The Progress., August 11, 1888, Image 1

About The Progress. (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

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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 $1
They have no idea of the value of
money, and are habitually im
posed upon by local traders, who
exchange food for their work at
merely nofiainal rates, and then
sell the hats at enormous, figures
William JSlroy Curtis in Ameri*
can Mara&uiefv ^'jUiVi^MV^'^r
A. doctor in Algeria stood before
a gulliotiiife and caught the head
of a criminal as it fell from the ax
and spoke to it* It is said that
movements of the eyes and mouth
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Dry Goods,
Boots & Shoes,
Provisions
Everything First-Class, and at Astonishingly Low Prices.
Car-oads of New Goods Arriving Every Day.
WHITE EARTH AGENCY,
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1888. SPRING ANNOUNCEMENT
BRANDING & SMITH
DETROIT
n^r.ij&i-dstijciM
HARDWARE!
Tinware, Cockery,^
Glassware and Larnft.
BAKER'S BARB WIRE,
JOHN DEERE
._ v,." COMPLETE LINE OF
.SMI I IME.
I^RANK Ut HUME,"*
t\ ?CJt'
CARTRIBGESZAND GUN SUPPLIES. FISHING TACKLE, ete^
25m2 tfZS? Mailorders will Receive Prompt Attention, 'jgj i':i
TIME.
IMS.
^-?^?v,y*
bBiiaorr, MttmBsoTA,
DEADER IN l^f^-J-
Gbeks, Wdtches and Jewelry.
fiiPAWNG A SPECIALTY,
#ftiTi EARTH Otders, if left with
Benjamin Caswell, at Fairbanks &
Bro.* Store will receive prompt at
tention. 4tf
if you would keep posted on
Indian Affairs generally* All
Lam retating}thereto will be
Published.
NEW FIRM /ji
A. FAIRBANKS.
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THEffiSSBT
In tbe..World!
W
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PLOWS
A ROWS AND CULTIVATORS.!
"V.""p *S I?.
CABELL -^^I^
DEALER IK'^J^^MM
MEKS ANU BOYS CLpTHJNG,
Furnishing Gooods.?^'^fe^
KHats, Caps, Gloves, i%#
"L^* Trunks, and Valises,i4
LADIES & CHILDREN'S UNDERWEAR.
Mail Orders will Receive Prompt
Order will Receiv
Attention.
Next Door to Barber
18m$ JBEXROIT, Minn.