Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-23
INDIAN REFORMS.

indian agents In charge Of reserya-
lions, II appears. have received instruc-
lions to forbid male Indians to wear
long hair, The wearing OF uncut
locks the Instructions state, IL not In
keeping with the advancement the In
dams are expected TO make In clylli2a-
ton. The agents are. therefore, en-
Joined TO induce their wards TO reform
in this respect, With some this Is
supposed to be nm easy matter, but
with others great tact win be required,
and II Is suggested that employment,
supplies etc, may be withheld until the
order "a complied with. That Is 20 say.
the Indians may be starved into sub,
mission to the prevalent fashion in
haircut.
II is almost incredible that any such
order can have emanated from the in
terror department All over the coun
try, long haired artists OF foreign ORR
gin are appauded and sometimes
nearly mobbed by affectlonote admir-
ers. Why should 10 be punished II
he prefers Paderewskl style Of hlr-
suite ornament7 The first civilized
settlers OF this country, with whom the
Indians FIRST came in contact, wore long
hair, done up in queues, and to this
day, wigs In lieu Of a luxurious hair
growth are worn In some places that
may be called the sanctm sanctorum
Of lottef-day civilization In ancient.
Egypt only common people were sup
posed to have time to trim the beard
and hair Kings aud princes had more
important matters to attend to, The
statement that long hair Is not IN keep
Ing with advancement in civilization IN
absurd, no matter from what point OF
view II Is looked at or course, the
barber is a most useful factor OF pre-
sent-day development, but civilization
itself is not measured by the prosperity,
or otherwise, Of his art alone,
Har-cutting Is not the only reform
urged In the instructions referred TO.
Somebody is highly indignant at the
prevalent Indian fashion Of face paint
ing This, too, must be stopped, Pro-
badly II can be stopped II sufficient
''tact" Is displayed IN the matter Of
withholding supplies etc, but 1t would
be inconsistent to do 80, as long as
painting faces is not exclusively prac-
tlced by Indians. Reform, like charity,
should begin at home,
other reforms are also contemplated
The blanket Is said not TO be the proper
thIng TO wear, and the so-called In
dian dances and feasts are wicked. be-
Ing simply suhterfuges to cover degrad-
ing acts What about some of the
dances and feasts Of the pale-faces7
We fear indian agents will have a
difficult task before them, II they
commence solving the Indian problem
In this way Indians viii naturally
stick to their blankets, their customary
forms Of ornament and their amuse-
ments. as long ms they can afford moth
ing better, and they would resent et-
forts az deprivlng them Of what they
have, even II the most "tacttul' starry
alton is employed in the interest Of re-
form When they have the means,
they win probably exchange the blan-
ket for the silk dress and the dress
suit; the crude paint for the face pow
der and the simple dance for the
vaudeville. But then how much OF
an advancement would that after an
be in morality, the only standard by
which civilization should be measured