Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-06-26
Letter from Judge Offenbacher.

WASHINGTON, -. a., June 10, 1896,
EDITOR CHRONICLE Thinking that
your readers may be interested in the
passage of the Sioux reservation bin,
known as the dawes" bil,) ' will pen
you a few lines on that subject, The
passage of the bill by the house during
the present session is not among the
certainties. There are a few opponents
Of the bill, but they cannot defeat it if
the measure car be brought to q vote n
the house, and If it should pass the
house with the amendments recon-
mended by the committee, the senate
will speedily concur in those amend
ments; hence the only thing that will
prevent the bill from becoming a law
at this session, ESQ far as congress il
concerned) will be the failure of thu
committee on Indian affairs TO get the
measure to vote in the house. Within
the 30 days last past the Indian com
mittee has had four different days set
for consideration of its bills, but has
been crowded out by appropriation and
other bills, and il is now down for the
26tb inst, but unless the committee
shows more determination than it has
in the past, it will get left out again
and, eve if the committee should gel
that day it is very probable that the
whole day will be occupied in discuss
ing the general allotment bill, and the
Sioux bill will not be reached hence il
seems that the only possible chance foi
the Dawes bill will be TO get it up under
a suspension ofthe rules, on q two-third
vote, which is a very difficult thing to do
especially SO near the close Of the SEES
sion, and all reasonable efforts will bt
directed to that end. Judge Clifford il
doing all he can to press the matter to Q
favorable termination but there is 9
branch Of the Indian Rights Associa,
ton, headed by DR.. Sunderland, (the
presidents pastor,) trying to defeat the
bill, and they assign no reason for their
opposition, other than that they are
not satisfied that the passage of the bill
will be for the best interest of the In
dams, and they say that if the bill
passes that they will try to influence
the president to veto it, but we think
there will be no danger of q veto, If the
bill passes with a good majority in the
senate and house.
!" tho pretended interest of economy
and revenue only" the business in the
house still drags, and all hopes of an
early adjournment have passed away.
The middle of July, and perhaps the LIST
of August will find congress still in SEES
sion. The personnel of the departments
is rapidly changing, the bourbons COM
ing to the front, and it will not likely
be very long until all republicans, (save
perhaps wounded soldiers,) will be de-
clared offensive partisans. Sparks has
not caused any blaze at the land Office
for several days, and all seems quiet
there, but the presumption is that the
wonderful commissioner is preparing TO
explode a dynamite bomb, or to make
another Of his quixotic charges on some
imaginary wind mill, only to find him
self "hors du combat" The bill for the
repeal ofthe presumption, timber culture
and desert land acts is now being dis
cussed in the senate and will likely
pass that body.
Being favored with an invitation to
the state reception of the president and
his bride last evening, we added a 25ct
white necktie to u scanty wardrobe
and proceeded to take in the white
house. The occasion was certainly tl!c
grandest Of all occasions. The bride
presented q most charming and graceful
appearance, and aid the honors of the
occasion in a name entirely satisfac-
tory to Washington society, and chal-
longing criticism. The president was
of course at home on his part. Presum-
ing that the Custer folks are not deeply
interested in the glitter of the occasion,
will not attempt to describe the gay
Costumes and the many bony necks and |
We saw.
Yesterday We met three gentlemen
just arrived from England, two of whom
are interested in tin mines in Cornwall
they have heard Of the wonderful dis
coveries in the Black Hills, and asked
us many questions. which We endeayor-
ed to answer as hest we could. We are
hard to induce them to visit the
Slack Hills, and especially the tin dis
tricts around Custer, but they have not
yet decided what they will do.
Yours truly,
j. V. OFFENBACuER.
|
The Buffalo Gap Argus, in their issue !