The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-08-22
TepMe.) Shopper year, in advance
eHme' Six Months so cents.

lessons. There was no way to teach
him that not all white men were greedy
and cruel. Vice will 60 much further
to assert itself than virtue.
But coming down to this very day,
the unsophisticated red man Of the
west, hating liar, tells the truth;
having been surrounded, the game
killed -exterminated uselessIy-he has
no way to get living and thinks it
only natural that the government
which took away his opportunities for
sustenance owes him food and raiment
The government says it does, and sends
agents to look after and provide for
him. Some of the agents formerly
accepted their places with the belief
that they had right to rob the very
class they were appointed to protect.
OF course not ell Indian agents were
of this class, but too many of them
were, and the Indian was blamed
because he refused to be treated with
the injustice that came from greed
the most cruel of all injustice-and he
grumbed and fought.
The Indian is supposed to be selfish
and brutality those who do not know
him. There is no human being on
earth who will more quickly divide his
last mouthful of food with friend.
No Indian that ever lived would crowd
a white-haired old woman out of the
way to get on street car first. That
sort Of thing, and everything akin to it,
may be seen among men on the streets
of all cities. Real men do not do such
things, any more than all Indians do
the beastly things that those who do
not know them suppose them to do.
The Indian has not had the benefit
of laundries and porcelain baths, but
he jumps into the water and washes
himself every time he has a chance.
He does not live where there are nap
kins and finger bowls, and he would
not know exactly which little curious
fork to use for this or that, nor the
precise manner in which he should
carry spoonful of soup to his mouth.
He has not been taught these things.
Neither does he gauge his neighbor's
responsibility by the number of ponies,
ETC., that the neighbor possesses; nor
does he lie awake of nights thinking
over schemes to win his neighbor's
goods. He thinks that one who is able
to pay and does not do 50 is worse
man than he who is not able to pay.
He does not say of the former: "He is
all right because he has money, tho he
does not pay his just debts, nor practice
deeds of charity
When the Indian seeks redress of a
wrong he does it with his tOmahawk
and rifle, and while he may be stealthy
;. in the pursuit of his human quarry, he
informs his enemy in the first place
that he is out after him. When he
i, goes on the warpath he does it with
shouting, dancing, singing, and all sorts
:, of noise, as if to say, "Tm after you,
= now look out for yourself" He does
- not smile to you, and lie about you,
and traduce you under the cover of
friendship, and swindle you to get even,
" while he sends his wife and children to
y visit your wife and children in order to
gain your confidence, that he may more
!; easily cheat you.
It The Indian has never made law, by
IS custom or statute, that gave incorpO-
y rated capital in bank the right to sell
Q you, for good money, draft that it
IS could repudiate by shutting its doors
it and make you pay the protest fees,
d while an individual who would do the
Is same thing would be sent to Jail for
70 breach of trust or common theft. The
It Indian and his compeers recognize the
g. fact that he who would brave the storms
u and darkness of night, and bring tC
g, bear sufficient courage to ''hold up" a
IS stagecoach, is hero compared to the
st smooth "financier" who, seated upon
IL cushions in the cool of his Office, robs
Is you by premeditated knavery, and
is laughs at you, protected by the very
10 law that he breaks. A. r. S.