The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-11-29

Secret of Recent Tue Outbreak Reveal
I'll by Captain Johnson's Report


The secret of the Ute outbreak Is
revealed by Captain Johnson's report
The Indian agent had put the Utcs on
half rations because they failed TO
work as he directed. Captain Johnson
says the Utes are hungry: that their
women and children are suffering
When the Utes became indignant the
agent sent for the soldiers IL Is the
old story over again. and the surpris-
ing thing is that Commissioner Leapp
supports the agent with the statement
We believe in providing work for
them, and then in permitting them to
go hungry II they will not accept the
opportunity 10 make n living"
That sounds well. but what about
our treaty obligations These Utes
had possession OF most OF western
Colorado and Utah. Our miners and
prospectors wanted their lands Their
agent, Mr.. Meeker, n very excellent
man in some respects. was impressed
with this same idea. that the i'm
pOrtant point in the Indian problem
was 10 make the Indian work Hs
got into 4 row over IL and sent for
the troops. The Indians thought the
troops were coming To make them
work. and the result was the White
River massacre and he Ute war %
1880. The immediate damage was not
great, but IL drove at least 100 .OON
white people away from their work
in the mountains, lost more labor
than the whole Ute nation could per-
form in ten years and cost thousands
OF dollars
When we forced a treaty with them
took their lands. put them on reserva-
tions, agreed TO give them food AMI
schools and all the rest, but there is
not a word in the treaty about their
working. The Indian men had never
worked. They had been taught not
to work and no adul; Indian ever
gets over that teaching The only
possible way TO change Indian ideas
is TO educate the children, But here
comes a general reformer and tells
them that they must work or starve
And TO the Indians reply. 1T Is not
so written in the bond" he answers:
Il am bossing this job. | think you
ought TO work. The bureau thinks
you ought to work" The simple and
honest plan of carrying out our trer i;
agreement seems 70 be ignored
And the school question is similar.
Captain Johnson. their former agent.
and in whom they have great con
fidence. had promised them schools
on their own reservation. Comes now
an agent who knows not Johnson and
insists on sending the children TO dis
tant boarding schools. Theoretically
this might be advantageous. but In
dians are very fond of their children
and do not like to be parted from
them. And they had our promise
Why not live up to it? What Is ;he
matter with square deal" for the
Indian? 1t may shock some people to
see Indians living without working.
but there are white men who do not
work unless they have to and these
Indians paid up for the privilege with
their lands.
But, aside from the theoretical bene-
fit to the Indians the labor feature
is a humbug. AS Captain Johnson
says, One hundred pounds OF -four
and a little patience is a more ro-
tent factor in the solution OF this
problem than 100 soldiers" There
has not been an lnGian war in the
last fifty years that did not cost ten
times more than it would cost to meet
the reasonable demands OF the Indians
Captain Johnson says now that If
these people are furnished with sum
cient food to sustain life through the
winter, and they be allowed TO send
their children to day school, they viii
be just as amenable to control as the
Sioux" And We have promised them
these very things. Why not try hon
esty instead of the bureaus theories
of civilization Indianapolis Star.