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Show Indians and canse to the Government trouble and laree exoense. We ~ ~~ ~ ~ iurite specialattention to the reporr uf Cum~~lissionehri l G ~a,n d trust that his conelu+io~I~UsB V l~avcd ue co~lsiderarioua hould the bill or any similar measure again Ge proposed in Congress. We have surely seeh enough of the disastrous results of removing Indians from their reser-vations, and of attempting to consolidate uilfriendly tribes, and we hope that snch experiments may not be repeated. CONFERENCES. The usual public conferences with representatives of religious socie-ties and other friends of Indian civiJization have been held at Mohonk Lake and in this city. The attendance has been larger than in former years, and the earnest discussions of topics and policies, both old and new, clearly show that interest.in the welfare of the Indian has steadily grown. Much has been done by these conferences to mold public opin-ion,, to further vise legislation, and to promote reform in the adminis-tration of Indian affairs. The meetings of the secretariesof missionary societies with their friends and supporters for reporting progress, mutual counsel, and incitement to new effort have been full of helpful and hopeful interest. Much has been done by the churches through their mission boards to instruct the Indians, to reclaim them from bar-barism, and lift them to a better life. Still, much remains to be done, and we earnestly hope that such Christ~ane ffort may not be relaxed, but increased. The organization of Young Men's Ohristian Associations byDr. Eastman, and of Young People'sChristian Endeavor Societies, is a promising movement. Those societies will help the young to resist the evils and temptations that come in with civilization. Law and ~ecular education alone will not save the Indian. He must have moral and Christian training to give him the vital force to coun-teract the enticements that tend to degenerate and degrade him. EDUCATION. The appropriations by Congress for Indian schools for the current year are abont 2 per cent less than for the previons year. Still, by rigid economy, the schools have been maintained, and some progress has Deen made both iu enrollment and average attendance, as shown in the following table : Enro2ln~mt and aamqe attendance at India* schoola, 1894 and 1896. -- Government aohools: I Nonressnation training. ................................ 4,350 8.799 t i d i n .... ............................ 7 1 2" 1 6,477 Day ...................................................... -3-,256 -3,8-43 2,082 --2,5 28 Total .................................................. 15,237 16,584 I 11,831 12,804 Contraat aohaols : Boarding ............................................ 4,147 3,873 9,583 3.406 Dw 598 688 428 407 Boarding, mpecially a p p p n a t e d <or ..................... 1, 281 1 1, 318 1 ;. 151 1,111 Total .................................................. -6,026 - -5.88 0 -5-,16 3 --4,8 88 hlliodwacU& ..................................... Y4 1 318 I02 192 Mission schools not aesiated by the Gouernment; board~ng.. -152 - 2-53 129 IS4 ------ -,- Aggregate.. ........................................... 21,619 1 ......................................................... 23.036 ....1.7.,.2.2..0 18.188 Inoreme 1,417 1 968 |