, 1883-10-04
Weekly Argus.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER T.. ISS3.
Work Or Starve

I sss.-l
During Il recent interview SrrIr-
tary Teller insisted that the proper
way to dispose of the Indian quy~
tOp Is TO abolish the treaty with
foreign power system. One thing
said the Secretary. - certain. there
Is no Use treating any longer with
them; II would be better to Iegi~lrty
for them as for other American cit
izens. They should be paid for the
lands taken from them. but the rr-
erVstIon must be cut down to rational
limits and not be allowed to Tctari
the advance Of civilization"
II Congress can Ic induced 10
adopt 4 similar view it VIII rot take
long 10 settle the Indian question.
When person sits down and calmly
reTisws the history Of tie dealings
between the government and the In
dlans he cannot help wondering
how n scheme or a policy 50 uttcrI,
devoid OF practical common sense has
been followed SO long and persistent
~. Further Investigation VIII lead
to the conclusion that the admins
trStlon OF the Indian bureau affords
too many opportunities for sudden
WePlth for Impecunious statesmen u
chesrfully g.Ve it up. Many years
ago we were taught by experience
that the average Indian and the av-
srsge rattlesnake had to be treated
cautiously. That experience also
taught us that the Indian is not al
ways to blame for the beginning of
an ''IndiPn war" He is too often
imposed upon, robbed of his patri-
moay, defrauded of his rights. and
when so treated he can do little else
than initiate tie rattlesnake and
strike death blow at those who have
hodden OIL him. Possibly, way back
In those distant times when the white
men We e to America as the fringe
on large robe. the Indian was a
truthful, quiet, honest fellow. But
since then he has been taught all the
devices of ignorant white criminals,
and few of the virtues of the white
brothers" He has been regarded
by the government as one day occu-
pying the proud position of foreign
Nation with great big \, and the
next day dealt with by the same au-
thorities as weak and erring child
He has not been taught to labor. but
has been encouraged in idleness by
the full promise and partial payment
of large annuities, until starvation,
disease, whiskey and war have re-
dueed his numbers far below the ca
pacity of his reservations. The white
man coVets the broad acres which the
Indian is too ignorant and shiftless
to use, and from which the game is
disappearing, making it each year
harder for the red man to follow the
only food producing avocation with
which he is conversant The ''In-
dian Nations are rapidly disappear
ing, and in their places are found
scattered bands of lazy, vicious, dis
ease-ridden relics. Let these be
allotted tracts of land, to be the
ahemesle OF themselves aud their chill
dren for generations, let them be
taught, for few years how to OBJ
tain food and raiment from the soil,
and msde to know that the same law
governs the Indian and the white
man, during which period of instruc
ton they, should be materially aided
in procuring food and clothing; and
then turn them loose with the ad-
monition, work or starve." The
World istoo densely populated to
longer continue the ridiculous dual
1ndian policy, aptly described by the
terms, red wards of the nation" and
yet independent nations with treaty,
makingpOwers.a y