The Mineral argus., 1885-07-23

lDulau 10 Il SlIiStiiD SSItiCuttii VI
aesthetic tstes and a "childlike and
bland smile, and that the western
pioneer is a borde. ruffian and a
villain, hose chief aim and object is
to try to steal the purses, good books
and clean shirts of the noble minded
red man, while he is attending church
and Sunday school.
The efforts Of our wise and sapient
Government to civilize the Indians is
a thing to make both gods and men
weep. First. the reservation afore-
said, next the "agent" thereupon, who
is selected with especial regard to his
utter and absolute ignorance OF their
language, mode of life, habits, char
acter. and best method of influencing
and controlling them. Then comes
the United efforts OF the Government
and the agent to civilize and enlighten
the Indian, by SO far as possible, isso
lating and cutting him off from con
nection with civilization, as found and
embodied in all well ordered com
munities of white men. by wrapping
his robe Of savagery and barberism
more closely about his filthy form, by
concentrating him AZ agencies tar from
the only known civilizing agencies
contact and constant communication
with the superior race.
The present system which herds
them together at remote agencies, IN
villages, allows them to be armed and
mounted at ali times, leaves them
under the leadership of chiefs, and
insures and allows the propagation Of
all their old prejudices, lawlessncss,
and modes and habits Of thought and
life, wouldn't civilize them in ten
thousand years, for public opinion is
as strong in an Indian village as in
any white community, and public
among Indians, assigns to the woman
the lot OF slave, whose position is an
analomous as well as intermediate
one. She being considered little
better than his dog but not quite as
good as his horse. to her he kindly
assigns everything in the shape Of
work connected with the Indian
'menage," while his duties consist in
wearing grease, paint and feathers.
with such occasional suits OF clothes
as he steals from the ranchmen on his
periodical raids. He also has pas
sion for going to war, and stealing
everybody blind within radius OF
four hundred miles from his particular
agency.
The efforts of our paternal Gov
ernment in the Indian line remind
me of the ''foreign mission craze of
our orthodox brethren, where it takes
eleven hundred preachers and forty
thousand dollars in money, whole
year to deliver the inestimable bless
. ings of two bushels of bibles and
prayer books and twenty-one heavy
iianne, shirts, to the poor, swelterIna
, natives of equatorial Africa, who can't
read and don't wear clothes. so,
| while it is well known that for a great
: many years past the annual appro-
, priatons for Indian affairs have been
5 amply sufficient to board every one
OF the agency Indians, big and little
t at a first class hotel, yet, somehow
, all this money don't seem to fill long
} felt want, (or the Indian either for he
: is still the same dirty, poverty strlcker
d----d thief he always was.
1t IS well known, however, tha
everything brought from the States
: into this high, dry climate of ours
!, shrinks most awfully, and no doub
! this scientific fact accounts for thu
! mos; po,;ly and robust appropriation
$ being emaciated, SD thin, SO to speak
when they reach the Indians, for WI
J all know that when they do reach hin
: they are like the d1rkey's fish, al
; swump up.
:, Is il not about time that we dragge,
! this di.graccfui Indian business dow
u from the heights of sentimental bosl
; and religious rascality where it sit
a en;hroned and apply to it Il coat @
p plain common sense, and busnes
! principles? Such as this for instance
:, Give them their lands in severalty,
u whole section apiece if deemed neces
' sarv and as widely scattered a possible
&: Denv them the right to sell their land
: for twenty, or even fifty years. CIV
If each oi them an annual supply OF tool
/. and seeds for five years. Disarm an
a di,mount them. Throw open all th
: rest OF their lands to settlement an
{ apply the proceeds of sale OF same I
!, buying the tools, seeds ana stock, a
l, above.
- / q, s-.i,, ~.