The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-24
CIVILIZATION AND "pANTs.v

CIVILIZATION AND HPANTS."
1t is related of a young and enthusi-
astic missionary in Africa that, as
conclusive proof of his success in pro-
noting the spread of the Gospel, his first
report to his spiritual superiors recited
the fact that he had induced a number
of the natives to wear pants" Pants
Angle-Saxon civilization. To wear
pants" to drink whisky, to use cuss
words, to lie, to beg, to steal, and event
ually to attend school are among the
leading requirements which the untu
tored savage, black, blown and copper
cclored, has won from his association
with that hyperion type of the species
known in the virtuous cant Of the day
as the Anglo-Saxon.
The success of Anglo-American ciyiiiza-
ton on the North American continent in
dealing with the American Indian affords
the graadest illustration perhaps, that
can be furnished of the correctness of
this general proposition. Pants have be-
come indispensable to the happiness of
the Indian brave all over the land. His
attachments in the other directions,
whether to be credited to the aboriginal
nature or to the new civilization, are of
the very highest order, except alone
that his educational requirements have
not advanced as rapidly as true pa
ternal government might wish.
1t is 20 remedy this grave defect that
our educational humantarians have of
late been bending every energy and every
financial resource which bountiful gov
eminent can be induced to place at their
disposal. They have succeeded at last in
winning a free field and much favor. and
the noble red man is being civilized so
fast and so effectively, as a consequence.
that he Will soon be almost completely
weaned from the seandalizing tendency
of his forefathers to discard the helpful
pants and go on the warpath, or even to
lurk idly in that modern savage para
disc, the tepee.
The way of the new dispensation is
simple 1t was designed, and is being
executed with stirring energy, by Maj
Pratt, of the Indian bureau. In the past,
the young Indian, in order to secure to
him the inestimable blessings of educa-
| ton, was taken away from his parents
/ I~ B,od
learned the three Rs if nothing more,
/ and then restored to his people in re-
generated shape. The new scheme is en-
! tirely more comprehensive. Now he is
| taken away from his mamma before he
| is weaned, something after the fashion
| of certain domestic animals, and then
sent to school-to the government school,
/ of course. Then when he is perfectly
| educated he is shipped off as far from
| the scene of his early fluctuations as Pos
sible His pregeni tors, known to whites
as parents. are relisioEsly kept in isno-
rance of his Eherea bouts, and the posi-
| bility of his discarding his pants is thus
|
That picturesque and highly magma
! tive historian, the late James Anthony
Froude, in one Of his charming passages
/ having reference TO the poss bildtfes OF
| the Irish race, declared that, If you catch
! the Irishman young and subject him to
the proper training, he is capable of max
/ ing an admirable soldier. 1t IS on this
! principle that Maj, Pratt. and our Indian
| bureau go The animal has above all
I things to be caught youngi And. the but
/ ton of youth being thus touched, the GOV
| ernment will do the rest.
1t wouldn't be a bad idea if our more
| enthusiastic imperialists would take some
! pains to aeauaint the intractable Taga1o
with the strictly philanthropic measures
| we adopt toward our oid-time wards. 1t
is not impossible that it might induce
| that troublesome fellow to ferego his
| further sallies into and out of his native
4 Jungle, and quietly submit to the Anglo
| Saxon requirement of wearing his
t.narlts'' like civilized being.