The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-12-17

Buffalo Bill, Who Ras Fought Them
Says They Are Abused.

Buffalo Bill, Who Has Fought Them,
Says They Are Abused.
BOSTON. Dec, 14.-Hon. William T.
Cody, of Nebraska, in private lite nerceI
and stock raiser, but better ana more
widely known as the chief OF SCOUTS anu
United States army guide. Buffalo Blu;
has been in Boston for some Gays. nc
Metropolitan Hotel the other day Dy a
Boston Globe man. while dividing his at
tentiop between his correspondence and
cash account. The expression upon his
amiabie features indicated extreme salts
faction with the condition of both. From
his stage successes and business enterprises
conversation naturally turned othe West
ern troubles. and Mr.. Cody freely express
ed his views on the Indian question:
Il have" said he great deal of sym
psthy with the Indians. They have been
bedIy used. robbed, and deceived. Free
uuently as a scout end guide have led
United States troops against them. but
always with regret. For honesty and VIZ
tue they average
FAR AHEAD OF THE WHITES
with whom they come In contact"
what do you thing of Secretary
schurz's Indian policy2"
II don't like his way of handling the
Indian question, but / believe he means
well and desires to give the Indians
square deal. No Federal officer or Cabinet
dignitary has so trying and unsatisfactory
a position as does the Secretary OF the
Interior in regard to Indian affairs,
Our red brothers have been robbed by
thieving agents ever since Grants Presi-
dency and see no hope for better things
until there is a change in the Administra-
ton. I'm no Grant man, and never was
and / don't take any stock 10 his Indian
agent policy"
Am I to infer, then, that you are q
Democrat?"
You bet; one of the stalwarts. When
in the Nebraska Legislature was the
only Democrat there. and lived in hopes
that the election of Hancock would clear
up things at Washington, the Indian hing
or Bureau in particular.
You believe in good Indians; are there
not some good agents?
Very few and fer between. All are
not thieves, although you notice that
sooner or later nine out of ten get shown
I'D. Even the high and mighty Com
missioner of Indian Affairs. second only
to Schurz, went under a very black cloud
only few years ago. For instance some
fellow with a
COUSIN IN CONGRESS,
or somebody to speak in his behalf, gets
appointed agent to take charge OF tribe
of Indians, Likely enough he never saw
an Indian; has not the least idea of how
to use them, and got all he knows about
them out of novels and newspapers. 30
he leaves his comfortable home. veil say
in Massachusetts, and goes West, to the
end of q railroad communication. then
takes stage 800 or 400 miles, possibly
finishes the journey in wagon train. and
is set down in the midst of 1000 or 5000
Indians. Half of these new agents get
scared at the start, and would gladly give
up their $1,000 salary to be out OF II
Then the chiefs meet in council with the
agent; very feroclous looking fellows they
are when dressed up, and if they see the
agent is disposed to be timid they take
every advantage possible. They demand
all sorts of things, and il such way tina
the poor fellow promises everything and
takes the chances of getting backed up by
the department. Now if you promise
an Indian anything you've got &C
keep your word, or there'H bt
trouble. If you say you'll whiI
them you We got to do it to save yourself
Half the promises made by agents tt
lDQlaub are not iUilIleus anu III Luis Wd3
they have been triHed with and deceived
full of scorn and distrustl Then there
the agent who is on the make He get
in with the contractors, and being tn
commissary or distributing officer through
whom the Indians are supplied by III
Government, he cheats Uncle Sam at on
end and the poor Indian at the other. l
is a rough place to put man, and most Q
the agents 60 in to make all they can ant
get out Of it when there is an investigation
proposed or better chance to steal come
where else.
''Do you have faith in the Indian treat
les?
las for that. have lived nearly all ny
life .west of the Missouri; from boy
have been familiar with life on the plains
in all its forms. L know the ways anC
customs of the Indians in war and peace
for eighteen years | have been guide anC
scout in the department of the Missouri
and took part in fifty two fights with the
Fifth cavalry. and | think | can safely say
that never knew treaty broken but by
the whites. Of course, the whites are
NOT RESPONSIBLE.
for all the Indian outbreaks and outrages
but when you think how the Indians have
been imposed upon it is not strange they
have resisted. For instance. by the Har-
ney Terry treaty in 1868 the Sioux were
given territory two hundred by four
hundred miles in extent, bounded By the
Big Horn Mountains, the Yellow
stone. North Platte and Missouri
rivers, which was to be their location
and property for thirty years. In 1874
gold was discovered in the Black Hills,
which are included in this tract; miners
focked into the hills. acting the part OF
trespassers and robbers upon the Sioux's
domains. and the Government first per-
mitted this invasion by the whites and
then sent troops TO protect them 10 q
country where they had no right The
man with the pick and shovel is bad
neighbor, The chances are he has come
to stay; If he finds gold crowd of the
same kind will join him without so much
as saying to she Indian, BY your Ieavel
1t the latter demonstrate, there is trouble
then comes the United States troops, and
SOMEBODY HAS TO GIT
1t isn't the white trespasser, but it is
the Indian: and II he don't go peaceably