r
political reasons was deprecated, and the importance of permanence in
the lines of policy pursued in the educational and Christianizing
influences was emphasized. Larger appropriations by the Government to
establish an adequate system of common-school education, until every
Indian child is enabled to attend school, compulsory education and the
continued support to contract schools, and additional facilities for
securing lands in severalty to the Indians, were endorsed.

The decision which it was understood the Government had made, not to
transfer the care of the Indians to the War Department, was warmly
approbated.

* * * * *

_THE INDIAN PROBLEM._

The present difficulties among the Indians in the Dakotas will
probably lead to a re-consideration of the whole system by which
the Government and the nation deals with these people. As a
contribution to that discussion, we present in condensed form some
suggestions recently published in a Boston paper, from our esteemed
friend, S.B. Capen, Esq., whose intelligent interest in the Indian
entitles his opinion to thoughtful consideration:

While public attention is everywhere called to this matter, it is time
to agitate for a radical change in the whole administration of the
Indian service. We believe that this should be disconnected entirely
from the Department of the Interior, and be made a _separate
department_. This whole Indian question is so important and so complex
that it ought not to be simply an annex to a department which has under
its control land, patents, etc. It should stand by itself; there should
no longer be a divided responsibility, which is always productive of
evil. We are finding the necessity in our cities of making
responsibility more direct and personal. The time, we believe, has fully
come to reorganize the Indian service on this basis. Our criticism is
not against any individual, but against a system which is the growth of
many years.

We would suggest the following;

1. Have the Commissioner of Indian Affairs responsible only to the
President and to the public. What he does, or may do, shall not be
controlled by the Department of the Interior.

2. Ask Congress to provide such legislation that no agents or teachers
shall ever be removed without proper cause.

3. All inspectors and special agents shall be under the absolute control
of the Commissioner.

4. There shall be a div