St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-24
TIE SIOUX BILL.
Good Prospects for Hts Soon BecOm-
ing n Law.
Special TO the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON. April 23.-The only mat
ter of importance of which it is my privil-
eye to speak favorably and enthusiastically
is the Sioux reservation bill. That is nom
political. 1t has been urged by both Dem
ocrats and Republicans from the river
towns, but its maturity is now in the hand
of Mayor Mcclure. as you are already
aware. Mr.. Mcclure has a difficult role to
perform. He is Democrat and the fac
tons of the territorial Democracy have been
trying to get him to declare himself either
OIL one side Or the other. He has had a
doubly hard time of it on this account. yet
he has managed to retain the friendship
and alliance of nearly all. A few have I'M
dertaken to threaten him with their dis
pleasure and opposition, but he has met
them with smiles and assurances of per-
sOnal esteem, and made them appear ride
ulous to themselves. At present, the bill
which was reported to the house
by Mr.. Nelson of Minnesota.
March %, is awaiting the special or
der for its consideration. The bill is ell
titled: IAN act to divide portion of the
Sioux Indian reservation in Dakota into
separate reservations, and to secure relin-
quishment of the Indian title to the remain
der" This will open up about IL, 500. 600
acres of land to settlement. That is about
one-half the present reservation. 1t is not
generally known that %, 600
WORTHLESS INDIANS
occupy the better part of the territory, and
the land sooccupied embraces an area twice
the size of the state of Indiana. on which
nearly 5000, 900 white people live. The
passage of the bill will leave to the savages
more than a thousand acres each. 1t is
preposterous to permit them to hold that
land any longer. Those who know the In
dian, and his persistent laZiness, cruelty.
animal-like treachery and atrocious villainy
of disposition, will see no excuse for further
pampering him to the exclusion of the white
men of energy and ambition, who desire to
make homes for themselves in the
restricted public domain. Hon. Olin
Wellbom of Texas, the chairman of
the committee, has obtained a special
order of the house for the consideration of
all bills before his committee, on May %
and 20; and he freely states that he con-
sders this bill as of vastly more Importance
than any other bill before his committee.
However, do not believe that he made
that remark for publications; nor, the other
fact, that he has promised to give it pre-
cedence. But it is fact that he is friendly
TO the bill. and VIII do what he can for ii,
at the earliest practicable moment. At the
proper time, when the bill is before the
house, ''the previous question" will be
moved, and vote will be taken upon it.
A careful count of noses reveals the present
status of the bill to be, passage of the
house by majority of ninety-three That
seems enough to insure its success. but it is
in fact narrow margin. because the aver
age member has habit of mendacity upon
such matters which makes calculation upon
all but purely political matters very doubt
full. Viewing it in the most favorable
light, the bill cannot be considered, possibly.
until May 81. The people must therefore
possess their souls in patience and rely upon
the efforts of their friends and workers,
hoping and praying for success.