The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1908-04-04

coined in this country years ago lndI
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 I'M
conouerable race which has cost her
many lives and much treasure In
keeping in subsection? Such question
may we'll 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 his 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 H. agree
ing that hitherto President Haz's
course has been one of great lenl< 'Cy
and that the only alternative to the
policy which the Mexican government
has adopted, namely, determination
for the adult YaGuiS and eXpatriation
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 Tehuautepec, 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 a hardly contested battle
field
1t would take a volume merely to
relate in a condensed, succinct form
the tragic episodes Of the Yaqui war
which has continued for centuries, in
decd 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 a more
generous policy was initiated.
As part of this policy Tetibite, one
of the head men of the YaGuis was
chosen chief by his people and he was
given the rank of major in the Mexi.
can army, and hodyguard of 100
chosen braves was enrolled as his i'm
mediate following Soon the lands
We're allotted, always excepting the
mineral lands, which We're of course
reserved for those who would best
know how to exploit them.
Vporc ~ co,1o,r,. -
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
Teubite, at the instance Of the Mexi.
can authorities, got after them, there
was hlOOdshed and a feud resulted
which has not been appeased to this
day Soon the Yaquis converted their
herds OF goats and sheep into ammunl.
ton and began holding siestas. which
soon degeneTated into war dances,
DOMINIC their beads and quilts, for the
Haqui Goes not indulge in paint, and
swinging their war clubs to the music
of the tom toms. the Indians ran
amuck and committed horrible crimes
AL through the adjacent settlements.
Tetibite, the leader cast off his
Mexican honors. together with his uni.
form. at the first signs of coming trou.
bic and placed himself once more at
the head Of his people There were a
few a very few. Of the Yaquis with in.
telligecce enough 70 see that, so0ne-
or later, tie war trail would lead them
70 the gallows, and they hung back
The fate of these men was even more
horrible than that which overlook tho