The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-09-14
INDIAN DEPREDATIoNs.

Delegate Maginnis has written q letter to
the Secretary of the Interior, inclosing a
communication from Granville Stuart and
numerous newspaper extracts, calling the
Secretary's attention to the grievances of the
stocknen of Northern Montana and the steps
they have taken to prevent further depreda-
lions by Indians IN the cattle ranges. Major
Maginuis calls the attention of the depart
meni TO the fact that losses sustained by clti-
Zens OF Montana in this way heretofore have
not been paid by the government and no at
tention given to the appeals for relief. SO that
they seem tc have no recourse but to defend
their property by force if necessary. He
seeks to impress the fact that afeW collisions
between the stockmen and Indians may re-
suit in a bloody and expensive war, and asks
that prompt action be taken To prevent I'M
pending conflicts. Major Maglnnis says:
.sThere never was any excuse for permitting British
Indians to cross the line and commit uepredatlOls on
our people. / have had the honor to call the state
and War departments attention to that fact. Our
own Indians, under charge OF yourdepartmenr: should
at once be ordered to remain on the ample reservations
set apart for their use.
- III realize the fact that present appropriate ons are,
perhaps, insufficient 10 maintain the Indians at the
Agencies, but there is little game remaining among
the settle mcnts, .and allowing them roam off the reser-
yations can afford them no relief, unless they 60 with
tilC ClCt VI IfjIS i'll liz ut vi Lie VhitC
Some temporary provision ca1 be made until Congress
meets ana that body can be appealed to for aid In the
future. Under no circumstances should the Indians
be allowed to 90 off their reservations, and l urge that
orders to this effect be at once ISSUED II you viii not
do this. then in order to prevent de1redatlo1s ana re.
| prlsals, which will involve bloody and expensive wars
let no party Of Indians leave Their reservation except
under military escort" Il.
The evil and the remedy is here set forth.
There is nc excuse at all for permitting Brit
ish Indians to invade our soil, and certainly
not when it is IN indisputable fact that they
| slaughter cattle to the value of thousands OF
dollars every year. 1t isa burning shame
that such an outrage upon citizens OF the
| United States, that SUCH ar open n palpa-
Die breach of internationallaw should go IN
noticed by a government that has the power,
if it would, to remedy the wrong and prevent
its recurrence. We hope that during the
| coming session of Congress Delegate Magin-
| mis- will call the attention of the House and
the country to this outrage upon American
citizens, and secure, If possible, some needed
relief. What is wanted is not an inyestiga-
ton by any of the departments but the i'm
mediate and active assistance of the War de-
partment in preventing further incursions
and depredations by the British Indians.
As TO the American Indians, at whose
hands the stockmen are frequent sufferers,
tlGy suOulu ue hepl upOu tAtik lesclF at1oAs
as the law already requires. This part oi
the evil rests with the Interior department to
remedy. The Agents should be required un.
der the pains and penalties of being retired
from their fat places, to keep their vicious
wards on the reservations, except only when
accompanied by military detachments, as
laid down in the statutes. Major Maginnis
can also do g great service for his constit-
uents in this section by presenting this phrase
of the question to the Secretary Of the lnteri-
or and urging upon him the necessity of liv.
ing up to the law that confines the agency
Indians to their reservations.
During his %snjourn in our midst the past
week Delegate Maginnis informed himself
thoroughly or the subject of Indian depre'
datioDs on the cattle ranges and he expresses
himself as being in full sympathy with the
stockmen and warmly approves the action
they have takento protect their property. He
has promised to present their righteous cause
10 the authorities at Washington and the
R1vERPREss believes that much good will
come from his efforts in that direction. We
are glad that he has heard for himself the
| storyo of Choteau county's wrongs 50 that he
can have no reason to doubt what is his duty
ID the premises. We need postoffice. river i'm
provements and many other things. but our
most urgent need at the present is full pro-
lection from the marauding Indian to the
end that our great resources as q stock coun-
try may be developed.