Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-05-08
Objections Made to Garter
Bill Because of Tendency
To Do Away With Tribal
Life and Lands.


In the beginning, when the
white man came we gave him pro
lection and food-that is, our fore
fathers did-and only when he i'm
posed upon us by force of arms did
we rise up against the dospoiler.
And after many generations when
he multiplied in the land, he said:
Here We will give you so much
land for each of you, for you and
your children, forever And how
did it come to be his, then, that he
could give back to us that which
was already ours?"
Such is the story Of the occupation
of America, as told today by an ed
ucated" college trained Indian, who
speaks for all his people, when he
voices the sentiment and opinion
expressed above. The Indian Is an
integral and indigenous part of the
country and he knows and feels
that his land, is his by right of pos
session.
Indian Not Ready to Vote.
Pablo Abeyta, well known among
ANNOUNCEMENTS. an authority
among his people, and independ-
entity we'll TO do, puts forth the OBJ
jections of the people of lsleta
which are echoed by the inhabi-
tants of other pueblos, to the pro
posed Garter bill for Indian citi-
zenship.
The red man does not feel COM
petent' and in the opinion of many,
is not yet competent, to vote, for
one thing. He lives life in his
pueblo in which politics and po-
litical or government issues are as
Greek to him. And the develop
ment cannot come in moment.
His son may be able to vote intcllt-
gently, says Pablo, but of the pres
ent generation there are very few
who are competent to do so.
And yet they are fully compe-
tent to govern themselves in the
way which they have done for CEN
turtles. They could not bear the
huge burden of taxation which
would be imposed upon them with
the granting of citizenship, ana
would eventually lose their lands
for unpaid taxes, as Pablo and 9th
er Indians clearly see.
There are not enough Indians
to cultivate even all the irrigable
land in their possession, and they
will cultivate only so much crops
as they can use. A few years ago,
according to Pablo, Pete Lonergah
of the Pueblo Indian agency, was
endeavoring to increase the plant
ing Of grain.
How can we increase the plant
ing?" he asked.
"By finding some way to thresn
what's planted answered PABLO
And so a threshing machine was
bought and when the Indians real
lied that all they could harvest
would be threshed, they worked
harder and planted all that their
fields would hold, increasing there
by their bank account to $4,000 IN
two or three years, whereas 1t had
amounted to only $500 or so in an
the previous sixteen years, so FOR
this reason and many others the
indians believe what Pablo tells
them and are willing to take his
advice.
VIII Support Drainage.
1.-THE Indian Is ready to do any
thing reasonable and to meet the
white man half way" he stated in
an interview yesterday. II am for
drainage because | know that our
land will be improved and the
whole valley will be improved by
drainage. And the Indian will be for
drainage when it is explained to
him. Not long ago there was
meeting called to arrange for put
ting in some supports to hold up
the river bank. As soon as the in
terpreter had, explained what was
needed and why, the pueblo VoiWl-
teered three days work for each
man. There are 500 men. That
means 1900 days"
''They will be just as ready to
bear their share for any other en-
terprise for the good of all when
it is explained to them" Pablo con
tinued. "But they do not like to
have the white man decide for
them without consulting them, rs
though they knew nothing, nor say
they shall do this and that, and
this and that shall be done Tor
them or to them. When ne teeis
that injustice has been meted out
to him, he becomes wild, as hap
pened twenty years ago when the
indians went on the warpath and
killed a great number Of white men
and were very much honored and