avcrr nderctl grut~litn~~>ITyh.e relation ot' tile Board of 1udi:i11 Colnn~issiouerst o the (3e11er:al tiorerument is son~ewl~a:u~ot ~n l o u s ;b ut wl~elrt llr tree~~limaris s in^^ ot' the ll~dionli nrean is conai~lrred.i t will 11e seen t l ~ abt e f unction of the Board is important, if not essential, to the successful workings of a Bureau, in whose operations the social, humane, and moral questions lnvolved render its mission unlike that of any other branch of the public service, and requiring other care and consid-eration than can be given by ordinary official routine. CO.OPERATION WITH RELIGIOUS BODIES. It is with great gratification illat I record the hearty good-will with which the several religious bodies of the country have in general aided the work of civilizatiou during the :ear, and the close relations of cou-fidence and co-operation which have existed between them and the agents nominated by them and this Office. The advantages derived from the nomination of agents by religious bodies are mauifest on every hand, It secures a better class of oEicers than could be hwl by politimll nomiuatio~~i t; brings to the aid of the Gover~itnentt he sympathies an11 co-operation of a large number of the best citizens of the counsry ; it enlists a kind of aid for which the Governmeut has no substitute, and without which all effort for civilization will drag heavily until it is abau-doned. . No movements for changing the character and habits and prevailing condition of a people or a class can attain anything worthy the name of success without calling for the help which a yolunteer beuevolent or 1 religious organization ont~ideo f the Government .alone can give. The Sanitary and Christian Oon~missions of the war, Prison Associations, Children's Aid and other Relief Societies, and the multitude of bener-olent organizations which the Government and the States call to their aid nhenever any work of humanity or reeovery of man is to be under. taken, bear abundant testimony to the prevailing opi~iiono u this subject ahich has grown out of experience. Indian civilization presents a co~nplicatiouof questions and difficulties which reqnire to be stndied from a point of view entirely dittbreut from that which any routine official administration of the Indian Bureau can give. The agents who have the work in immediate charge must. be more thau Government agents. They must be filled and anitnaced with a personal interest in their work, and inspired by the corlstant feeling which comes from the consciousness of being an associate and represeut-ative of those who are cheerfully contributing time aud thought and making personal sacrifices for the work he has in hand. No desire for church-propagation on the part of any religions denom-ination, vitlr one exception, has in any way iuterfered with the pur- |
