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ous, 8 x' BEAUUEU, .EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR* Assistant "Editor. A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER de voted to the interest of the White Earth Jteaervatlon and general North western News. Published and man aged by members of the Reserva tion. Correspondence bearing on the In dian question--problem, or on general interest, is solicited. num. For the convenience of those who may feel unable to pay for the paper pearly or who may wish to take it on trial, subscriptions may be sent us for six and three months at thejust yearly rates. AH subscriptions or sums sent to us should be forwarded by Registered letter to insure safety. Adderess all communications to THE PROGRESS, White Earth, Minn. THE PROGRESS JOB WORK AND. Printing Establishment i 'All kinds Joh fVmfcingy gukn asas Bill Heads, letter Reads* &ta&]&, Cards, fags tcM soil tiite }W$rk Warranted tzhti SdtkfaGtfon VOL. 1. WHITE EARTH AGENCY, MINN The Indian Right and Wrong. *5P"WK bold these truths to.lie self-evident, that ALL MEN are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable, rights that among these, are LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PUHSUIT MP HAP PINESS."Declaration: of Independence, July 4th, 1776. WE SfOUX COMMISSION. At the date of owe writing, the efforts of this body to secure the ratification of what is known as the Sioux reservation hill, have reasons all along which have lead thoughtful men to believe that the fate the bill is likely to receive is what might have been ex pected in other words that fail ure to secure the ratification was a foregone conclusion. We will say. nothing of the mer its or demerits of the bill, but sim ply allude to some of the reasons why failure was inevitable. In the first place, the country at large and the government have both failed to take sufficiently in to consideration the strength of hereditary hatred and suspicion. It does not alter the situation to say that the intention of the gov ernment is to better the Indian's condition, and that the features which provides for the ratification by the majority vote^of the Indi ans is in evidence that the country desires to impress upon'the Indian the willingness to allow him co ordinate i legislation, upon his affairs and that its purpose in this method is to disarm suspicion. This last trait has become to strong to be disarmed in a ^single breath. It has become'character istic, just as it has become in all nations, where injustice has been practiced and dishonesty has ob tained. The past is responsible for the present, and the country has at last learned that as it has sowed so it is reaping. We believe that this race char acteristic will die out in time but it is not yet in articulo mortis. Chief Justice John Grass voiced this traditional suspicion in hisfavorable speech before the commission. Another reason is that the West ern press has not been over judici ous in its discussion of the bill. It has always presented the one side that is its value of the white settlor, which however^- true has been a means of footing "manyI of the Indians in the belief that a bill which is so extraordinarily fa vorable to the white man, could not but be unfavorable jbo the red. The average Westerner and the typical Indian look upon each other as natural enemies. The average Westerner looks down upon and speaks of his'red neigh* borin disparaging and insulting terms and the Indian on his part looks upon his white neighbor as an encroacher and a dishonest indi vidual. In his individual and sec tional mannerism the Westerner, typifyes to the red man the unmo-' Val white man., & it gtra&ge thn that ft$ Indi* an looks with distrusl ujyon a measure which lis White feeaghb'Of re^ices rver and expatiate iipoin a great gain $ Mo* tin?* feeling of Suspicion is not confined to the Indian iVbelongs to human na ture.. Wefindillustrations -of this hi the views entertained, by many &i the present, against free trade. Many uphold protection and veigh against reform, solely cause free trade is England's pdli icy,' There may be Anglomanii cs in the walks of fashion in, drjs and speech, but there are" thousands of Anglophobists as gards everything English and ijq tably her free trade. Fancy ti$ reception a member of the Cabdft club would receive at the hands the protectionists at this ti: when politics are at a white he Feelings of aversion and suspi cion then, are not altogether con fined to the Indian., Some meas ures of success might have' been obtained, (we do not say would have been) had the press treated the Indian side as glowingly as the other., A limitation of land area certainly is good lor both, and a uniform setting forth of the ad vantages to the native also would have born its fruit. The country should remember that the average Indian of the younger generation is "a reading animal" and is de pended upon by his illiterate el ders to obtain the sentiment of the times through the press, and that this ability to read, gives the fresh blood no inconsiderable power in the moulding of public thought. The young Indian can be butalways rooted in his prejudices if he Sees Hit* Race Invariably Insulted, but if a good word is often spoken, and his side also represented he can be by degrees brought to see things in other light. Again possibly the government delayed too long the appointment of the commission, we do not that the result would have been different, but on the general prin ciple that delays are dangerous, we believe that more can be affect ed with Indians by speedy action than otherwise, they are prone to look upon delay as indicating some covert measure to be agreed upon1 they are led to speculate upoji causes and probable effects, and they are almost sure to reach a conclusion that will prejudice ft action. And finally if all these and othjr reasons fail to account for no:i success the character of the cor. mission will. Of Mr. Cleveland we know notl. ing. Of Judge Wright we ccti say from personal knowledge tht he lacks the knowledge of Indian character to warrant success ii any Indian undertaking of a diplo matic character. so 1 From press accounts,5 Capt. Pratt loBt his temper, and there fore failed. Had he possessed knowledge of Indian character ov even of his own nature, he would never have suffered this outbreak of impatience* i r' His success in.the training of I dian children has been due mo: to the disciplining roles of his a ucational establishment and W cause he has there the po^er to en force his views* i^?lS^ 1 That will do With fchildren but methods feasible there fere &oi fto when the right of opinion and aft* troil inheres xM. ike otlrer side* fn treating with a #ebpk recof* n&ed to P'OBBSS ^uasi independence an'd. antononiyj leplomatJ must} fce the role of action and not arbitrary diefcuim ^yJkiBi We are among tnose who believe in the allotment in severalty and showed that he was understood. |SOTA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1888.^3 final abolition of the reservation system, and hope to see this idea realized at some future day/'but we will always oppose arbitrary and severe measures to bring this about. We hope that some day our Sioux brethren will consent to the disposal of a portion of their reser vation. We are not acquainted with the features of the bill, there fore oan not say whether they erred or not. If however they ire satisfied- that .the~.hUl^k unjust, they have the right to ex press that opinion and to act ac cordingly. But we may also say to them that will not be wise for them to oppose any and every preposi tion of the government, merely for the sakeVf opposing. We wou\d have our Indian read er believe that things are. grad ually changing for the better, and that the government is better dis posed now than at any previous time to treat the Indian iairly. Our advice\is that every tribe stand up fairly and resolutely for its rights, to rbist by the force of moral opinion and its expression all encroachments, but at the same time to inquire more deeply into propositions and see if they are really so black as first im pressions would paint them. South America's West Coast. The products of the country are sugar, coffee, cocoa and cotton, while those of the towns are "Pan ama hats" and fleas. In each of the ports the natives are busy braiding hats from vegetable fi bers, and the results of their labor find a market at Panama and in the cities of the coast, where, as in Mexico, a man's wealth is judged by what he wears on his head. The hats are usually made of toquilla. or pita, an arborescent plant of the cactus family, the leaves of which are often several yards long.. When cut, the leaf is dried, and then whipped into sheds almost as fine and tough as silk. Some hats are made of single fi bers, without a splice or an end from the center of the crown to the rim. It often requires two or three months to make them, and the best ones are braided under water, as the fiber is more pliable when immersed. The cost of a sin* gle hdt is sometimes $250, but such last a lifetime, and can be packed in a vest pocket, or worn inside out, each side being as smooth and well finished as the other. i iThe natives make beautiful cig ar cases, too, but it is difficult for a stranger to purchase either these or the hats, because they have an idea that all travelers are rich, and will pay any price that is asked. One old lady produced a cigar case, such as is sold in Japanese stores for $1 or $2, and politely offered to sell it for $20. When I told her I could get a silver one for that prise, she came down to $18, then to $12, and finally to $1 They have no idea of the value of money, and are habitually im posed upon by local traders, who exchange food for their work at merely nofiainal rates, and then sell the hats at enormous, figures William JSlroy Curtis in Ameri* can Mara&uiefv ^'jUiVi^MV^'^r A. doctor in Algeria stood before a gulliotiiife and caught the head of a criminal as it fell from the ax and spoke to it* It is said that movements of the eyes and mouth v- ..ii. i i,-**^ '-*j j'~i/'f M%: '-J iC'tfcjt iOp$- S i&> 55-s."* ',J% i^i. T* il' Itfi. *yf g^ '^V' V" ifc s*,?t$ -,i i f' V" *i 3. *H IV ir) A-:.v ."At -J V,'vV ''ji X-1 -j-.-T.-v JL."' Sj AC 5, j'-. 'f sJr^cSi 1 %i \fi f" ~i- s: A W*5?- i-' ^.rs syM 'Ji** gjaf^TPf^9^^' -l G. aspa^BSBS* ?^f^. Dry Goods, Boots & Shoes, Provisions Everything First-Class, and at Astonishingly Low Prices. Car-oads of New Goods Arriving Every Day. WHITE EARTH AGENCY, I? 9 1 O 02 S ss 0 0 1888. SPRING ANNOUNCEMENT BRANDING & SMITH DETROIT n^r.ij&i-dstijciM HARDWARE! Tinware, Cockery,^ Glassware and Larnft. BAKER'S BARB WIRE, JOHN DEERE ._ v,." COMPLETE LINE OF .SMI I IME. I^RANK Ut HUME,"* t\ ?CJt' CARTRIBGESZAND GUN SUPPLIES. FISHING TACKLE, ete^ 25m2 tfZS? Mailorders will Receive Prompt Attention, 'jgj i':i TIME. IMS. ^-?^?v,y* bBiiaorr, MttmBsoTA, DEADER IN l^f^-J- Gbeks, Wdtches and Jewelry. fiiPAWNG A SPECIALTY, #ftiTi EARTH Otders, if left with Benjamin Caswell, at Fairbanks & Bro.* Store will receive prompt at tention. 4tf if you would keep posted on Indian Affairs generally* All Lam retating}thereto will be Published. NEW FIRM /ji A. FAIRBANKS. "J-. y%\ 1 :-m THEffiSSBT In tbe..World! W S PLOWS A ROWS AND CULTIVATORS.! "V.""p *S I?. CABELL -^^I^ DEALER IK'^J^^MM MEKS ANU BOYS CLpTHJNG, Furnishing Gooods.?^'^fe^ KHats, Caps, Gloves, i%# "L^* Trunks, and Valises,i4 LADIES & CHILDREN'S UNDERWEAR. Mail Orders will Receive Prompt Order will Receiv Attention. Next Door to Barber 18m$ JBEXROIT, Minn.