What does this quote mean?
“Why should the Indian be expected to plant corn, fence lands, build houses, or do anything but get food from day to day, when experience has taught him that the product of his labor will be seized by the white man to-morrow? The most industrious white man would become a drone under similar circumstances. Nevertheless, many of the Indians” (the commissioners might more forcibly have said 130,000 of the Indians) “are already at work, and furnish ample refutation of the assertion that ‘the Indian will not work: There is no escape from the inexorable logic of facts.
The quote means that Indians work as hard as anyone else.
This quote seems to convey the sentiment that the Indian people are hesitant to engage in tasks such as farming, land ownership, and construction due to the historical experience of their labor being taken away by the white men. The quote highlights that even the most hardworking white man would not be motivated to work under similar circumstances. However, it also acknowledges that many Indians are already at work, contradicting the stereotype that they are unwilling to work. The "commissioners" mentioned in the quote might be referring to individuals who hold a certain authority or position related to Indian affairs.
To fully understand the context and meaning of this quote, it would be helpful to know more about the historical period, the individuals being quoted, and the specific circumstances being discussed.