The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-16
SPEECHES BY REDSKINNED ORATORS
Sitting Bull Hopes the Proceedings
VIII not be Riotous.
John Grass Speaks for an Hour from
Living Notebooks.
Young men Should be Favored as
Old Men Soon Die.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15-The Sioux Indian
chiefs began their conference with the Sec
retary of the Interior this morning. The
conference opened with prayer In the Sioux
language by Rev. Mr.. Cleveland, a member
OF the commission. When he repeated the
Lords prayer, some Of the Indians repeated
it with him. Secretary Villas asked the In
dians to state freely their objections to the
proposed law providing for the sale of por-
tion of the great Sioux reservation in South
ern Dakota.
Sitting Bull said he simply wished to say
he belonged to the government Of the United
States, and when he addressed the Secretary
and members Of the commission as my
friends" he did so because he was one of the
people. The Indians, he said, wished to
speak in regard to this law as men to men,
and he hoped everything would be done in
quiet manner. His words caused chorus
OF approving 'ughs" from the other Indians.
John Grass, the leading speaker among
the Indians, then took the floor. He spoke
slowly and stopped frequently TO consult
with the Indians seated near him. He apOl-
ogized for taking time for consultation by
saying that he was ignorant and could not
use notes. He therefore made use Of the In
hour. He said he had never opposed the bill
as whole, but only as to some OF its parts.
In speaking of the treaties Of 1868 and
1876, he asked why the obligations Of these
treaties had never been executed by the gov
ernment. Under the former treaty, money
due them had never been paid, and the
schools promised had not been established
until ten years ago. Pointing to a map he
mad taken from his pocket, he asserted that
the western boundary line Of the reservation
Sl0nIQ a w nf ha Ia
cation. he wanted to know who moved
this line, who had gotten the land that right
fully belonged to them. His objection TO
the present law was that the portion of the
reservation the government proposes to take,
Dy rights contains great deal more than
II, 100000 acres. He said he had changed his
mind about the price they ought to receive,
and was now of the opinion that instead OF
90 cents per acre they ought to have 81 25,
lust what the government sells its lands for.
Since he had been here, and also while pas
ing through the great cities on his way, he
learned that white people did not want their
reservation thrown open to settlement He
asked that all the land in the reservation be
classed as grazing land, not as farming land.
thus enabling those entitled to 160 acres to
get 800. He maintained that it was wrong
TO give the heads of families double the
amount given women and children, and said
old men would soon die and therefore they
would not need so much land as the young
hiOA NJ hau OWu way 10 MAKE. LIE
counselled that the disposition of the reser-
least.
Speeches were made by sixteen chiefs, who
repeated the points raised by Grasse. Big
Name OF the Lower Brute agency, announced
himself In favor Of the law, and expressed
confidence in the good intentions of the gov
ernment. He was the only speaker who fav-
ored the law. White Ghost and Drifting
Goose, Of the Crow agency, claimed that the
members Of the commission had endeayored
to secure the compliance of the Indians by
harsh words. They declared the commits
sloners had seized Indians and dragged them
forward to the table to sign the paper.
Commissioner Cleveland told a reporter
who sat next to him that the language used
by these Indians was hyperbOlic, and that of
course force in no form was used or attempt
ed to be used. Major Anderson, the agent,
corroborated this statement.
When the Indians concluded speaking, the
Secretary told the chiefs that all they had
said would be laid before!theP ent They
would be informed of his decision Wednes.
day moaning at the same place. The onfer-
ence then adjourned.