The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1888-04

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME   XVII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING    Tin:    WRONG
NUMBER    I.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA..
APRIL, ,888.
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR,
OUIt   PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education ! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The remit of wliieh is American Citizenship!
And the Gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation.
The Word Carrier feels that a
partial victory has been Avon over
the imperial heads of the Indian
Bureau and the Executive Mansion.
On the 19th hist., Hon. Thomas M.
Bayne, Congressman of the Twenty-
third District of Pennsylvania, offered in committee of the whole an
amendment to the Indian appropriation bill providing that "at the
Indian day and training schools,
Avhere church organizations are assisting in educational work, the
Christian Bible may be taught in
the native language of the Indians,
if, in the opinion of the persons in
charge of the schools, it is deemed
conducive to the moral Avelfare of
the pupils," which was adopted.
Thus, after nearly a year of unprecedented meddling on the part
of a one-idea set of men, Congress
comes to our relief and settles a
question that will require no further
rules to interpret the meaning. It
is plain American Englisb.
The Progress, White Earth Agency, Minn., says:
Yon haA'e tried every thing from tbe
North, South, East, and West; from the
missionaries oi all denominations; from
the bulldriyer and the cowboy to the
emaciated clay eater—Avith all their relatives thrown into the bargain—to try and
"run" this [ndian-civilizing business, and
all have consummated in the same general results. Now. then, suppose you let
some of their own people—tbe intelligent
Indian and mixed-bloods "have their
turn?" Appoint thenl to till positions of
trust, responsibility, and profit; give
them a chance when the opportunity
presents itself. Now that we have made
the suggestion, it stands for some more
worthy ability to follow the course of a
preliminary measure looking to the eradication of a scries of abuses, which have
rendered lamentably deplorable many of
the noblest efforts of well -meaning philanthropists, as also the Indian Bureau.
We like to see a paper have an
opinion of its own. But the Progress does not suggest a neAv idea.
Fifty years ago this plan Avas tried,
but it was not a success. The fact
is, for many years the mixed bloods
controlled trade, and the past record
of Indian traders is not one to be
proud of. But Ave agree Avith the
Progress in the main points, and
in all branches of the Agency work
the students of Santee are taking
part as clerks, teachers, mechanics,
and farmers. And as the Indian
Department becomes free from political jobbery, we shall see more of
our students in the government
work.
The Brainerd Journal (Minn.)
makes this complaint: "The United
States laAv against selling Avhiskey
to Indians is practically inoperative
here; the Indians have little difficulty in procuring all the Avhiskey they
have means and inclination to pay
for; they exchange a large part of
their earnings for Avhiskey; their
threats, many acts of theft, and the
occasional commission of serious
crimes, inaugurate each season a
period of terror." If this is all
true (and Ave doubt part of it),
. Brainerd ought to suffer "each sea
son a period of terror." Every toAvn
near an Indian Reservation, which
does not enforce the laAv against
selling Avhiskey to Indians, deserves
nothing less than this. Can a saloon-keeper complain Avhen a drunkard smashes his AvindoAvs or his
head? Let Brainerd enforce the
law, and not blame the Indian for
that- for Avhich it is itself to blame.
President Cleveland's letter is
very significant. He sees that the
discussion over the prohibition of the
vernacular is likely to lead to very
serious results for his present administration, and for his future political prospects. So he steps down
into the arena to coA-er the retreat
of his subordinate, and to avert, if
possible, the rising indignation of
the Protestant Christians of this
country.
He makes tAvo very important
concessions. First, that in regard
to the use of the Indian Bible in
GoA'ernment schools. He says it
would be altogether proper to read
a chapter in the Dakota Bible, if
English could not be understood, at
the daily opening of the govern-
ment secular schools. The President here goes beyond Avhat has
been so far demanded. For, very
strangely, the missionary societies
and religious press have taken the
narrow ground of protesting only
against the invasion of personal religious rights, rather than the broad
ground of contending for public morality. They have granted Avhat they
had no right to grant: that the government may run its schools as it has
a mind to, because it has the poAver
to do it—the old doctrine, that
might makes right.
Secondly: President Cleveland
admits that "the vernacular may be
sometimes necessary to aid in communicating a knoAvledge of the English language." This point Ave have
made all along: that Ave should be
free to use Dakota for giving more
quickly and perfectly a knoAvledge
i of the English language. And, for
this purpose, Ave have a First Reader giving the Indian word along with
the English as "an aid in comniuni-
i eating a knoAvledge of the English
- language."    But this is one of the
! prohibited "text-books."
But Avhy does the President stop
here? Does not his logic require
him to go further and approve of
the use of the vernacular, for the
explanation of scientific truth other
than grammar, Avhen it cannot be
done through the English and can
be through the vernacular ?
What the President's letter ignores
is as significant as what it concedes.
He ignores the fact that the issuing
of these orders is an assumption of
authority entirely neAv and unheard
of in the history of our government,
and utterly undemocratic. He is
oblivious to the fact that the Avhole
anti-vernacular regulation is an outrage upon good school-teaching,pub-
lic morality, and religious liberty.
He says the orders will be adhered
to by the government, but does not
see that, if his oavii statements are
true, the orders have no ground for
existence, but defeat the very ends
he says they have in view.
Later : The Methodist ministers
have replied to the President, expressing dissatisfaction Avith his letter, and reaffirming their protest.
MISSION    COUNCIL.
Proceedings of the Council of the  Dakota
Mission of the A. M. A., al. Oilllc.
The Annual Council of the Dakota Mission of the American Missionary Association, Avas held at Oahe, Dak., April 18 and 19. The members present Avere, Revs. A. L. Riggs,
Santee Agency, Neb.; T. L. Riggs,
Oahe; C. L. Hall, Fort Berthold;
G. W. Reed, Fort Yates; Frank
Cross, Rosebud, Dak.; A. F. Beard,
D. D., Secretary of the A. M. A. Dr.
Beard brought the regrets of the
members of the Executive Committee, Mr. E. B. Monroe, Dr. W. H.
Ward, and Mr. C. L. Mead, avIio
were appointed to attend, but Avere
prevented from coming.
The first session Avas held on
Wednesday morning. C. L. Hall
was elected chairman of the conference, and Frank Cross secretary of
the mission for the year.
T. L. Riggs presented the condition and needs of the Oahe Industrial School. There is pressing
need for a new building for boys'
dormitory, teachers' club, and treasurer's office.
C. L. Hall then presented the
needs of Fort Berthold. Mr. Hall
has one building owned by the gOA'-
ernment, and his oavii house. With
these accommodations, he has maintained a school of 30 pupils; but this
cannot be continued for another year
without great hardship and suffering. A building costing 14,000 is
needed to accommodate the present school, or |5,500 to increase
the capacity from 30 to 50. Mr.
Hall asked permission to raise this
himself. During the year he has
been compelled to turn away a
number of pupils. Parents came
to him, saying, "We are your children, and Ave want our children to
go to your school."
There is also a call for an extension of the missionary work from
Fort Berthold out .among the Ctoavs,
avIio are cousins of the Grosventres
and speak a language very similar.
The field is open for a man at once ;
and the work at Fort Berthold is
extending beyond the powers of one
man. One or two native helpers
are needed avIio can begin missionary work at out-stations. The Fort
Berthold work is opening the way
to the Grosventres of the North, Piegans, Bloods, and Blackfeet.
Wednesday afternoon the discussions were on the folloAving questions:
1. What are the necessary limitations to the Indians Missions in
the hands of the A. M. A. ?
2. These limitations being known,
are the Congregational Churches doing their proper share of this Indian
Avork, all things considered ?
These are the main points presented : The Avork is limited; there
is a pressure on every side; the limitations are not from Avithout, but
from within; every mission and
station has repeated calls for more
work and Avorkers.
Thursday morning, afternoon,
and evening, these topics were discussed :
1. Shall Ave form a separate District Association connected with the
General Association of South Dakota, consisting of the Missionaries
and Congregational Churches of
our field? The folloAving action
Avas taken:
RESOI.VKD, That, for the purpose of the
better training of our Indian churches in
Congregational polity and doctrine, and
for raising up a native ministry, wc deem
il necessary thai we should now lake
steps for the organization, under the General Association of South Dakota, of an
association comprised of our Indian
churches and ministers connected with
Indian work.
Resolved, That we personally regret,
to sever our connection with the several
associations of which we arc now members, or to do any thing by which their
interest in our work may he diminished;
and, for this reason, wc hope to retain a
visiting relation with them and attend
their meetings as heretofore.
2. A conference of all the Protestant Avorkers in the Dakota field.
3. Is it for the good of mission
work that the partnership with the
government in school work be continued ?
4. The Vernacular Orders.
5. What new forms of publication are required ?
(5. Plans for a Theological Class
at Santee.
7. The estimates for the coming
year.
In regard lo the vernacular orders, the following resolution Avas
adopted: "That we take President
Cleveland's letter of March 29th as
a basis of interpretation of existing
orders."
The Avork of Rev. J. E. Smith, at
the Ponca Mission, in Mr. Smith's
absence,Avas reported by A. L. Riggs.
The pressure of the work kept
the last session until after midnight, Thursday. The thanks of
the conference were expressed to
Doctor Beard for his effort in attending the conference.
Frank Cross, Secretary.
A    LIVELY    SET   OI'    OPINIONS.
What Active  Pastors and Men of Business
TliinU of the Vocabulary Belieaders.
I think the government will pull
in its horns considerably before the
affair is wound up. .1 1'uslor in
Iowa.
The Indian Department ought to
retract a good deal more than it
has, and I am inclined to think it
will.—A Pastor iu Kansas.
We trust our Tennessee papers
are correct in the expectation that
Commissioner Atkins will be nominated for Governor. It may re-
i move his adverse influence from
the Dakota Avork.—A Business Man
in Tennessee.
The course of the government
may, and doubtless must, be modified ; and we hope that the time is
not far distant when Christian principle, rather than political knavery,
Avill rule in the treatment of the red
man.—A Connecticut Business Muit.
Am anxiously reading all I can
| lay hands on about English. A
most abominable shame. Almost
makes one believe in total depravity.    Hoav does it affect your Avork?
! The Devil seems to be making a
special attack through Georgia and
' Atkins.—An Iowa Pastor.
A rattling good paper [The Word
Carrier.]    I read nearly the Avhole
i of it. Make it hot for that Pope of
Indian Affairs Atkins, but don't
make the mistake of identifying
him with the administration, for
Cleveland is capable of better
tilings when the facts come to be
knoAvn.—A Pastor in Iowa.