Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-05-16

Is all very well In its way, but such
remarks from such men can really have
but little influence on the people who
do work In making them regard their
toll as blessed. Every mature person of
common sense knows 1t to be true that
work, especially congenial work, Is II
thing to be welcomed for many reasons
other than the monetary recompense.
President Eliot, who Is a worker, and
Bishop Potter, who also works, know
this. With all due respect to them,
however, they and their kind do not
work us men and women do whose
daily bread depends upon their con.
stant toll, and, therefore, their sense Of
works blessedness is not likely to be
appreciated by the multitude Of toilers.
Few persons who labor complain Of
their toll because II IL toll; they accept
1t us matter Of course, as II part Of
what life deals out to them. II they
are unable to feel the bishops enthu.
sinsm II IL because they are not free
to vary their work; they are tied to II
year In and year out; they cannot es.
cape from II except at the risk Of pinch.
Ing poverty to themselves and their
families. There are no summer vaca.
tiOns for them, no trips south In winter,
10 tours Of Europe. no running away
to springs or seashore "for u little
rest" President Eliot may work six.
teen hours a day, as he says. but he
does not do II Of necessity 300 days In
the year. Nor does Bishop Potter.
When either Of them Is worn or weary,
he calls halt and recuperates. 1t Is
the ability to do this, the certainty that
they can do this without loss to them.
selves or others, that causes the work
they like to seem so blessed. II IL this
lack of freedom to move about ana to
enjoy repose when repOse would be
welcome, this necessity OF working
when work Is burden, that Is the chief
sting OF poverty, and nothing the vol.
unteer worker, MS he might be called,
may say to the toler from necessity
can alter this fact or make unremitting
labor seem JOY and a privilege.
Sad news comes from Oklahomn,
where an investigation Of the condition
Of LO the poor Indian has recently
been made by Il representative OF the
government. 1t appears that the In.
dians OF Oklahoma are suffering from
too much prosperity. Ten or twelve
years ago they Were busy ana happy.
Ian
lily had pony or two. a few dogs,
pigs, chickens and other necessities of
life, ana the days came ana went with
a pleasing II somewhat monOtonous
regularity. To-day the noble red men
OF Oklahoma appear to be rapidly go
ing 10 the bad. Their land has turn.
ed ont to be valuable, and they are
leasing it to white men ut high prices
The result IL that the Indians are no
longer forced to work for living, and
they are rapidly falling into habits OF
idlcness ami vice. The report OF the
commissioner who has been looking
into the matter says: "From habits
of industry and thrift these Indians, or
most OF them, have become idlers ana
Migrants on the face OF the earth. The
best friends Of the Indians are those
who are In favor of compelling them to
work. Work Is the salvation of these
Indians and their only salvation. The
leasing Of lands has proved to he n
great calamity for majority of them.
1t would be Il thousand times better
for them II the leasing of lands was
prevented ana the proposition present
ed to them fatty to work or starye."
This will probably be discouraglng to
people who have longed to raise the In.
dian up to nobler and better things;
but does 1t, after all, indicate that the
red man Is essentially different from
his white brother? Is the indian the
only one who can't broaden out and
progress In idleness?
~eA
Germans have settled In large num-
bers In southern Brazil. They have
made comfortable homes for them
selves ana have contributed greatly to
the prosperity of that part OF the re-
public. 1t has no better citizens. The
existence Of that large German sneak