The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-08-26
A Yankee Girl Sees Indians and Talks
American Politics I'm the Dominion.

American Politics in the Dominion.
RIVER DAVID, P. O., Aug. 18th, 1892.
To the Editor Of the Bdnner.-DEAR
SIR.-In speaking of the Indians find
there is a great deal of romantic nonsense
entertained in regard to them, their
matchless forms does not materalize on
close inspection, on the contrary they
are low of stature and bow legged, the
letters for spelling industry" are not
contained in his alphabet. An Indian
will drink all the whiskey he can get,
and then spend his last cent for one glass
more. The Abenikis near here are
wards of the government, they furnish a
certain amount of provisions annually, an
agent is appointed to look after their
welfare. There is aheavy fine for any one
selling them liquor, occasionally how
ever they manage to get it, at such times
his savage nature asserts itself and un-
less closely watched he is dangerous.
The women manufacture baskets and
fancy articles during the winter, and
| when the season opens at Saratoga they
go there and sell them. Most of them
| speak English, all of them French, but
when conversing among themselves they
use the language of their tribe. Some of
| them have homes of their own, in riding
through their village these little cottages
| look quite attractive, but am told the
interior is not what an orderly house
wife would call neat. In religion they
are Roman Catholic, have church of
their own, and for the first time in their
history they have priest of their tribe
and nation, to minister to their spiritual
needs, fact over which they feel very
| proud. 1t is not many years since they
wore the proverbial Indian blanket
around their shoulders, now they adopt
| tho mora mOHarn ctvlpa yvhila cOOna of
the dusky maidens appear in the full
height of fashion. 1 found myself last
spring on board a steamboat which
landed at their village for the purpose of
taking on board several Indian families
who were going to Saratoga, as the boat
left the pier they commenced singing
something in the Indian language, to the
tune of Home Sweet Home" it i'm
pressed me sadly, and as l listened to
their melancholy refrain, thought these
children of nature have under their i'm
perturbable look an attachment for their
home like myself, and felt like joining
them and singing:
''The birds sing as sweetly the skies are as blue,
Yet is not my own native land"
l often wonder if they ever think of
their forefathers as they roamed through
the forest when no white man molested
them, when their broad hunting grounds
were rich in game and more than sup
piled their simple wants, when some
other tribe trespassed ON their domains,
and their chief summoned his warriors
and led them forth to battle in all the
glory of war paint and feathers to resent
the insult l must not continue these
thoughts or l too will become senti-
mental over the noble Red man.
ANY communication in these stirring
times without alludidg to politics does
not interest people, therefore, wish
some of our Democratic friends could
hear the conversation that hear daily
in regard to the coming Presidential
contest in the United States. Free Trade
with no discrimination against the
Mother country is the burden of their
song, this is what they want and expect
no doubt as to the Hatred OF ulio To.y y
Free Traders towards the United States
| as country of Protection, whereby the
wealth of the great Republic increases,
as the wealth of Great Britain decreases,
if they will only elect Cleveland the
Tories will be ever so much obliged,
, thank you," they think the contest in
, the States between the principles of
Protection and Free Trade is of greater
importance to Canada than even the
t legislating of their own parliament.
, Now honest people of both parties
l will ask why will Free Trade enhance
l the prosperity of the Dominion, while
Protection does the same thing for the
g United States. am aware that it is to
: be supposed that when woman dabbles
t in politics she does not know what she
( is talking about, nevertheless my living
r here has taught me that low wages is an
S important factor in this International
: problem. The cost of production, both
: manufactured and agricultural is one
S third at least less than in the United
0 States, hence the American producer
G will have to lower the wages of his en-
i ployes to compete with this country.
n The American market is the natural one
It for the Canadians, and once all barriers
j. removed they would rush in the surplus
o which under existing circumstances has
r no market. 1t behooves the laboring
o man to consider the question in all its
0 aspects before casting his vote this fall.
d One must know the question thoroughly
: to see the difference. While the major
a ity of American workingmen own their
It homes, here it is an exception, when
g they do and even do, instead of pretty
Q cottage it is hovel with nothing attrac-
), tive about it.
n We hire men and women here for a
n whole month for what we used to give
e for one weeks work in the States
t There is no country in the world where
It the working man is as well of as in the
q United States.
e The real estate dealers are beginning
to see the injury done their business by
e the tax lately imposed upon transfers Of
IT property, one man near Montreal SOLD
> his farm for $1,000 and congratulated
1t himself on his bargain, his elation wa:
o dampened somewhat when he found he
70 had to hand S105 Of it over to the gov
ernment. What fine government to bt
r sure. If man dies and leaves his prop
l. erty to his wife, she has got to divid'
a with the powers that be and give IL pei
h cent of all she possesses, and yet L an
vt told that this is a better government
l than that of the Republic. Then why il
g it that the United States has outruI
Canada II to One2 Why is it the popu
r lation has not increased for the last tel
" years? Simply because emigrants leav
re ing monarchial country do not propose
i to place themselves under the same con
a. dition by coming here, but hasten across
the border to the land of the free.
N have tried to explain in my humble
70 way the great difference as it appears tC
he me between Free Trade and Protection
s. in regard to all classes in my native coun
or try. andi l have thereby gained on
M rota for rho soldiar president / shall b