The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1901-12-23
INDIAN is MALIGNED.
VICES WHICH TO-DAY ARE Al
TRIBUTED TO HIM.
We're unheard Of by Him Before tho
Advent Of IN. whites Was Naturally
Mind. Uaseihsh. truthful aud sincere
Not Wealth worshippers.

! WI NtaithTNoffhfttNt~s
Indian character has been greatly
maligned. says Mai John NJ. Burke,
who has made a study OF the red men
Troachery so often charged against
them. has no part In their makeup
The indian has fought the nan who
mistreated him. and he has always
fought openly. lie has been the
friend-the unfaillng friend-of the
man who has been kind TO him. and
as given evidence that he wished 10
help him. The Indian was the friend
OF Pcre Marquette and Father De
Smet. The man who has shown him
"lorked tongue" he has treated as
he would any other snake. The man
who has cheated him. has taken ad-
vantage Of his ignorance TO make his
hard lot harder he has killed. The
Indian Is a child OF nature, and he Is
therefore candid and ingenious. When
wronged he knows n. and says so. ana
his only way to get satisfaction IL TO
nght There Is no chance for him 10
lay low" and walt for another deal
lie can only see what Is In sight
When Columbus came 10 America the
indians were al first alarmed al the
great whitc-wingcd birds"-the ships
The white-faeed. strangely dressed
people who came out Of them were 70
the simple natives supernatural be
ings. Hut when they saw that those
were people who were hungry and
could eat. then tho Indians brought
the best they had and gave II freely
for nothing and were as kindly as
well-raised childrcn. When the cruel
spaniards beat them and misuaed
them. the Indians naturally enough be-
loved that all white men were cruel
and dangerous CortcE In Mexico and
plzarro In Peru found the aborigines
gentle people. but that dld not de-
crease the relentless cruelty that al
ways grows out Of lust Tor gold. and
80. for centuries. with all their coa
tinuous generations. the Indian was
iarght that the white man was hi
heartless enemy; aud he accepted the
lessons. There vas no way 20 teach
him that not an vhlio men were
greedy and cruel Vice VIII go much
further 20 assert Itself than virtue.
But. coming down % this very day.
the unsophlFiicated rcd man Of the
west. hating a liar tolls the truth;
having been surrounded. the game
kiilcd-extcfminated uselessly-ho has
no way 20 get living and thinks u
only natural that the government
which took away his opportunities for
sustenaneo owes him food and raiment
The government says Il does, and
sends agents 10 look after and provide
for him some Of the agents former
" accepted their places with the be-
lief that they had a right 20 rob the
very class that they were appointed 20
protect or course. not all indian
agents we're this way. but many o.
them were. and the Indian VAS blamed
because he refused TO be treated with
the injustice that came from greed
the most cruel Of all injustice-and he
grumbled aud fought The Indian IL
supposed to be selfish and brutality
those Who do not know him. There IL
no human being on earth Who VIII
more quickly divide his last mouthful
OF food with a friend. No Indian that
ever lived would crowd . white-haired
old woman out OF the gay to get on a
street car nrst. That sort OF thing.
and everything akin 10 u. that IL dis
courteous. may be seen among the men
OF the streets OF all cities Real men
do not do such thinrs. no more than
all Indians do beastly things than
those who do not knov them suppose
they 10. The indian has not had the
beneht 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 napkins nd finger bowls. and he
would not \. exactly which curious
little fork 20 use Tor this or that. nor
the precise manner In which he should
carry n spoonful Of soup 10 his mouth
lie has not been taught these things.
Neither does he guAge his neighbor'a
responsibility by the number Of po-
mics the nalghbor possesses. nor does
he lie awake Of nights thinking over
schemes to win his neighbor's goods.
He thinks that one who l. able To pa
and does not do so Is worse man
than he who IL not able 60 pay. He
does not say 20 the former. lie IL all
right because he has money. though ne
does not pay Just debts nor practise
deeds OF charity"
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