Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-11-13
McGILLycUDDY's DEFENSE.
The Agent of the OGallalas Eiyes hi
Version of Agency Troubles.

The Agent of the OGalIalas Gives his
Version of Agency Troubles.
Omaha, Neb, Nov. 10-Dr. McGilly.
caddy, agent of the Pine Ridge. Indian
agency, Oak, who has been in Omaha
to-day, says that he has been told that
he is to be superseded in the near
future by another agent, but he does
not propose to retire without making q
fight in defense of his administration.
He is the most inspected agent in tho
service, but he still holds bis place, hav-
ing IN every instance disproved the
charges made against him. McGilly-
cuddy does not favor the transfer of the
Indians to the war department. He
says:
The presence of troops on reservations
will always be a source of irritation. In.
dams will not be civilized by compul-
sion. An agent by dividing sentiment
can use one band against another in
stimulating an advance in material prog
ress, while with soldiers the natural cen
timent of opposition would have a ten
depcy TO bind all together in the reac-
tionary policy of living at the expense
of the government. / would prefer fifty
Indian police on the reservation to o
regiment of soldiers as sufficient aids to
the preservation of peace. My captain
of police will support the government
against the claims of any chief to SUI
preme authority. No matter who the
agent may be, his men scattered through
every Indian village are at once detec-
tlves, policemen and soldiers, who report
at once any symptoms of outbreak be,
fore they have time to materialize. With
no other soldierss, in all my contests
with Red Cloud and his faction,
| have been able to pre-
serve quiet at Pine Ridge with
out calling once on the military. We
have two parties of m~alcontents, one
under Red Cloud and the other progress
%sionists under ng-Man-Afraid.o of His
Horses. Red Cloud is seventy-four years
of age. We have never recognized his
claim to be chief of the Sioux, believing
it TO be dangerous to permit such as.
sumption Of wide-sweeping authority In
a man of his nature and views. It is
harmless as long as 1t is kept where it ss.
A change of agents would, however, be
taken as a recognition of Red Clouds
claims and would increase his power for
damage. [ have recognized no head
chief, but have continually asserted the
authority of the government as supreme
in all questions. The greater portion of
the Sioux are with me and the most
influential chiefs support my policy.
1t is q very difficult problem, this In
dian question, rendered the more diff
cult by vascillatlon in It's treatment in
years past. The treaty of 1868
made near Laramie, began with the in
teresting statement that ave, the gov
eminent of the United States, desire
peace" Under it's provisions the Sioux
seems to have the idea that they are to
be perpetually fed at government ex-
pense, and this idea is s%eduousIy fos-
tered by Red Clond and his band, who,
in turn, are supported by the Indian
sentimentalists of the east. If Indians
are to be made harmless for damage to
settlements, self-supportlng and adj
vanced in civilization, they must be
first disabused of the idea that they are
sovereign nations. They must UNDER
stand that the United States is supreme
and that their future good depends upon
their present good behavior. They
must be encouraged TO keep themselves,
to farm and raise stock, and the advan-
tages OF education must be freely offered
to the growing generation.