Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-30
THE SIOUX WON'T SIGN
THEY DECIDE NOT TO GIVE UP
 THEIR LANDS.
Indians, Says They Have Been Fooled EnonGh-Another Conference To.dav.

!
 Indians, Says They Have Been Fooled
 Enough-Anothsr Conference To-day. STANDING ROCK AGENCY, Dakota, July 9o.-The ultimatum of the Indians at this agency has beer given the Commissioners. They decided unanimously to sign neither paper. The Indians were in private coun- cn all the night previous, as they have been every night during the week. In the last private council, after speeches had been made by several chiefs, every h. dian present was asked to express his opinion, and every one rose and gave as sent to the proposition not to sign. John Grass was chosen to present the ultima tum to the commission in the morning, to be assisted by Gall, Big Head and Mad Bear. Sam Brughier acted as official in terpreter for the commission, and the h. dans also had several others.
 When the Council opened the weather was torrid, but the Indians sat around In a circle and listened attentively. John Grass referred to the former treaties that had been broken by the whites, and spoke at length about the Black Hills treaty. Mr. Pratt, the Chairman of this commission, had said that their lands should not be taken fram them except by the consent of three-Quarters of the Indians. This was the provision of the other treaty. How, then, did the whites take the Black Hills, when they only got about 300 Indians to sign? That was not three quarters. "The Indians were fools then," he said, "as they always have been in making treaties, and we hope we and our childreu will talk slow and not be fool hereafter. Under this treaty you want us to sign. The whites give us fifty cents an acre fer what is sold of'the 1l,00O,000 acres of land we give them. One million dollars is to be advanced to us and we get per cent for ourselves. One half goes to the industrial schools. This would leave us but $l each"
 At this point all the Indians gave grunt of disapproval, and then Grass continued: {:
 You move other Indian tribes among us off the land given the whites. We do not want this, and the other tribes will not like it either. The whites stlll owe us much. under treaties made years ago. The Gov ernment should give us what it now owes before it asks for more. We do not under stand why you have two papers one black for us to sign Yes and one red for us to sign No You know how many of us are here. You have counted us We will not sign either paper, We say No We have our crops to look after and must get back to work. We will not sign. We came heIe because our agent asked us to, and we did not want to shame him. You cannot get us to sign"
 After John Grass had spoken, Gall was called upon, but simply replied that all had been said At the close of John Grass's speech Chairman Pratt said to Grass that he (GraSs} had no more right to speak than any other Indian, and thatStho youngest Indian in the council over Is years of age could talk if he wanted to. This remark was quickly rebul1ed by the Indian grunt all around, and Grass said he had the same right to speak for the Indians, who had chosen him, as he (PratD had for the whites, who had sent him out here. Mr. Pratt then told the Indians not to be too nasty in making up their minds, and that another conference would be held Monday (to-day.) The Indians finally agreed to stay, but sad their minds were not like children, and that they would not sign them. They would stay because of respect for their agent, Mir, Mclaughlin.
 Agent Mclaughlin, who has the com plete confidence of the Indians, has done all he could to influence them to sign, but to no avail. Gov. Church and Auditor Ward will be down from Bismarck to to-day's conference There is little prospect, how ever, of a change in sentiment.
 PIERRE, Dak., July 30 -Bttes- the Dust Afraid-of- Nothing, Ltttle-no-Heart, and 1akes-it-Staading, chiefs of tho Two Kettle band of Sioux Indians from the Cheyenne River agency, are in town. They express themselves in favor of tho Sioux treaty and anxious to sign it when the Commis- sion arrives. They have great faith in the White Father at Washington, and do not believe that he would advise them to do anything wrong and against their inter- ests. Takes-lt-Standing is an intelligent Indian, and he expresses as his opinion that all the Indians will ratify the treaty.