St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-12
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE RED MEN.
Shall the Indians be Robbed of
Their Lands!

To the Editor of the Globe:
Mr.. John NJ. Martin of Ada, Norman
county. in the GLOBE of the Sth inst. makes
/ an ingenious apology for the action of himself
and the convention of citizens held at Ada
Dec. in relation to the White Earth reserva-
ton. He says the memorial adopted at that
convention estates the sentiment of the farm
ing and business communities, and is not
based on plane of argument and a narrow
platform of facts" Again he says: 'The-
citizens and residents of Northwestern Minnee
sofa do not ask that the Indians on the Whit
Earth reservation be removed or their land 8
be taken from them Let us see whether
Mr.. Martin has stated the position fairly. lie
was chairman of the committee on resolu-
lions, and undoubtedly the moving spirit of
the convention as well as author of the mo
mortal to congress reported by his committee
and which was unanimously adopted by the
convention, and should therefore understand
the force and meaning of the memorial. He
seemed to voice the sentiments of the meet
ing, Mr.. S. P. Olson alone asserting that the
Indians had some rights which they ought to
respect.
Let us ask Mr.. Martin, in all candor, what
he meant few lines below his disclaimer in
his GLOBE article, where ne said 1.-The White
Earth Indians had at least 100000 acres of
land, mostly agricultural, which they do not
need, that the Indians had the
RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY
a right which they could not be deprived of
without their consent, and that such consent
was obtained by an agreement entered into
between the chiefs and head-men of the In
dams and agents or commissioners appointed
by the secretary of tie interior, with or with
out the authority of congress for that pur-
pose" And what do the memOrialists mean
in the closing appeal to congress when they
request THAT measures be taken by the gov
eminent To nnrchaSa Snch lands of the w Iitn
Earth Indians as are good for agriculture
which the said Indians do not need for their
welfare. In his speech before the conven-
o.says Mr.. NJ. ITO put Indians on good agri-
cultural lands was failure. They were not
fit for it. 1t was pity to waste so much land
upon worthless insurgents. The land could
be used to better advantage"
1t is patent to any one that the object of
Mr.. Martin and his fellow memorialsts is to
take from the White Earth Indians the 100000
acres of agricultural lands, the west half of
their reservation. by consent Of their ''ch1ets
and head-men," (who he asserts are now will
ing)and to relegate the Indians who have taken
land in severalty and are now engaged in hon
estly filling the soil, to the non-agricultural
portion of their domain! And then, when he
has them upon the pine barrens, as he says,
LET the Indians hustle for their grub like the
rest of u.s." Now, have no fault to find
with the proposition that the Indian, like the
white men, should earn his bread by the
sweat of his brow but he should at least be
LEFT IN PEACE
to do this even though he has a farm of good
agricultural land. Notwithstanding some
white man covets it. The Indians selected
the White Earth reservation many years ago,
when there were no white settlers within
their vicinity, for the purpose of trying to
concentrate such of the Chippewas there as
should be DESTROYS of abandoning their no.
madic life and of gradually adopting the life
and habits OF the white man. Their progress
has been rapid in that direction. as Is shown
by the farms they have opened, their churches
and schools, and their adoption of the dress
and habits of the whites. The writer has been
repeatedly at the White Earth agency and a
more quiet, orderly people cannot be found
in our state, and venture the assertion that
no settlement of loo can be found where
there have been so few crimes and INSIDE
meanors committed as among these Indians
at White Earth.I have been in their churches
one OF which is under the pastorate of a ma
tive Indian. Rev. j. johnson, and without
fear of contradiction make the assertion that
more deyout Re -erent worship cannot be
found in any church in the land.
The Indians should not be allowed to roam