The Washington critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-02-13
LENDING THE INDIANS.
EFFECT OF THE SHOW BUSINESS
ON THE RED MAN.
Government Agents strongly Condemn
tho PrRctico-It Makes the Men
Worthless NaEaboDds - Commits
sioner Morgan Deeply Interested.


wild America" the show which is
headed by DIR. Carver, is in the CITY to
negotiate with the Department of the
Interior for new supply Of Indians
Mr.. Whitney has not yet made any for
NAL application to the Department, but
when he does SO IL is highly probable
that his request will be refused
a Critic reporter called upon Gen
cral Morgan, Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, this evening, for the purpose OF
asccraining what had been the effect
upon the various tribes of allowing
members from them to travel with
shows OF the "WiId West" type. He
found that General Morgan has been
taking deep interest in this question,
and had recently sent a circular letter to
each of the Indian agents throughout
the country inquiriug how many men
were absent from each agency travelling
with shows, and what the general effect
was upon the Indians from their con.
tact with civilization in this capacity.
General Morgan handed the reporter
formidable bundle of replies received
in answer to this letter. There is II re
markablc unanimity of opinion among
the agents. They all uuhcstatingly
condemn in the strongest terms the sys.
lem Of permitting Indians to travel with
shows. The result, they say, is TO make
them disincliucd to work, and when
they return home they exercise a very
demnraIizing effect upon their tribes by
introducing among them the vices and
diseases they contract while absent.
The following opinions are taken at
random from a very large number of
letters received on this subject from the
various Indian agents:
John Blair, L. S. Indian Agent Of the
sPo,tawat and Great Ncmaha Agency,
Kansas, is opposed TO permitting Indians
TO connect themselves with shows. lie
says: Il understand that the managers
of these shows expect to be financially
benefited by exhibitions of romantic
barbarism, in which the revcrberating
whoop of the Indian, pretended stage
robbery. daring fcats of Workmanship,
indiscriminatc slaughter and fantastic
dressing arc all involved. The Indian
has been educated to act in most of
these parts for centuries, and he should
now be taught useful, practical lessons
of real life, such as will secure him
a sound body, comfortable clothing, a
permanent home and the knowledge
that by honest toll alone men become
happy, successful, and even great. The
show business will not accomplish his
purpose; on the contrary, it cannot be
otherwise than natural aud moral in
jury TO The Indians who engage in it,
In granting him permission 70 engage
in such business the Government virtu.
ally Endorses the ambition of the UNI
civilized Indian"
The only show that an Indian
should be connected with or take part
in" writes John W. Crcmsie of the
Devils Lake Agency. is the State or
county fair, where be can exhibit his
farm produce and wcll.kcpt stock on
the same footing as the white man.
where the showing would be creditable
to the Indian and to the Department"
Henry George of the Colorado River
Agency thinks il is not good policy for
the Government to encourage such
shows; in fact, doubt the proprlety of
the Government permitting such eX-
bibitions, participated in, in whole or
in part, by Indians who are influenced
TO leave their homes for such purposes.
|, because they arc carried over the coun-
Try, exhibited in this uncivilized Gus.
tom and encouraged in their barbarous
habits by the applause of the people
who witness them. 2, because such eX
hibiiiOns do not encourage the Indians
in habits OF industry; on the contrary, it
is indirectly reward TO the Indians to
continue their unciyilizcd custom Of
living. 3, because Indians thus en-
gagged could not have good influence on
their return to their tribes. 1t would
be something like the effect of seusa-
tioral yarns about robbers in the minds
Of boys"
L. T.. ShuIcr of the White Earth
Agency reports that fourteen Indians
belonging 10 his agency are travelling
with the wild West" show, and a
number of others have been. lie
says: These Indians who have been
with these shows are, as rule, worth.
less vagabonds, will not work, and their
principal desire seemed TO be an effort
to live in idlcncss and to gain living
by traticing in whisky. Their influence
is generally bad on those with whom
they associate. In my judgment the
Government should take prompt meas.
urcs to suppress these shows and have
the Indians returned to their rcserva
lions" The medical officer at the same
ltltlt tdcCo VI dlSCuSC
the Indians who have returned, con
tractcd while with these shows.
Charles A. Bartholomew of the II
natio Agency is strongly opposed tc
allowing Indians to travel with shows
lie says: '"1he fact of the Government
allowing any arrangement whereby al
Indian is employed by any circus com
panyis simply pcrnicious, for the fol
lowing reasons: The character of those
exhibitions is a repetition in miniature
of bloody Indian battles when thu
Indian warrior appears in all his savage
nakcdncss, practicing in almost
reality his dcvilish acts of cruelty
rapine and murder. All these thing
he relates TO his wondering children
when he returns to his old haunts, 70
he is sure to return. if alive, with hi
mind diseased by contact with the YER
lowest character of vice for it is beyon
the bounds of reason to believe tina
there was ever known an instance of a.
attachc of circus entering a churc'
or Sabbath schooD and his bod
polluted with a disease which ha
batflcd the skill Of the medical world
He sees nothing but vice Of the loves
order, for there Is no other example 70
him, and he returns to SOW his know
edge and his disease broadcast through
out his tribe.
While the Department has not yet is
sued any order forbidding Indians I
absent themselves from their reserve
tons in order TO travel with shows, it
highly probable that, in view of thes
strong expressions of opinion on til
subject from the men who are in tn
best position to judge of the effects {