Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-23
The India. Rights Meeting.

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BRASS BAND OF INDIAN BOYS ENTERrAN rHK1R
FHIENDs-sPEEcHEs By SENATOR DAWES, coNHls-
sIoNER PRICE AND REPRESENTATIVE A'curcHIoN.
There was an immense audience at the Indian
rights meeting held last evening at the Congrega-
uonal church, the awakened pubic interest In this
subject being presumably tho motive which
brought together such q large gathering, although
there was not wanting the attractions Of good
speaking Gen. Clinton B. F1ske, the chairman OF
tne BOARD OF Indian commissioners. called the
brass BAND.
composed OF eight pieces from the Carlisle indian
scnool, occupied the organ LOFT, and at intervals
during the evening the boy musicians favored the
audience with various selections OF q patriotic and
gray uniform Of the school, which Capt Pratt, the
superintendent, in the course OF q short address,
SAD was made by the boys themselves These
cent out dazzling 10 the audience. The big
BY Large 99y
gu the rest OF the performers. The band was led
oy white man, with cornet, and the music was
called for an encore, and the compliment evidently
tlcEed the performers as far as their Indian stoid-
i , allowed them to express any feeling in their
the habit In their moments OF relaxation at the
school OF beating on tom-toms during their wild
dances and practlc1sing
very much to the annoyance OF the good citizens OF
Carlisle, whose slumbers after one Of these per-
formances were disturbed by bloody visions OF In
dian massacreS So, when lady conflded to Capt.
ratt the TACT that she wanted to do something for
tne scnooi ana had 200 to expend, the gallant cap
tain, with the recollection or one OF these Indian
concerts fresh in his mind, suggested that she buy
instruments for brass band The lady adopted
the suggestion, and when the instruments arrived
the captain selected the most expert tom-tom
players, the most proficient dancers, and the most
successful War-whoopers, and set them to learn to
play on the braSseS. The result has been, says the
captain, that the tOm-tOm lies neglected in the
dust and the war whoop no longer agitates the
atmosphere about Carlisle.
SENATOR DAWES SPEECH.
After the band had played Senator Dawes was
introduced as the chairman OF the meeting, and
made speech, in which he spoke OF the wrongs OF
the Indians as marking the entire intercourse be-
tween them and the whites. HefavOred larger and
inore liberal appropriations for educational pur-
poses ana believed that Che problem OF the Indian
question: which had so long been unSOlved, was
nearing solution.
COMMISSIONERS PRICES VIEWS
The commissioner OF Indian affairs, Hon. Hiram
Price, made characteristic speech He said that
the whites had taken the land from the Indians
without paying cent for 1t, and they owed them
an honest debt, which the government should paw.
lie spoke OF the fact that every soldier In the army
cost 81 oo per year. while the Indian cost S5 and,
Mntl What was actually owing to him and the in
cidental expenses We're deducted, the sum left for
clothing and feeding the Indians was exceed
ingly small He said that instead OF there being
!OoO children in school there should be 5000 and
he hoped that Congress would appropriate the
money He thought that public opinion on this
question was becoming more enlightened every
veaT''und that the Indian policy was improving,
ana would continue TO improve.
OTHER ADDRESSES.
Representative McCutcheo2, Of Michigan, fol-
lowed with a brief address. Three members OF the
brass band during the evening come On the plat
form and made little speeches. which Capt. Pratt
said they had written themselves.