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Show X REPORT OF THE COBlMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. drunkenness, wife-beating, theft, and other offenses; serve as couriers and messengers; keep the agent informed as to births and deaths in the tribe, and notify him promptly as to the coming on the reserve of any strangers, white or Iudian. Vigilant aud observant by nature, ' and familiar with every foot-path on the reservation, no arrivals or de-partures, or clandestine councils can escape theirnotice, and with a well disciplined police-force an agent can keep himself informed as to every noteworthy occurre.uce taking place within the entire limit of his juris-diction. Violations of the lan78 and regulations governing Indiau reservations are punished by fiue or imprisonment. The diminished inflnence of sqnaw men, the curtailment of preroga-tives formerly claimed by tribal chiefs, and the development of self-re-specting mallhood in the police themselves, are among the incidental benefits to the service arisingfrom the police system. It brings into an agency a new element-a party which grasps the idea of the snpremacy of law, and which by precept and example inculcates that idea in the - minds of others of the tribe. The lessons of self-control, of respect for the rights of others in person and property, of the maintenance of social order by law administered by the community instead of revenge obtained by the individual, when ouce learned, mark an important advance in the scale of civilization, and rudimentary lessons of this sort are daily taught by the Indian police ~ystemw, hich calls upon one Indian to arrest and pronounce deliberate judgment upon another for offenses, many of which hitherto have not only gone unpunished, but have been unrecognized a5 meriting puuishment. Zt is necessary to again call attention to the chief obstacle in the way of perfecting the system, viz, the inadequate pay allowed members of the police force. At two agencies during the year the force has been disbanded, after a successful trial, because suitable men could not be found who wonld serve longer for the $8 and $5 per mouth which is the ., . limit of salary h e d by law for officers and privates respectively. The very best men in the tribe should be enlisted in this service; but they cannot be expected to enter it at personal sacrifice. Among the wild tribes there is as yet but little difficulty on this score, though the difer- .enee betweeu'the wages of Indian policemen and those of Iudian scouts, and the earnings of teamsters a11d laborers, gives just cause for dissatis-faction. But among the more civilized tribes a progressive Indian farmer, mechanic, or teamster oan ill aflord to relinquish the comfortable living and the opportunity to accumulate property which his own iudus-try brings to him, for the bare support which is offered in r e t ~ ~fronr his responsible and often ardtxons and unpopular services as policeman. I must, therefore, renew the reoommendatious made in previous re-ports, that Congress be requested to allow the department discretionary power as to salaries to be paid the police at different agencies. The efficiency of the service wonld thereby be materially increased, even |
