Kansas City journal., 1898-02-20
NOTES AND NOTIONS.

NOTES AND NOTIONS.
The Populist Ass. feeling uneasy in its
inwards. and connecting this feeling in
some way with the snails and slugs that
frequented its garden, sent out mes
sage to the Populist Wolves that lived
in the adjacent woods, asking them II
they would promise to devour the slugs
provided they were invited to dinner in
the garden. The Wolves, being not lit
tie hungry, promised in accordance with
tho ASS wish, and were all invited into
the garden. But when they were once on
the inside they began to chase the young
Asses across the lettuce beds. trampling
the garden in a shocking manner. Hold!
Hold. brayed the Ass, did you not
promise to confine yourselves to the snails
and slugs?' But that" jeered the
Wolves. was when we were on the out
side: times have changed, and you are a
bigger Ass than We take you for if you
expect us to starve where there IS plenty
to eat" Thereupon they fell upon the
ASS and all his family and consumed them.
Moral:-Well. any Republican can see it.
and some Populists.
Rev. Mr.. W. W. Moffett discovered not
many years ago that II per cent of the
families in Union county, n. j., were en-
tirely without Bibles. Hearing of this.
DR.. Morse, of Massachusetts,. provided
himself with a supply of Bibles and went
into the country to see what could be
done about it. He is now the center of an
undenominational mission work which dis
penses both material and spiritual aid to
the largely foreign population Of the dis
trict. The Bible is studied and discussed.
children are entertained and instructed,
the sick are visited and treated. To para
phrase language that has been used in an
ignoble connection, 1t acts like church.
it works like church. and, although it
doesn't look like a church, we believe II
is a church. And yet the workers, for
there are now a dozen of them, never teach
a word that would discriminate Methodist
from Baptist. Presbyterian from Univer-
salist.
Miss Sybil Carter has taught the Ojibwa
Indians. or at least number of them.
how to make fine pillow lace The skill
and taste in weaving of the Navajo In
dams is well known. and the bead and
quill work. once SO popular, was not with
out evidence Of artistic faculty. But the
domestic conditions of most blanket In.
dians are not favorable to cleanliness, and
1t must strike most people with surprise
that Miss Carter should have introduced
this particular branch of industrial art
Yet 1t may be that it carries the incidental
virtue Of cleanliness with 1t. for the lace
products brought East by the lady are
said to be not only very fine but also
very clean. This is only one of a thou.
sand means Of livelihood which patient
teachers might impart to tho American
| Indians.
We note In this connection that som,
firms of wagonmakers have presented II
| congress a petition to be relieved of tn
| competition from the wagons made by tn,
| Indians at the Haskell institute at Law
| renee. kas. So long as the Indians ar
maintained at the public expense. such
protest is In order. And it is Just as mucl
| to the point when the government itsel
takes the product as when the product i
thrown on the market in Kansas City. 1
| the Indians were living at their own ex
pense and themselves received the profit
of the sales. there would seem TO be n
ground for protest. whether the wagon
are made under government supervision o
not. 1t is the same question as in the cas-
of state and national asylums and prisons
No one can object to the competition o
the product of free labor. But everyon
may justly protest against the competi
ton of products whose producers are ex
empt from the necessity of self-support.
The Mohonk Indian conference has re
Gently published the proceedings of its fiji
teenth annual meeting. While it looks fol
ward to the opening Of wide markets fo
Indian products it at the same time wishe
to see "rations'' cut off and Indians as
signed to lands in severalty. This is cor
sistent. The conference also puts itself O
record against the attempt to bring tn
| position Of superintendent of Indian edl
cation under the spoils system. Ws hay
4
heard many favorable remarks from con
petent sources regarding the present IL
cumbent. DR.. Hailman. and the delegate
to the Mohonk conference are among II
most competent. Civil service tenure dot
not mean that an officials work is n,
subject to criticism. On the contrary,
means that he holds his position only du
ing fitness. II DIR. Hailman is unfit, or n,
as fit as he should be. let him be remove
II not. not.
Speaking of Indian affairs and civil ser
ice tenure. the recent appointment to IL
superintendency OF Haskell institute of NJ
: II. B. Peairs is one of the happiest evidenc
, | Of the beneticcnt combination of the tw