Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-14
The Protest Of The Pillager Indians.

The crownlng touch was added g. all
she chipIvWn'n grievances rs tho dis
,uvcty that his drfpuliora had reached
Into his own circle ~ kindred, ana were
actually buying his flesh and blood
away from him. There h reason a. be-
Hove that parties Interested In procur-
ing thV agreement Of 1879 secured the
votes and influence uf some of the cicv-
ercr "mlXed-blpod, hy bribery. II II
positively known that when work began
under that agreement. any Indian whn
was considered e. possesses t. much
knowledge NJ che apprnlHing swindlo
would be Filonccd By placing hlH name
on the payroll In some capacity. The
same practice has prevailed In the case
~ the cplluHiyo whisky prosecutions.
lialf.hrcedr have been appointed depu-
~ mutHhnlH, ~ hired ~ guards. h.-
cause they could exert "a greater iniu-
once among their kiusmrn than any
white man could. u IN this use N
money for turning Indian nrinst Indian
which has driven some of the pure.
hlnpdH' almost Co. desperation. In tho
newspaper reports u recent peace clun.
oils we read of the protest ~ Indian
speakers against letting hnlf-brcodH cut
m" tribal timber ana against Hnndlnr
half-breeds ~ make arrests on the r'a-
oryntlunH. Editorial comments ON this
phase ~ the matter show that M idru
prevails In the Fast that the nnn-prn-
RrcHslye members ~ tho tribe are try
ms o. rob the hnlf-hr,ei 81 his means
~ earning an honest livelihood, because
they hate the white hiouh m his Veinn
Nothing Is further from the truth. Tho
mere fact that the mixed blood" huH
one or more white ancestors. does not
figure In the ease NJ an. What does
tnnuble the red Indian ~ the fact that
his llshter-Hklnncd brother puts his al
lrRlnncc upon tho auction-b block. and
knocks Il down 90 the highest bidder
When white man comes upon the res-
crvutinn, he bears In his face n warn
inR o. the Indians that they must weigh
hiH pleasant words with caution aud
not accept his promises too fandlly.
when she "mlNcd- blood" comes. speak.
INK thor own tongue, W0Tnhlpu. ug
their sNyn dicty. entering with hrrdlinrs
ease Into their mode Ut life. thcy are
taken IN their guard. They trust his
Indian lips; awakening too late O. the
fact That those llpH speak the words "
"a white heart ~ long aH the hnlf-brecd
east his lot among them aH one ~ them.
selves, the Indians have no prejudice
against his color. but al thor lnlig.
nation II aroused when the whites hIrp
him "a ~ among his own people aud
play the part ~ "a rutHpuw and Spy.
The Hn-cnllcd "pillnger Outbreak"
WA not an outbreak loo any fair sense
NJ the torn. hut an attempt nf hand
nl ~ Indians a. resist. IN their avn
soil, what seemed 90 them gross ag-
gresslon ON tho part NJ an armed force
~ whites ana even In that diluted
form the trouble was not trncenhle
simply 90 the service ~ an unwelclmo
subpoena. aH az nrHt represented. but
was the elimination Of u hnlf-rentury'a
history " Indian friendllness ana white
ovorreachlnE,
What has been said ~ our treatment
of the l'illngorH " equally applicable.
with various local notifications. a. our
treatment of the Indians an over the
West The other day Witnessed Inc
strange spectacle ~ a committee of In
dlanH from the Indian Territory milking
"a journey Of two thousand miles To
Washington Tor the purpose of seeing
the President ana ascewaininE from his
own Hips whether certain not ~ Conc
gresR was really a law. Why? They Ind
suffered 30 much at the hands OF lying
white mon who had visited the terri.
tory, and told them one story and an.
other which afterward proved gr1und-
less, that they had no faith left 10 waste
upon the representations made b. thcm
about this particular aCt. Thoy must
have the Great Fathers own word flr
II, or they would refuse 90 believe what
they had heard.
Gould any commentary he moro strik-
ing; II our attempt ~ clvliizlnE The In
dian II n failure, whose fault 10 M Tho
ndian'a2.-Forum.