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Show REPORT OF THE OOMMI89IONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LVII the boats, stores, packages, wagons, sleds, and plaoea of deposit of sneh persoo to be searebed; and if any such liquor is found therein, the same, together with the boats, teems, wsgons, and sleds used in eof~veyintgh e same, and also the goods, packaeea, and peltries of such person &all be aeized and delivered to the proper officer, and ahall be proceeded against by libel in the proper court, and forfeited, one-half to the informer and the other half to the use of the lhited Gtstrs; and if such person be s trader hislicense shall be revoked and his bond pot in auit. It shell moreover be the dots of any person in the service of the United States, or oE any Indian, to take and destroy any ardent spirits or wine found in the Iodinn country, except suoh as may be incroduoed therein by tke War Department. In all cases arising under this and the preceding aection Indians shell be competent witnesses. It is hoped thatcongress will adopt the legislation suggestedon this subject, so that the progress of the Inilians may not be retarded on account of the insufficiency of the lams designed to protect them against the vice of intemperance. In the Government schools, where thousands of Indians are being educated, especial pains are taken to inculcate principles of temper-ance, and scientific instruction is given as to the evil effe e:ts upon the human system of alcohol and narcotics. The good effec s of this training are already becoming evident. WILD WEST SHOWS AND SI?,IILAR ZXHIBITIONS. The practice which has prevailed for man years of occasionally per-mitting Indians to travel with :( Wild Westv and similar shows through-out the country and abroad, for the pnrpose of giviog exhibitious of frontier life and savage customs, has been very harmful in its results. 1 have from the beginning steadily refused to sanction any permits, and I heartily welcome your letter dated Angust 4, 1890, directing that no more be granted. In all cases where these engagements have been authorized their em-ployers have been required to enter into written contracts with the Indians, obligating themselves to pay them fair, stipulated salaries for their services, to supply them with proper food and raiment, to meet their traveling and needful incidental expenses, including medical attendance, etc., to protect them from immoral influences and surround. ings, and to employ a white man of good character to look after their welfare, etc. They have also been required to execute honds with good and sufficient securities, payable to the Secretary of the Interior, con-d~ tionedu pon the faithful fulfillment of their contracts. While these contracts have been complied with in some instances, in others well-grounded complaints have been made of the alialau~tonment of the Indians and the failure of their employers to pay them their sala-ries. These complaints will be investigated and steps will be taken to recover the amounts due by instituting suit on the bonds given by the employers. November 1,1889, I addressed a cironlar letter to the agents of agen- |
