Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-12-04

that direction. Such efforts should not
be sneered at as mere sentimental fan
cies, for should they be discouraged
success is impossible. The advance
made by some Indian tribes is sufficient
proof that a similar advance may
be made by others. Whatever
may be accomplished by the employ
ment Of force; it is certain that only
as the Indians progress in the way Of
civilization will they cease to be a tt GU
blesome and disturbing element. The
Sioux, so far, have given evidence Of O.
loyal spirit, and the rumOrs current Of
a disposition on their part to become
The secretary also says great difficulty
was encountered in sending supplies
from the Missouri river to the new
agencies, IN consequence Of a combina-
ton OF transportation contractors to
force the government to pay exorbitant
prices. Their bids were rejected,
and the organization Of wagon trains,
to be manned by Indians with their
ponies, proceeded with the task. The
work was a difficult one, owing to the
character of the country and the cir
cumstance that the grass has been
burned off the plains between the Mis-
souri, river and the new agencies. as
rumors has it, by evil disposed persons
to bring about q failure Of this expert
ment, but it has so far been successful.
In regard to the outbreak Of the Ban
nocks last spring, Secretary Schurz says
it must be admitted Mat the Indians
were insufficiently supplied with food
w 70,
priatiOn Of money by congress, utterly
inadequate to their wants. The money
available for feeding them amounted
only to less than A cents per head per
day. This created discentent among
them. When the murder Of white
man was committed by an Indian. the
Indian was arrested, tried and hung.
The discomfort grew into excitement: q
military detachment attempted to dis
arm them, but with only partial sue
cess, and finally the outbreak took place.
AS regards the outbreak of the 300
northern Cheyennes, the secretary cor
rObOrates the statement heretofore
made by the commissioner of Indian
affairs in a special report on this sub
jet, showing that it was
not caused by hunger
nor by any neglect on the part Of gov
eminent officials to furnish them sup
plies according to the treaty; but on the
contrary they received ample supplies
and more than they were entitled to.
Secretary Schurz adds, while in many
other instances the Indian outbreaks
are traceable to the treatment they re-
ceived at the hands Of the whites, it
appears from the information quoted,
In this case the outbreak was owing to
the mischievous spirit Of bad men
among the Indians themselves and their
determination to return northward to
their old hunting grounds. Nearly all
those runaway Cheyennes nave
been captured or have sur
rendered and are now held
prisoners by the military authorities.
In the interest Of general discipline,
and in order to show the Indians that
can be gained by such disorder
ly conduct, it is thought best to return
them to their reservation in the Indian
Territory, after having given civil au-
in the state of Kansas an op-
portunity to identify those who COM
mitted murders and other crimes while
passing tlIOuSu llltt otdIS, ~ tiiGy may
be dealt with according to law. The
secretary strongly defends the action Of
the department and special agents of
the department, regarding depreda
tons, and says we cannot close our
eyes to the fact that anything like
complete success in suppressing
unlawful practices is impossible, unless
the efforts made by this department for
the protection Of public property meet
with hearty cooperation on the part
Of the legislative branch of the govern
ment. Actual experience enables me
to say that the want of such co-opera-
ton has been and will always be an eu-
to depredators to persist
in their lawless operations, and to defy
the authorities. The secretary recon-
mends such legislation as will preserve
and enlarge the timber bearing lands Of
the country.