Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-12-02

No. y Wlbn the OnlJeu ogaCeb treasury aJ
&9(SR Washington upon which an inter
W ~ est rate Of per cent is paid. In
addition each tribesman has 667 acres OF land,
valued all the way from $40 to $50 an acre. The
tribe q whole has additional lands OF which 1885,
600 acres are leased to cattlemen, bringing in q
steady rental. At an exceedingly low valuation
the land holdings Of each tribesman are worth
%, 866. Coupling this with the cash deposit at
Washington, the wealth OF each man, woman aud
child Of the Usage tribe lOOts up total of ell 800
"The Usage country" notes Mr.. Sweet, ''is a
land where baby may always be sure OF large
welcome. he has an earning capacity from the day
ne is born often quite great as hs lather's One
OF the next things after naming the little pappOOse
is to go to PaWhuska, the capital OF their nation,
and have its name placed upon the pay rolls. Once
every three months Uncle Sam pays up the interest
money, and the amount paid each Indian varies
from time to time according to how many have
gone to the happy hunting ground and how many
wee ones have come to take their places since last
pay day. The latest little arrival at the newest
built wigwam receives Just as much as doe tne
Oldest grandfather or the most athletic warrior So
that when Chief Look Out not long ago had the
happiness to be blessed with twins, he was not only
eligible to the usual congratulations due new faith
er, but at the same time, unlike most new fathers,
he found his estate increased by the snug little
of $23, 600. For until children reach the age Of Is
their incomes are paid to their arents."
1t is difficult to express just hat this amount of
wealth means when distrihV' among people. If
the wealth Ofthe United s should be eQuazed
among the population it buld amount to only
about 81, 236 per capita. le wealth of France,
handled in the same way, wOU-d give each individ-
ual about 800. And Ia England the per capita
would not exceed $780,
In certain sense the Usage people are living un.
der sOcialistic system. Each has given amount
Of wealth which he cannot ALLEVIATE, but It must not
be inferred that the distribution of wealth remains
equal. There are thrifty Indians Just as there are
thrifty whites, and many in the Usage country have
piled up fortunes. However the system is com
munstic to the extent that every member Of the
tribe is guaranteed given income independent Of
his own projects or exertions, and to the further
extent that be is prevented by the general govern
ment from parting with certain kinds Of property
IL might be supposed that an existence like this
would be rs nearly UtOpian as life could be made in
this world OF Our sOCialistc friends plead
In their propaganda for conditions under which but
little labor will be required produce the means Of
living. They draw beautiful pictures OF men de-
voting their time to art literature and all the finer
accomplishments when the problems Of living shall
bother them no more. However, it is claimed by
Mr.. Sweet as the result OF bis Investigations that
the possession Of wealth By the Osages has deaden.
ed their progress delayed their civilization and en-
ervated their social life. Admitting that among
them there are many who have acquired education
and much of the polish Of modern civilization he
nevertheless finds that as q whole they are behind
their neighbOFs Of the five civilized tribes which
have gone forward under the prod Of necessity.
It perhaps is not fair to compare the life Of the
Osages under semi sOcialistic conditions with what
the life Of white people might be il they could be
given the opportunity. But the principle that nec-
essty is the greatest gOad to ambition and achieve
ment Is 80 universal that It applies even to the ami
NAL kingdom In looking for the happiness which
is supposed By the socialists to come when srenu-
ons endeavOr iH not the price Of existence. Mr.. /
Sweet found perhaps less Of II among the Osages
than among the poorer neighbOrs. He found, be
says, that many Of these wealthy Indians had WOr-
ries Of the ordinary kind. Refusing to labor and
trying 70 crafty the ollies Of idleness entirely from
their incomes, ''many spend their money before
they get it and ere never ont Of debt"
Still We may Be philosophically sure that the
same state Of communism among the whites would /
be attended By like results Il is hard to repress
feeling Of envy when looking at these richest people
Of the world. In this respect we are like the Kan
aas statesman who vas inveighing against the rich
There are too many millionaires in this country
be exclaimed with fine emphasis. stBut Mr.. Preei-
dent - he added whimsicaly, tiny Cheif regret Il
that there ts not one mOre'
-m-s@@-
According to the esteemed Inter Ocean, Illinois
is the 'nation's Gibraltar" We truAt that Carrie
viii make permanent stop there on her way West.