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Show RXPOBT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 97 tolerated, as the little children, the strong hope of the nations, are now retrograding rather than advancing. Radical changes in the conduct of their schools must be made to secure the best remlts from the funds available. The great mass of whites in the Territory desire and must eventually succeed in secnring educational advantages to their chil-dreu. Public policy demands it and therefore it is only a matter of time. In the meanwhile, however, under present methods the Indian is not progressing, and when these fertile lands are erected into a separate government, unless there is a change, its people will be con-fronted with a more serious Indian problem than was ever before the country. The mass of Indians recogniz;e the defects of the present system, and feel the evil effects of favoritism for the children of their more powerful neighbors. The condition of the schools is a startling commentary upon the past management of the tribal governments, and the sooner the blot is wiped off the Territory the sooner will these Indians be entitled to the appellation of "civilized." The reports indicate that these people are Indians; that the masses, espscially the full bloods, are not receiving their due proportion of the funds appropriated ostensibly for all; that the teachers are employed for every reason except qnalitlcation; that unjust discriminations are made between those entitled to share in a common benefit; that the edueational methods are unsound and unfitted to the people; therefore the adequate remedy lies in the control of their schools being taken entirely from the tribal authorities and vested in the Government, which owes it to the national humanitarian progress of the age to give these Indians, out of their own ample tribal funds, a practical educa-tional system adapted to their needs and the needs of the times. Unless full control is taken it will be better to let the tribes continue to bear the heavy responsibility which has been placed upon them, and which, neither by education nor training, are they fitted to assume. MINING. The second subject is the leasing of lands for mining purpow. This must be treated of in two parts, the one relating to leasing under the Choctaw and Chickasaw agreement and the other to leasing under section 13 of the act. As stated in the report of last year, the offim, pursuant to informal instructions of the Department, submitted, July 30, 1898, a draft of rules and regulations to govern leasing under said section 13. These, however, were not approved at the time on account of unsettled condi-tions growing out of the uncertainty as to whether the agreements would be ratified by the Indians, and also on mmunt of the opposition of the people and authorities of the Cherokee Nation to the leasing of the mineral lands in that. nation until an opportunity had been given for them to come to an agreement with the Dawes Commission. A fnr-ther canseof delay in the promulgation of regulations was the fact that 8896-7 |