Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-10-08
"ao, WORK IN MY VINEYARD.
A Field for Missionary Work and
a Theme for Con sideration.

A Field for missionary Work and
Theme for Con sideration.
While laboring to expose fraud
and help the people to a better
understanding nf the importance
Of their affairs, we perhaps lose
sight Of the people themselves be-
ing in moral condition to receive
the truth. Or, we may measure
the moral condition of the whole
Cherokee people by what we see
and hear in the so-called half
breed districts, and judging by
what is written we conclude that
the average correspondent and edi.
tor are either ignorant of the true
state Of society, or for reasons dc
wish TO tell the whole truth. To
tell the truth shall be my aim and
far be it from a wish to criticise OIL
disparage, all true efforts being
made to benefit or alleviate the
condition of a portion Of the So
called full-blood element of this
nation.
To say that their moral condition
is bad would be putting it rather
tersely; to say terrible would come
nearer fitting the case.
We will start to-day and within
six hours ride from the best i'm
proved portions Of Cooweescoowee
district what do we find? A people
gifted Of God with the best natural
dispositions, hospitable to a fault
and in great many ways the best
people on earth, so lowered in the
scale Of humanity that a lawful
marriage is an exception among
them. To visit a man this week
and become acquainted with his
helpmeet does not justify you in
the presumption that you will have
any acquaintance with the lady
who may preside over his domestic
affairs a month hence. 1t is no,
uncommon to see a woman gifted
once with beauty, struggling to
give support to two or three child
ren-each child an animate proof
of separate liason and the mother
without home. Her principal sup.
port in summer is derived from
The berries that grow wild. and
what her support in winter is God
knows. Do you say such is bad
woman? / deny the charge. She
is the victim of the state Of society
in which she moves and over
which she has no control-has only
to submit and bear patiently the
trouble she has. If she dreams oi
brighter times and a better life she
finds it only a dream, when she
is brought in contact with with So
called christian civilization. / do
not wish TO be understood as say
ing that this condition is general
all over the nation. / can only
speak for that portion Of the coun.
try through which l have travelled
/ do not lay the fault at their
doors but do think that someone is
responsible for their condition.
That they are as a class unreaso n.
ably poor cannot be denied. In
this country where land is free
there are hundreds without homes
and many who have so-called
homes are such only on the princi'
pie that "tis home where'er the
the heart is" You can find fam.
lilies living in camp without pony,
hog or COW, while about one in
fifty has a farm in good state o.
cultivation. On every hand you
see the lack of thrift and industry
and gambling the chief employ
ment.
am aware that this is strong
language, but the statement made
can be proven to the satisfaction o.
anyone who wishes TO investigate
the matter. II il written in the
hope that someone may be inter
ested enough TO investigate and
that such Investigation NAV lead