Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1884-03-28
SIOUX COUNCIL.

1NSJa fO
SIOUX COUNCIL.
"Walk-in-the Water" the oldest member OF
make few remarks, and in trembling but
impressive voice said:
II am an old man. l have worried along
through q long career of iniquity, and am now
in the sere and yellow leaf. I don't know what
the sere and yellow leaf is, but it strikes me as
being tho proper draw at this stage of the
game.
Warriors, why do we sit silent and impassive
while the palefaces are warning over the COVER
ship of our territory? Why do we sit in the
gallery, when by right of first possession we are
entitled to orchestra chairs and opera glasses?
Why do we hang back from the festal board
with hungry eyes, while the palefaoe slides the
coveted pie into bis yearning midst?
'This land Is ours. There is some little infor-
mslity in the deed, but it is ours. We were in
possession when the soughing winds of heaven
kissed not one pale face, nor toyed coquettishly
with the pendant end of the broken suspender
of the bull-whacker. We were here before th
dude sucked the head of his cans on the street
corner, or before the dudess wagged her patent
adjustable hustle before the gaze of the admiring
populace. And we are here yet. The white
man has jumped our claim, but we are here.
'As the original and rightful owners of the
land, have we no voice in the appointment of
its ruler?"
warriors, there is but one man who is en-
titled by every sense of right and justice to be
governor of Dakota, and his honored name is
Sitting Bull. tremendous war whoops.) Our
beloved chief who is now wasting his aggressive
fragrance on * e desert air of Minnesota and
hobnobbing with kings and queens and jacks,
should sleep in the gubernatorial bed at the
Sheridan house in Bismarck and order the smil-
ing fairy with the low slippers and red socks in
the dining room to trot out to him the guberna-
torial hash and microscopic pie. (Oheers and
afteotionate slapping Of stomachs.) He is now
being honored by the invaders of our land, and
is chewing the rlug tobacco borrowed from the
quartermaster's department by the great chief
One Star, when he should be at the capital or
ganizing new counties and smiling at the humor-
GUS paragraphs in the Yankton papers.
Sitting Bull is a great man. (Cheers.) In
war he is terrible, and in peace his meekness
often attracts undue attention. As leader, no
northwestern army up to the British line, and
never lost a man. (Applause.) And now hear
that in st. Paul church he led in prayer in q
highly satisfactory manner, although it was his
first attempt at the game. d., v
Let us send delegation to- Washington to
labor in the interest of our beloved chief Let
us fit them out with clean shirts and pint TASKS,
and teach them to play poker and quaff the Sc
ductive cocktail, and send them forward as the
palefaees do. Let us teach them how to tear
button holes from the broadcloth coat of the
senator with the hairless head, or to amputate
the arm of the guileless representative with a
ceaseless flow of soul-harrowing language. Let
us teach them how to shake hands with the
Great Father and tell him that the DAKOTA dele
cation to Chicago will be for him as unit
provided
Nov is the time to act. The paleface dele
CATION are down there buzzing their stories into
honorable ears with soft and seductive buzz,
apathy. Let US rouse and shake off this lethar-
gy and get up to the festal board ere ,he cake
is swooped away by pale-skinned hands.
''The tears flow down and inundate my cheeks
when think Of the wrongs of our race and our
inactivity in attempting to right them. My
sobs bulge out into the evening air like the
sorrowful voice of the bull-toad in the swamp
when contemplate our sad condition.
Il am fast nearing the grave. r. a few moons
the toes which have always pointed inward will
point upward toward the star studded realms
of space, and the breath. which go often en-
croaches itself upon the attention of strangers,
will have ceased to come and go on schedule
in the gloomy recesses of the medicine lodge,
while my soul will be revelling in the sultry
atmosphere Of that land where blizzards are
heard of only through new arrivals. But ere
go want to whoop for Governor Sitting Bull,
and shake the only bronze executive Fever on.
exhibition by the hand. I want to see the
masses uncover the heads which he would fsin.
uncover, and bow down and do him homage.
When have seen this, will fold the drapery
of my wind shattered blanket about me, and
lie down to pleasant dreams. I will close my
eyes upon the scenes of this earth, to open them
again
"In the land that is hotter than this,
Where the SHOWS and the frosts monkey not !;
Where the furnaces bubble and hiss,
And the tenderfoot finds it quite hot"