The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.2, page 97, Dec. 1880, U. of Illinois Press

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DECEMBER · 1880 every one despises him; every one's eye is upon him; therefore in order to avoid these mean low ways of life, we must encourage our fellowmen to labor. We know that it is the only way to get along, and that the red men would have to do like white men; that is, to go to work and raise such things we shall live upon, and raise our families; raise corn, wheat and stock, &c. Give our children up to be educated in this way, that when they should grow up to be men and women, they would be respected by good white people, and become wise and good. I myself saw the evils of gambling, stealing and drinking, and those who have left off these bad ways, among our people, are now doing well. They not only have plenty to do them now for the present, but they look forward to be provided with plenty to sustain them in their old age, when they are unable longer to labor, and therefore, they work hard now. My dear friends, this is the course we had better all pursue in future, and then the white people would look upon us as they do on their own people, and respect us; but as it is, they do not, for they look upon the thief and drunkard with a scornful eye, and upon him who breaks his promise with contempt, and hate him. My friends, it is now high time that we should try and do something for ourselves. I mean in this, that we should frame such laws and regulations as to protect our good citizens, and not allow those who do not work to impose on us. When I use to go to school there in Shawnee Mission, strangers often visited the Mission, and these people would ask me what kind of laws the Shawnees had- the answer was, none; they would ask if they had any chiefs, and who was their head chief, the answer was, that they had, and that John Esparnia was their head chief. The reply generally was—''Well he is a good chief.'' Now you may say you have chiefs, I ask you what we have chiefs for? I, for my part, do not know. I will try and explain. We have chiefs to do the nation's business. You have sent them to work for you, but you never give them anything to work with. You might as well send them to the field to hoe your corn without hoes. Suppose you were to do that, how could you expect them to hoe your corn? But still you would turn around and grumble at them for not doing your work. Just so now, are our chiefs situated; we ask them to attend to our business, and have given them no authority to do it, and we have turned on them and complained because our business is not attended to, and because we do not stop this bad way, we are not getting along. If one man owes another anything and won't pay him, how is the creditor to get his money? One may say to him, go to the chiefs and they will assist you. Now let me ask you, what power have the chiefs 97