Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1888-11-03
hoE - SEQ.

The church yenture to hea,+ta4tho
the sentiment at Washington g.a s .le
expressed s1ItSa. DE De he country in general ,ow
II she ..s's5ut dealing with the Indl,m
than they did before the visit Of t6s
Sioux chiefs to Washington, s,.ys tho
Pioneer Press. Those VINO counsel
any future attempt at NEGOTIATION
! along the old lines are jncurable. The
bare proposition is this: shall the
vast domain now allotted to the
! Sioux Indians remain forever untitled
and uninhablted, q barrier 10 progress
and useless encumbrance 10 its nom
inal possessors .,-er viii congress DrO-
coed authorigatively to open it on
terms that are just and fair to the
parties most interested? TheI is no
middle ground.
1t was perfectly obvious, during the
session OF the commission at the sey-
eral agencies, that few influential
chiefs had the matter in their own
hands, and that they intended to play
it for all that it was worth. They
had no idea, from the beginning, OF
permittin the ratification ofan agree
ment deemed satisfactory by all
people familiar with the case, includ-
ING the best friends OF the Indian.
They were pledged 20 make the treaty
fail But they are no more averse to
the delights OF travel than their civil
lied brothers, and they succeeded in
getting trip to Washington. Once
there they pursued the same tactics.
They had decided to make demands
which the government could not
grant; and the more palaver there
was about it, the longer they could
spin out the discussion in true Indian
style, the more leisure for sightseeing.
Brought up with quck turn by the
secretary OF the interior, they were
obliged TO submit their demands, and
the case was dismissed.
This is exactly what must happen
so long as the government proceeds
upon the impractical and utterly
absurd assumption that it is treating
with equals. 1t does not have to do
with the Sioux as a whole, but with
a clique of chiefs whom tine tribes dare
not disobey. These chiefs do not
want any arrangement. Trey do not
propose to encourage any advance
toward civilization that includes work
as one OF its conditions. They are
prepared to meet with fresh demands.
each more preposterous than its
predecessor, every proposition that
may be made to them. Let congress
face the situation, Thee IS no more
sense in the "treaty" form Of proceed
ing than there would be in submitting
each law to a vote of the parties in
terested before it Smould be put on
passage. There is less; because there
at least individual differences OF opin-
ion would have fair weight, while here
a few men, obstnatelY opposed to
anything that leads toward civiliza-
ton, have the decision entirely in
their hands.
All that remains to decide is wheth-
er q knot OF barbarians, OF whom Sit
ting Bull, proud of his murderous rec
ord. is the leading spirit, shall be per-
mJJea 20 veto forever the lntrOduc-
ton OF civilized methods OF living
among the indians and the develop
ment OF a territory OF immense re-
sources. There * but one thing to be
done. Let congress pass at its next
session, a bill to open the Sioux reser-
walton on such terms as the most de
voted champions OF Indian rights
shall concede to be not only fair but
liberal. Then let that law 90 into
force, without any fsrcical attempt to
secure, from the Indians, a form OF
consent which, whether conceded or
refused, means absolutely nothing as
an indication Of opinion either intelli-
gent or free.