Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-04-09

Has Mexico adopted the phrase !
coined in this country years ago that |
the "only good Indian Is the dead In.
dian" and has she finally decided to
make good Indians out OF all of the
Yaqui Indians, that fierce and UNI
conquerable race which has cost her
many lives and much treasure In
keeping in subsection? Such question
may well be asked in view Of the pres
ent policy OF deportation which is be-
ing persistently carried out. 1t looks
as though the war between the Span
ish speaking inhabitants Of the repub-
lie OF Mexico and the truculent In
dams of Sonora which, with but few
and short intervals of peace, runs
back to the days of Cortez and his
conquistadores, has reached the last
phase, in which the utter humiliation
of race Is openly sought.
If we had ever been as patient with
our redskins as has been at least the
government of President Diaz with
the Yaquis, we might be justified In
criticising more severely than we can
the memorable policy which has finally
been adopted by the great pacificator
of Mexico, who is proud of the Indian
blood that flows in RS veins. But
such is not the case, and the Ameri-
cans who are best acquainted with the
conditions which have prevailed in
the Yaqui country for the last ten
years are almost unanimous in agree
ing that hitherto President DiaZ'S
course has been one of great leniency
and that the only alternative to the
policy which the Mexican government
has adopted, namely, determination
for the adult Yaquis and repatriation
for the children of the tribe, is for
the white man to withdraw from the
| country, an alternative which, of
course, Is not to be thought Of be-
cause, unfortunately for the poor va
| quis their land Is enormously rich in
minerals, which the white brother
covets.
So the decree has gone forth that
the grown-up Yaquis must die and his
! children. when they escape death on
the field or upon the treacherous trail
are to be transported on government
ships to unhealthy, low-lying prov
inces of the hot country" such as
Yucatan and Tehuantepec, where they
are incorporated in the tribes of
thoroughly inoffensive Indians. Here,
II they survive the changed conditions,
they must live ignorant of the tribal
traditions into which they were born
and strangers to their fathers prowess
upon many hardly contested battle
field.
1t would take volume merely to
relate in condensed, succinct form
the tragic episodes of the Yaqui war
which has continued for centuries, in
deed from the armor-clad days of
Cortez to the magazine guns of Diaz.
In 1897, after the military occupa-
ton of Yaqui land had continued many
years and was becoming quite drain
upon the Mexican treasury, at the
direct instance of Diaz himself more
generous policy was initiated.
AS part of this policy Tetibite, one
OF the head men OF the Yaquis, was
chosen chief by his people and he was
given the rank of major in the Mexi.
can army, and bodyguard of 100
chosen braves was enrolled as his i'm
mediate following Soon the lands
were allotted, always excepting the
mineral lands, which were of course
reserved for those who would best
know how to exploit them.
Years of savagery had, however un.
fitted the Yaquis for the WAYS of
peace. In the days of adversely they
had stood together as one man, but
with prosperity came discord and di-
vided councils. Some of the wilder
young braves, the "bronchos," as they
are called locally, got into trouble,
shot up town, and when their chief,
Tetibite, at the instance of the Mexi-
can authorities, got after them, there
was bloodshed and a feud resulted
when mas not been appeased to this
day. Soon the Yaquis converted their
herds or goats and sheep into ammuni.
ton and began holding siestas, which
soon degenerated into war dances,
donning their beads and quilts. for the
faqui does not indulge in paint, and
swinging their war clubs to the music
OF the tom toms, the Indians ran
Amuck and committed horrible crimes
all through the adjacent settlements.
Tetibite, the leader, cast off his
Mexican honors, together with his uni.
form, at the first signs of coming trou
BILE and placed himself once more at
the head of his people. There were a
few, very few, of the Yaquis with in.
telligence enough to see that sooner
or later, the war trail would lead them
to the gallows, and they hung back
The fate of these men was even more