The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-09-05
THE INDIAN.
what Shall We Do win Him

We read long article recently with
the above title, and by keeping our
wits we'll about us we knew nearly as
much at the end as we did Mt the begin
ming. Now, the great difference be-
tween the Indian and the white man is
in their religious views.
Moses and many other eminent charac-
tiers had great deal of trouble with
their neighbors because they refused to
believe as he did, and we have been
raising Cain with the Indian ever since
we first met him for the same reason,
but with remarkably different results.
Moses did not try anything but muscle
as general thing, and he always come
out ahead. We first tried to work the
Indian in the harness of slavery, but he
proved about as useful and profitable as
pair ofcrocodiles would for a carriage
team. From that on, we have tried To
do all imaginable things with him.
We have even tried to kill him; but this
has always proved uphill business on ac-
count of his tendency to give us lessons
in the same art. The honest Quaker
thought at one time that he would, with
IA little training, make splendid gran
ger. There are two obstacles in the
way of this enterprise. First, at the
very season of the year when he should
devote his whole attention to raising
all manner of crops, he has an Unborn
inclination to raise hair. He might
to do well enough on a farm
IN the winter, but he is apt to gel
restless in the spring. Second, his
religion teaches him that it is not right
for him to work. We will not attempt
to criticise this belief, for fear we might
incur the displeasure of great many
white men.
We cannot understand why it is. thai
when it is not the Indian himself thai
is causing all this trouble, but his re
ligious belief, that somebody has never
attacked the religion instead of the
Indian. The religion makers of the
world have turned out articles to suit
every condition of society, but somehow
they have never considered it worth
while to get up anything for the special
benefit of our red brother. OF course
he ought to be willing to calmly swal
low our religion, but he isn't; and when
we reflect that we have always been at
loggerheads, with somebody for the
same reason, 1t isn't so strange rs il
might be.
The question of "What shall we dc
with the Indian" would be easily dis
posed of if everybody would not speak
at once. The Quaker wants to continue
the granger treatment. The war depart
ment wishes to fight him to the best OF
their ability during the summer, and
take care that he does not starye in the
winter, and the long haired SON of the
border, OF, in fact, any one else who is
personally and intimately acquainted
with him insists on Transporting him al
once to reservation somewhere in the
happy hunting ground,
We have watched the Indian under q
variety of circumstances, and we have
watched him through field glass when
we knew he had certain designs against
that part of our being which is neares,
the clouds-and we have never felt like
going into the telescope business since
We have watched him wrestle with ben
zine and chronic poverty in the Indiar
Territory, and here it was that we dis
covered by mere accident what the wis.
men of two centuries had failed to finC
how to make the Indian a progressiv,
man.
II was chicken season-aad, by thu
way, it did not require two cases of An
heuser, aquart Of snake medicine, fou
breach leaders, four flrst-class Nimrods
team and boy and good day, to ge
four chickens in that country. We hae
been hunting all day, and as we were re
turning home in the evening, just In tn
edge of town, we met Cherokee Tom
lOakiHg for ssofA. Tom had used all hi
energy during the season In keeping III
with the shade of q whisky cabin o.
Poverty Rue. At every move he wen
to sleep, and only woke up when til
shade left him to broil in the sun.
little further on we saw Timberlegs.
half breed, saving wood in back yart
We know something was up. and befor
we reached home we discovered what
was. That mornings southern train ha
len passenger in town who had in
few hours done what host of mission