Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-10
Many Changes Wrought.


ION all these lines Of help the years hav
brought great changes. Out of the new
legal status gained in 1887 the United States
has now 10000 Indian citizens, 5000 In
dian allottees on 3,5OOO00 acres of land,
80, 900 taxpayers and 3d. 0J new men who
vote. AS to the general labor Of Indians.
red men now earn a million and a half dol
lars annually by civilized work. As 10
morals and reigion-ever lie slowest move
ment of a people-from the extended work
Of all the Christian denominations among
Indians, and from our own measures and
missions the leaVen of Christian faith and
righteousness has been working effectively
amid almost insurmountable difficulties
from the sinuousness of politics. the him
ORANGES and injuries of commercial greed,
despite all these lifting Indian thought.
Weakening Indian conscences, stimulating
Indian hands for mat erial moral and Chris
tan duty; building civilized homes. intro
ducing Christian family life where barbar-
ism and paganism reigned before, in all this
girding Indian men and women with the
strength Of realized manhood. womanhood
and the sense of moral possibility of re-
sponsibility.
TT is pertinent, and may give future help,
to ask how has all this work been accom-
plished? Has it not been by putting your
self in the Indians place? BY saying in
| thought, What if had for home only sky,
tent or grass? What should 1 then need
Your prompt answer was, All civilized
comforts Another query was, What if in
my home there were other wives, unregen-
crate, uncivilized? What We're the need
then? Your instant reply was, Moral and
Christian teaching, and the reign OF home
protecting laws Another query was
What if my children were without schools
or even assured food clothing warmt h ?
What should l achieve for them? The
quick clear answer was Food-earning in
dustry and education. Thus you saw more
than visible needs. and served them from
that seeing of invisible realms relations
VHlnpS which iOdiSDenSahla 10 oil
greSs, material and moral. You have been
seers, seeing not only outward poverty but
the sadder poverty of mind, spirit, and, see
ing-thank God for this sure result-you
made haste to give food for thought as well
as to teach the earning Of food for the
body. You began opening the arcana of
both earth and heaven to hungry souls; to
| let in the sunlight of hope, and to bring
the browning knowledge of the humanity
| tender infinite Father of all to those who
have known only gods Of fear.
The Motive for It.
| And what was your motive In all this ?
Was it not the all-including desire to let in
| the God-life which transfgures the world
| for every soul into which it enters which
moves to best action of best powers; which
crowds out groveling seyfshness, which
| never despairs; which under all circum-
! stances is invincible and trumphs even III
| dying; which is Transforming and will final
| ly transfgure this world of sin and sorrow
! into a kingdom of God. That consumma-
| ton must come, as God Is good and Will be
victor in His own creation.
THE difficulties in our work were never
greater than today. Indeed, new and great
dangers now beset the cause of justice to
| Indians. Legislation is now under consid-
Grafton, which, If enacted, will come dan
gerously near to saying that the Indian has
no land rights which the white man is
| bound to respect. Despite governmental OBJ
| legations admitted, acknowledged, repeated
| ly confirmed. pledges solemnly made in the
| name of law, there is now said to be dan
| ger that Congress may wrest the ~ serya-
tons from their Indian owners, allot them