Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1889 — CHRISTIANS OF CRETE. [ARTICLE]

CHRISTIANS OF CRETE.

They Are as Cruel as the Masters Who Torture Them. Indianapolis Jpurnal. There is now good reason to believe that one or two if not all the powers will interpose objections to Turkey’s' further oppression of the Cretans, and compel a sweeping change on the administration of public affairs in that unhappy island. This action will be taken ostensibly because a community of alleged Christians are being persecuted by the officials of a Mussulman government; but really this circumstance furnishes the least oftheieasqn why the Turk is to be coerced into radically altering the methods by which the Porte has governed the turbulant people of Crete. The Cretan Christian differs from his Mussulman neighbor ■only in the fact that he is an adherent of the Greek Church, and not a follower of the Prophet. In all other respects the two are indentical. The Christian Cretan cries out against the cruelty of the Mussulman, but he is just as cruel, treacherous, dishonest, crafty, brutal and savage as the object of his aversin. He detests him because he ■is his master, though he would be equally tyrannical were the coditions reversed. It is true the people are taxed beyond the limit Of their ability to pay, but this is also true of every people governed by the Sultan’s minions, as well as the inhabitants Of more than one Christian country. The people otCrete would be much better off, and, indeed, in no worse condition than those of many European countries, if they were not continually egged on to conflicts with the public officials by the authorities at Athens, whose unceasing efforts to foment strife in the adjacent territory of other monarchies are responsible for the slaughter of thousands of innocent men and women, who too blindly followed the council of a government powerless to protect aven itself without the aid of powers whose rulers are bound by ties upon the shrunken throne of the Hellenes. The protests and appeals of Greece in behal sos the “persecuted” Christians of Crete-themselves ready to essay the role of persecutor at the first opportunity—deceive nobody acquainted with the situation in the island, but they will probably have the effect to move some of the great powers, probably Germany, whoso interest in -Greece is enhanced by the approaching marriage of the Emperor’s sister to the Crown Prince of Greece, to intimate to the Sultan that he would better modify the governmental routine of Crete in the direction of amelioration of the hardships to which the people are now suDjected, and the warning will unquestionably be heeded.

How Sitting Bull Utilized the Telegraph. Minneapolis Journal. W. H. Mosher of Ypsilanti, Mich., is in the city. lie was formerly in •charge of a store at Standing Rock Agency, Dak. , and among his frequent visitors were' Sitting Buiir Gaßr~RedGlOud, and others of the famous personages of the Sioux tribe. Mr. Mosher was this morning discussing Sitting Bull’s claim to honors in the Cluster fight. “Sitting Bull has become famous as the hero of the Custer battle on the Indian side, but the fact is that he was not in the fight at all. I can understand Sioux well and speak it fairly. CVie night Sitting Bull and Gall met in my store and for over an hour discussed the details of the battle, and once or twice almost reached a fighting «. point. Gull was making an attack on Sitting Bull for attempting to steal his bravery. • ‘The fact is that Sitting Bull was the first Indian to reach a telegraph station with the news of the massacre, and he made the most of his opportunity. He pictured himself in the thickest of the fight, and had scalps with him to prove it, but they were all secured after the battle and not in it. Sitting Bull was not in the fight, but watched it from a bluff some distance off. At its close he rushed down and took three or four scalps and then rode away, and painted himself a hero At least this is what the Indians say. Gall was the actual leader, and is regarded as a very brave warrior. Sitting Bull was merely a medicine man, nnd had the reputation of being a coward.” Mr. Mosher has been on the agency for about three years. He went there noon after the Custer fight.