Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-01
Took an Oath on It.
Mighty Little Progress Made
with the Sioux Indians.
ANOTHER CONFERENCE AND holland

They swear by the treat spirit ihal thtS
viii Not Sign the Treaty and Their
Speakers Make Some sharp Answers to
the White Mems Oratory-Sitting Bull
i'll Camp. but Only to Keep His People
Stuhborn-The situation.
STANDING Rock AGENCY. d T. Aug. l.
Yesterdays conference was hv lar the most
important vet held between the commission
crs and the Indians 1t was tn" most inter
estinr because new influence, were brought
to hear upon tie Indians, and because they
showed more than ever their orposltion to
the treaty Monday night the Indians had
council in which every one Of their number
over Is Years of ace was present Speeches
more earn st aud fiery thau ever were made
by tGr chiefs After ti,lt. John Grass, Mad |
+ N and others of prominence had spoken |
vote was tqken on the acceptance of the
treaty, and every dusky warrior shouted
"Nul~
Not satisfied with this the most solemn
scene Of the week was enacted. every Lustiau
taking an oath to the Grrat Spirit that lie
wouit s.gu no paper relative Ia the treaty
that he would Sign neither the black paper
whirl, meant ve-. nor the red pap,r which
cusnlzaut Of tn, tactS when they met in con
ference Yesterday they would not have been
| 50 hopeful The commissioners npsuei the
| conference promptly al q o'clock yesterday
morning. all the lut,ans Icing present, i'll
| cludiug Sitting Bull, who arrived Monday
| evening Tho cid chief Is sullen and reticent,
| hut hr informed All Interpreter that he would
never consent tc the signing ct the treaty hy
| any of hi- friends nud that he thought the
| proposition was all tn favor ot the white
| man.
Alter oTeniug The conference Chairman
| Pratt introduced Governor Church. who ar
rived at The agency Monday evening. Ihe
governor spoke to the Indians for thirty
minutes and delivered uha: wa considered a
very convincing and effective speech He
did ali he crull 10 convince the Indians that
the treaty was in their best interests and
evidently made quite an impression upon
their minds AGENT Mclaughlin then spoke,
and ae he has the utmost confidence of the
Indians it Na> thought he would ha able u
win them over in favor OF treaty. He
| pleaded earnestly for the measure and was
followed hy Judge Wright, who occupied
about thirty minutes But all the Speeche.
r we're without effect 50 far as the evidence o
change could he found i'll the replies of thu
Indians
John Grass was the first of the Indians Il
G reply He said Why do YOU want on
lands. Have you not enough land for tn
white peopet Look across the river,
| ..uting 10 the opposite side Of the Missouri
You will e house here and there. mile
apart; why do your white people not tax
that land and let us alonei Nou are not pay
/ ing us enough for our land; 40 cents all acr
n is not enough oar land must be wort
-, much to the white men, for when they frs
come here they are very poor and after the
Is have been here some time they are [pOintin
:. to the commissioners and the governor
10 dressed very we'll | will not sign either pa
per
ar Grass maintained his reputation as
ID speaker and won applause from the Indian
, Mad Rear spoke next He opposed the treat
strongly Among other things he said j
it reply e. the statements of the commissioner
ID 81 do not believe the Great Fathers hea
will I've bad if We do not sign, aud | will n
sign
This was pretty discoursgng to the cor
le mlssioners Tut they will not give up We
U and will hold another conference Sittir
) Bull said Yesterday afternoon that he Won
;, not consent To the opening Of the reServ
ed ton The chiefs informed the commiSsio
,a ers Of the action of the Indians in taking
oath that they would not sign MI intere
he centprs on Sitting Bull, but he refuses
to have much to- say He would not enter t
n, cir Yesterday, but sat outside on his POI
with Ram-n the Face who also declined
oe become a part of the circle. Sitting Rr
lot Rain-in-th,. Face. Long Dog aud Circii
, Bear are the most bitter OF the Indians. a
thGS, who think they have no intlu-r
We among their people are mistaken
ne Iu j. worthy of consideration that wiEhiT
If few hours after the time Of Sitting Bulls
rival AT the agency the oath to the tIra
tit Spirit was taken and as Sitting Bull was
me medicine man ut the nation during the gr'
l,.- Indian war. thi- is known to b. one nj
tactics in controlling the tribes Sitti
l'u Bull dad not prop"S. the oath in open COZ
ctl but his emisSarIeS were SprInk
through tn, circle and did this work tn
has been much disappointment among Y
tors VITO have bean DESTROYS OF hearing q
-p-tk He has thus far spoken hut
all words To- the commissioners. 1t looks
though he has said ali That he intends to
nd to them He does Ills speaking IN the
mid | dian council where he is tine greatest lea
lew in TIL nation. He sits in the conference
mighty watchdog to see that his follow
do not waver Sitting Bull will NOT h
murti to say until there Is evidence that
Indians may s1gn aud then be will be be
\ from
1t was expected that Running Antel
would b- friendly to the proposition.
loo ,.i,--,-. baatt friendly IA tho Xyb