Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-29
A MORMON scApe COAT.

MORMON scApe GOAT.
The Canning Uaes Eedcsvsssss - Place
the Bissas on Their NsSGkbsrs.
~, Louis Globe Democrat.
The Utes are displaying y knowledge Of
human nature and an ability 10 adapt
means 70 an end that would do credit 10
the most skillful diplomatists Of the c~raftiest
courts Of Europe or Asia. That they will
succeed in establishing their innocence Of
81! criminal connection with the murders At
White river and Milk creek, hardly ad-
mits Of doubt at present. II they stop
there We shall be surprised. Such ahrewd
savages must know that, If they are not
guilty Of the crimes charged against them
they have been greatly wronged BY the
government, and are entitled TO compen-
satlon for the injury to their feelings and
the bodily discomfort occasioned by being
called before Mr.. Schurz' peace commits
non. A dead-head trip to Washington
and q load Of presents for each CHIEF,
besides an extra allowance of clothing and
food for The minor members of the accused
tribes. might restore the government TO the
good graces Of the White river red men.
Ora plump some Of money for damages to
character may be demanded by the injur-
ed savages. Ii the stories concocted for
the deception of the peace commission are
accepted by the government, the Utes must
De regarded as patient, l%ong.sufFering,
kindly creatures, who would love their
white neighbors and abhor bloodshed il
they were not led astray by wicked adj
vieers.
After two months of careful cogitation
thnan uANSn Ha,,k a1.--A. IA
covered that the Mormons are to blame for
the massacre Of Thornburgh's command and
the murder Of Meeker and his assistants.
h peace commission seem to have &C
cepted this explanation of the cause of the
suspected chiefs are in high feather because
they believe that through it they have
found an easy way back to the friendship of
the authorities at Washington. We can
not help admiring the cunning displayed by
the savages in thus saddling the hated Nor.
mons with . new load Of guilt. When the
trouble first began at White river the
country was assured that it sprang from
Agent Meeker's agricultural activity. He
insisted upon blowing up a pasture which
Chief johnson wanted for his herd of ponies.
and TIE blood of the tribe boiled at this
decoration of their soil. Later, it was
claimed that the Utes became frightened at
the approach of the troops, and in the
frenzy of fear occasioned by visions of man.
acles and dungeons, they killed Meeker and
ambushed Thornburgh. Still later, it was
said that the Indians were cheated out of
certain moneys due them for annuities, and
that they were exasperated by the agents
refusal to supply them with sufficient food,
although tons of supplies lay rotting at the
White river agency. The encroachments
of miners and other pioneers from the
n%eighboring states and territories we're also
urged as the cause of the outbreak. When
the peace commission began to examine
witnesses, one chief after another took a
solemn, savage oath that, although he wa
at the agency when Meeker was killed. BIZ
took no part in the murder, nor did he know
who were the guilty parties.
This testimony was 30 .transparently false
that even the peace commission refused tc
hear any more Of it, and for q time it seemed
as if the punishment of the offenders would
have to be turned over to the army. 1t was
at this critical juncture that Ourav and his
subordinate chiefs suddenly discovered tha'
all their previous tales were untr ue, and tina,
the Mormons we're to blame for the whole
d ficulty. The followers of Joseph Smith ane
Brigham Young are in great disfavor with
the American people at present, and We
have no doubt that the popular verdict will
be against them on The evidence offered BY
the Utes. 1t is true that Salt Lake City il
separated from the White river agency BY
nearly 500 miles of mountain and plain and
desert, and that no exercise Of human inge'
nuity can discover any motive for Mormon
interference In Ute affairs; but these things
will hardly be considered by the avers9,
m%onogamist. The Mormons massac red
band of emigrants at Mountain Meadow
twenty odd years ago, and they have beer
credited with a taste for murder ever since
They have q bad name, and hence crime il
easily imputed to them. Whenever . king i
assaulted Or q house is burned in certain
European capitals, the crime is charged
upon the communists or the nihilists, anc
hands are wrung in horror at the wickednes
Of these societies. Much the came feelin,
obtains regarding the Mormons in this coun
& Try. We have no desire to appear as tn
defender of the deluded followers of . falls
prophet, but We do not believe it fair or ju,
to load them with the sins of the blood
thirsty and treacherous Utes upon such sler
der and doubtful evidence as Ouray's assur
ance. The savages are determined to escap
the consequences Of their own crimes, AMI
they believe that by swearing that they wer
melted to take the warpath BY the Mormon
they can succeed in obtaining the pardo
which they do not deserve. The Who'll
peace commission business hes been q fare
from the very beginning, and every new de
velopment makes the position assumed b.
the interior department more absurd. Th
Utes may contrive to escape the punishmer
they have 60 richly earned. but the inabilit
of Mr.. Schurz to manage Indian affairs vii
be made go apparent that the Indian burea
will be transferred by congress to the Wa
department, where it properly belongs.
TUE occT WAN In Nucc0 ,n