The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-05

That no such effort was made is evil
dent from the fact that there were
more off the reservation than ever be-
fore or the annual hunt.
If the Indians were given to under
stand that they must be amenable to
the laws, and all this silly nonsense
about the land of their forefathers was
dispensed with, they would be much
better off.
That there is much undue prejudice
against the Utes over the line there
IS no doubt, and we believe it is partly
due to the fact that they GO not under
stand them as well as we here. We
have learned by actual contact with
them that, like their white brothers,
there are good and bad among them.
There are some among thern who are
noble fellows. the peers of any one;
and, again, there are MANY that are
worthless scanlpS. IN this respect their
white brothers have no advantage.
The people OF this section have every
reason to treat these red men as
friends, for their memory goes back
to TIA da-s hen the tide of war
swept along TIE banks Of the Rio
Blanco, ana they remember with kind
ly feelings how a mere handful of
settlers remained unmolested during
those exciting times.
Referring again to the recent
trouble, II strikes us that the blame
should not ali rest with the Wardens,
nor yet with the Indians We cannot
escape the conclusion that had steps
been taken at the proper time the
trouble need not have occurred.
INJURED BY FRIENDS.
The Indians friends are sometimes
!, e..
pathy and encouragement they are
often led into doing things that they
would otherwise not do.
During the excitement which fol-
lowed the recent killing, strenuous eff
forts were made to keep from the pub
lie anything that would tend to cast
shadow OF suspicion upon the In
dams. Perhaps this was right, and in
fact, we have always believed that the
whites needed no protection, but that
in the case Of serious trouble the In
dams do; but this should not necessl-
tate the ignoring Of Wrongdoing on the
part of the red men. They are human.
and, unlike George Washington, can
tell white lie when, in their judg-
ment, occasion requires. Many of
those who were on the reservation
during the excitement say that mat
tiers were far from quiet sometimes
Men who mingle daily with the In
dams and know more of them than any
official on the reservation, say that
matters were decidedly critical at one
time, and more trouble was only
averted by cooler heads among the In
dams themselves. There are some men
OF influence among them who are per
fectly aware of the uSeleSSneSS of con-
tending against the whites by force OF
arms, and through their efforts dis
aster to their people was averted
A paper recently published a letter in
which, among a great many other pre-
JUDGED statements. the Indians were
pictured as strangers in a strange
land How absurd! The Utes are as
much at home on Snake river as any
where on earth. and it has been their
hunting ground always. The very fact
that they have roamed there from time
lmmemorial makes it hard for them to
understand why they should be barred
out now.
The state of Colorado will protect
her game, we believe, to the last ditch
Over the state line the people are walk
ing arsenals, and had wiser counsels
not prevailed and had all of the Uin-
tabs returned to Colorado in a body Ca
thing not in the least likely to occur
at any time). there are those who are
OF the candid opinion that there would
have been room in American literature
for one more book, and upon its title
page might have appeared the suggest
i've inscription, THE Last of the Uin-
tabs
Titan people have no quarrel with the
UteS, and are willing to treat them
well. No fear need be entertained at
any time that they will be uniustlv
dealt with as long as they behave
themselves. We realize that this is a
critical time in their history, and that
the abandoning of the old wild. free
life means much to them. What is life
to an Indian without a chance to graf
fly his natural inclinations, and take
an occasional hunt?
WELL PROVIDED FOR.
It must be borne in mind, however,
that their living does not depend upon
the chase in these days The govern
ment feeds and clothes them, gives
them lands and builds them houses and
fences, furnishes them with wagons
plows and other farm implements, gives
! them seed and furnishes them a market
for what is raised upon their land. at
good prices. So, it will be seen, that
shutting them out of Colorado does not
work much real hardship after all. 1t
is more q matter of sentiment than
anything else, and sentiment does not
count for much III these matter of fact
DAYS.
1t is to be houed that, at any rate,
these Investigations will be thorough
and searching. and that the blame will
be placed where it justly belongs. The
wardens may have acted hastily and
unwisely; the Utes certainly were sui
len and defiant, and the guardians of
the red men were certainly negligent
and careless. ''Hew to the line and let
the chips fall where they may