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Show 'PI REPORT OF THE C031MISSIONF:R OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. policy of the government is to pay Indian agents such compensation and place them under such regulations of lam as will insure the services of first.class men. It is not enough that a man is honest; he must, in addition to this, be capable. He mnst be up to standard physically as we11 as morally and mentally. Men of this elass are comparatively scarce, and as a rule cannot be had unless the compensation is equal to the service required. Low-pricedmen are uot always the cheapest. A bad article is dear at any price. Paying a man as Indian agent $1,200 or $1,500, and expecting him to perform $3,000or $4,000 w0rt.h of labor, is not economy, and in a large number of cases has proven to be the worst kind of extravagance. The wholesale, sweeping cl~arge of dis-honest,~ so metimes made against Indian agents is not true. Some of them are good and true men, doing the very best they can nuder the em-barrassing circumstances by which they are wrrouuded; and some of them are capable; but I repeat, the inducements for such nlen to remain are insufficient, and the difficulties and discouragements which they meet, crowd them out of the service, and iintil all Indian agents are selected and paid asn good business man selects and pays his employ6s (which is not the case now), it need not be wondered at if many of them are incompetent, and a few of them dishonest. CO-OPERATION OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. One very important atixiliary in transforn~ingm en from savage to civilized life is the iiifluence brought to bear upon them through the labors of Christian men and women as ediicators and missionaries. This I think has beeii forcibly illustrated and clearly demonstrated among the different Indian tribes by the missionary labors ofthe various religious societies in the last few years. Civilization is a plant of ex-ceeding slow growth, unless supplemented by Christian teaching and influences. I am decidedly of the opinion that a liberal encouragement by the government to all religious denominations to extend their edu-cational and missionary operations among the Indiai~s wonld be of im-mense benefit.. I find that durini the year there has been expended in cash by the diEerent religious societies for regular educational and missionary purposes among the Iudins thesum of $216,680, and doubt-less mnch more which was not reported through the regular channels. This is just so much nioney saved to the government, which is an item of some importa,nce, but insignificant in comparison with the healthy influences created by the men and women who have gone among the Indians, not for personal pecuniary benefit, but for the higher and nobler purpose of helping these untutored and uncivilized people to a higher plane of existence. In no other manner and by no other mans, in my judgment, can our Indian population be so speedily and perma-nently reclaimed fro111 barbarism, idolatry, and savage life, as by the educational and missionary operations of the Christian people of our country. This kind of teaching will educate them to be sober, indus- |