The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-06-27
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purilsl said to me that his observation convinced
him that the Indian are superior. But he went on
to say that the negroes are more aggressive, con-
slider themselves the better people, and the stono
Indian students accept the negro's estimate In
physique an Indian is much more nearly ike
white man than is the negro and intermarriages
between the red and white races is not regarded
in the same way as intermarriage between whites
and blacks 1t is. however, white men OF the
lower sort who marry squaws, and the full-bloods
are regarded as of better morals than the half
breeds The half-breeds, too, while more intelll-
gent are said to- be more susceptible to disease
But I disss<se. On the surface the chief diff
ference between the negro and the Indian is that
of temperament. "The naygro," says Mr. Dooley.
'chas many foindr qualities He is joyous, light
hearted and aisily lynched." The Indian, however.
is serious rather than joyous, and his retcence is
as marked as the negro's volubility. A half dozen
little Indian boys will play a game of marbles
as seriously as if it were study, punctuating
the game perhaps with only occasional grunt,
while negro boys Cor whites, for that matter)
would wake the natives with their ieers or cries
of exultation.
But the Indian-the full-blood at least-is less
industrious than the negro. 'Iet the women do
is an Indian and his wife walking down the street;
the man has nothing, but the squaw leads the
horse. A Kansan was telling me of an Indian who
drove a spring wagon into the trading agency a
few days ago, and ordered two bales of hay sent
out two miles to his house. For one thing, the
hay was growing at his front door and might have
been had for the mere labor of cutting; for an
other thing, instead of paying to have it hauled
to his farm. he might have, taken it back in his
wagon. But he had the money from the Govern
ment and knew no other way to spend it.
The Indians in most cases would doubtless spend
all of their monthly allowance well in advance of
its payment if it were not that the agencies are
forbidden to sell them to the extent of more than
go per cent of their stipend I was told that
some Indians have bought pianos, having them
out under the sheds in the weatherl
When the Indian gets his land from the Govern
ment he will probably sell it and waste the pro-
ceeds about as quickly as Prodigal Son. Then
whether the Government will again come to his
rescue leave him to work out his own saliva
tlon, remains to be seen. Quite a number of
the Indians, am told, going to Mexico, but
this emigration is not important enough to give
promise of solving the problem.
No Intoxicants for Indians.
Perhaps the West thing the Government has
done In its treatment of the Indian is to forbid
the carrying of any intoxicants, including beer,
into the Indian Territory. deputy marshal, I
understand might even imprison man for hav-
ing a bottle of whskey in his pocket while pass
ing through a train. 1t will also be remember
ed that the Statehood bill which passed the Lower
House of Congress last winter, forbade the sale
of liquor in Oklahoma also for a period of
twenty years. 1t would be interesting to see how
this provision would work out.
To sum up: The Indian of romance with