The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-02-02
INDIANS AND WHISKY.


of the efforts of his ever-eyeing Uncle
Sam, is not going to leave off draining
quart TASKS into his forbidden red
stomach until he dies. Grand juries
may come and grand juries may go,
but whisky will flow on forever into
the throat of the American Indian.
This, at least, Is the verdict which
is formed after investigating the mat
ter of supply and demand over large
territory of Nebraska and South Da-
kota inhabited by the copper colored
aboriginals.
The methods employed by the
thirsty reds are so simple as to ap-
pear ridiculous, and yet they defy the
law with wonderful success. There is
no need of the Indian padding his
canoe across deep river in the dark
ness of night to signalled spot on
the other shore where his jug may be
filled in secrecy. He can, and does,
order his drinks in broad daylight
and more than that, he makes the
United States government his bar.
tender.
The Indian has right to send mes
sages through the mails to whom he
chooses He has gone to school and
learned to read and to write. 1t is
his privilege to receive, through the
mails or by express, packages which
are addressed to him-and what post
master has right to interfere?
His civilization is his own undoing
for the Indian in this respect; for by
teaching him how to read and write.
the government has taught him to
lump the fence that once enclosed
him. The Indians eyes see daily
newspapers and magazines, and his
mind understands And it is hard to
pick up daily newspaper or mag
azine today which does not contain
the photograph of quart bottle of
whisky with instructions how to order,
in fine type, and with the assuring
promise prominently displayed that
the bottle will be sent to ones address
in plain wrapper, so that none may
detect it's burden.
And who is to tell tales when that
package comes to a man with aborig.
inal blood in his veins? Indeed who
is to know except the recipient, him
self, and why should he give away
his valuable secret? It is not at all
necessary that the distiller who wraps
up and sends the package with no re-
turn card upon it, knows that he vi
olates the law. For the distiller is not
distinguished as an expert in the diff
ferentiation of names, and many an
expert might believe that Mr. William
Bear, of Niobrara, Neb., were a white
man through and through.
Mail order whisky buying, accord
ing to the frontiersmen who have lived
all of their lives among the reds, is
the most effective method today by
which the son of squaw satisfies his
appetite, and the prevention of mail
order whisky buying by the redmen
must be solved by the government be-
fore reservations will be rid of stag.
gerng braves and, for the matter of
that, staggering squaws as well.
And even were this scheme cut of
the survivors of the race would not
disgrace their ancestry by giving up
the fight and drinking well water, HUI
man nature-and there is human ma
ture even in an lndian-is, perhaps
to blame,
Take from baby its rattle box, and
the baby will cry for the rattler until
it wins. Keep from a woman-or a
man either-a secret that she knows
you have, and the woman wants ant
strives for little else until she gains
the coveted knowledge. And so it is
with the Indian. Besides the inborr
thirst for booze" which ne possesses
and ii is said that never was a race
, so barbarous that it failed to find ar
; understandable Indian has an added
reason to whip him on in his love fol
) liquor; for his Uncle Sam says he
| shall not have it. He sees his white
; cousin drinking it, and he wants {
l taste, He is told that he can't buy tn,
, stun, and therefore he does.
No grand jury ever assemblies II
Omaha OF in Sioux Falls but that sew
? eral dozen white men from the San