Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives
Newspaper Page Text
WHY DISCRIMINA TE? THERE is a law in Alaska vhidi forbids the giving, bartering, or selling of intoxicating liqnor to In* dians. If a white man gives, bart ers or sells the liqnor to a native, the law is broken and the man of the lighter skin becomes a transgressor. If a native secures the liqnor and himself gives, barters, or sells it to one of his own people, he is the law breaker, without regard to race, or color the man or woman who breaks the law is surely the criminal. Lately some of our Alaska newspapers have been much alarmed lest some poor white man be convicted on a charge of disposing of liquor to thirsty na* tives on evidence furnished by the testimony of Alaska Indians It seems strange that our news writers set themselves up as more competent to judge as to the value of testimony than are judges and jurymen. The Alaska natives though law abiding and self-supporting have withheld from them many of the rights of citizenship which they are capable of possessing and enjoying. The whites have taken much that be long to natives in matter of property rights and means of livelihood. Now it seems that some of our newt dispensers would wish to take away their rights to testify, or wholly to discredit their testimony, against men who are breaking the laws that the white man himself made for the natives, protection. It is possible ol course that we have misunderstood those who have so ardently defended the poor friendless innocent white man who, though in THE OGLALA LIGHT. 271 offensive, guiltless, and harmless, haft while moving along the peaceful calm and even tenor of his way, been suddenly apprehended and rudely taken into custody by the strong arm of the law. It may be that these writers were only serving notice up* on the judges and jnries before whom such cases have resulted ift convictions or before whom such cases may yet come, that they an wholly lacking in good judgment and are without the required knowledge to discriminate in the least between testimony and evidence. In either case it is to be feared that the writers are slightly biased in their opinions. We believe in a square deal for the white man and we believe in a square deal for the Indian also. If there is evidence that a native's testimony Is false or that it is, such testimony should surely be treated in exactly the same way as that of a similar testi mony from a white man. The writer's limited experience leads him to believe that the majority of judges and juries are fully as cape* ble of placing proper valuation on testimony offered before them as is a newspaper reporter in the courtroom or the editor in his sanctum. Why try to influence public opinion again st a people when they are proving themselves o such worth to our ter ritory especially economically and industrially? We are glad that some of our papers endeavor to influence public opinion to deal fairly with men—to treat the false and criminal justly be they of one color or another or to recognize honesty, truth, purity, strength of character and manhood whether it comes in colors of red, or white, or brown, or black.—The Til* linget. The Chemawa American*