Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-01
REFORM IN THE INDIAN SERVICE

II the control and management of the In.
dams were left to the average western man,
he would first capture them, i.e., take oil
their guns. ponies and feathers, then dom.
icil them OF the Missouri river at conve'
nient points and keep them well fed. Such
acourse would stop all indian wars, cause
to cease oil raids and other troubles in the
Sioux country and save millions annually
to the government.
But your scheming sentimentalist will
have no such common sense solution of the
Indian question. They want to make little
angels of the papooses and big angels of the
head chiefs. The Eighty head of the int
1ior department proposes to turn the wal
cn'eis sate ~husbandmen, to make farmers Of
oaYARoe argaaA,< =Asss
sustaining in q country where q New Eng
land Yankee would starve.
The following from the Washington dis.
patches is worthy of notice, as 10 the line
Of reform Of this reform administration:
The secretary Of the interior sent to the
house with his Endorsement the letter of the
commissioner of Indian affairs recommend.
~ ~ 0PRlO 0LtOu Va $SOVsVVV LJE luI.
nishing farming stock and implements ID
the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Sioux
lately removed from Nebraska to the Mis-.
souri, river. =
If congress makes this appropriation 1t ID
so much money thrown away. It is safe ia
say that q large per centum. say 50 to Is,
will stick to somebody's hands in the dis.
bursement, while the remainder will never
benefit the Sioux Indians. the cause Of hu.
manity, or promote the spread of the chris.
tian religion. Can 1t be possible that all
this virtuous parade about the dishonesty
of Indian agents, is made just now, 10 d.
vert public sttention from nscality on q
much larger scale, nearer the source of
power.
In pursuance with the agreement with
the Indians. ratified February %, 1877, the
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Indians were,
a few months since, moved to the Missouri
river. There they could get their supplies
by rail and water transportation. and at .
saving Of nearly one-half of the former cost
of feeding them at the old agencies; but 10
q spirit of Cancellation, We suppose, Q verv
foolish promise was made the chiefs Of these
bands when they visited Washington. BY
the great father, thst they might 20 where
they pleased id the spring; and now the In
spector is out helping the reds to look up
quarters, and 1t is proposed, ss We
learn, to let them 60 back seventy to one
hundred miles from the river, thus creating
additional heavy cost for land transportation
of their supplies. And oil this while the
Indians would be much better of, have
better land and more wood on the Missouri
river. Back where 1t Is proposed to put
them, they could not make any farm pro-
ducts ii they would, and would not If they
could. We venture the assertion, provided
fools enough can be found IN congress to
make such % appropriation, that the two
bands, with all the implements, stock, etc.
msy b furnished them. will never
raise grain enough to keep the spanking
span Of horses that the secretary of the
drives srousd WashiDgton.
But then it 10 safe to cay that somebody
will mske . gsodthing cut Of that two
hundred and dfty thousand dollars, once It
10 allowed to leave the treasury.