The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-03


tbs examples which their frisnds have
longed to see them: CD the 1ndlan chm
dren who are In the main under excellent
SURROUNDINGS and influences IA the var
ious government and mission schools.
Now. why Is It that these ehiIdrsn. taken
early from theif parents. ana brought Up
in civilized hones fer years. 50 lsfgeiy
fan In life to frRai ths fasr promise Of
their school daye7 Must We conclude that
these Influences. Of such priceless value
for our own children. can DO nothing for
these bright Indian boys and girls. men
tally 80 well endowed? susly noti Is the
fault In the schools then3 While not per-
feet. never have they been 50 well equip-
ID or suficiently conducted.
What then4 well, what wonid &c the
career OF yo.sr own sOEs ami daughters II
they stopped out Of the schools. In which
for years they have been saresaiiy pre-
pairing for lIfe's struggle. into i1ieaess.
Idleness. am sure OF Il. " respon able
for most OF the failures In IaSian DE-
veiopment-idleness running into gamb-
ling immortality OF life, and consequent
disease. weakness. and premature Death.
Is there no work for the Indiansl Upon
the reservations. very little IS possible. In
settled communities where they ara reed
ing men on farms, for tuIliing. etc.
there are plenty 0f chances for any In
dian who win be faithful. Fur the lcle,
who do not know what q days work
Is. there Is none. But At school they are
taught wagon-maling. There ne no
wagons manufactured On these rcserSa-
lions. shoe-makings but where erIong
poorer purchasers has not machinery
crowded out eve nthe expert hand ls5orS
Prlntgin, bat there are no newspapers.
Tailoring when even the clothes issre1 to
the Indians themselves are Tor the most
part made by other hands, and must con-
tinue to be.
THE real need Of these Indians. in Or
der to make them self-supporsing. h 90
teach them at school TO speak. ard TO
read easily. simple English. ami TO mas
ter elementary arithmetic, and such gen
eral culture as can be acquired While
learning these Then. in addition to var
led duties. the chores about the schools.
they need to learn how TO wiring a living
from the soil in that very climate almost
universally for the Indian n hard obeJ
with which they must contend when set
tied on their allotments. II too a-!d for
farming. they must learn how 20 raise
cattle. and dispose with their sVpe-Huous
ponies.
1.-THE women beyond these simple br ok
accomplishments, need to know Row to
care for their children more intelligently,
how to sew, make bread. and cultivate
garden With this knowledge, thoUs-
and time would 1 rather see an Indian
see an Indian woman. in Indian clothes.
living in her tepee, or two-roomed house.
married to an Indian husband. and with
her Indian babies about her. .han ecu
Gated to the point where she Is severed
from her family. with a cchasm between
her and her race. not acceptable to white
society, and largely cut of from her own,
and with the tragedy of the utterly
homeless and desolate in her dark eyes.
sit is a bitter shock TO these educated
boys and girls. after struggling to acquire
some trade or accomplishment. 10 find
themselves face to face with these alter
natives: First. to sever themselves nm
ally and permanently from their own peo-
pie. throw themselves in all their mex /!
perlence upon the already overstoeked |
labor market of a race alien to them. and |
Justly suspected. at the same time 20 re-
linquish those many aids which are now
held out to any deserving Indian when |
upon his own ground; or. second. to ri
eurH to their people ana offer their trade |
upon reservations or In communities |
where few IL any Of these industries are
In progress. Some can get employment |
from the government. but by no means
ALL Not one who understands these con-
ditions ought to sit In harsh judgment 1
upon these boys and girls IN their bitter
dilemma. Shall we then. leave them to
work out their own civilization. under the
powerful protection Of the government?
witness the utter failure OF this course
In Indian Territory. where for over nifty
years Indians. far IN advance of these.
have been laborIng to erect a stable In