St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-28
STUBBORN SIOUX.
They Do Not Take Kindly to the
PalaYer of the Commissioners.

LOWER BRULE AGENCY, Dak., Sept.
25, via Chamberlain, OAK, Sept. 27.-
The council of Sioux delegates met to-
day for their second days work.
The bill having been fully ex-
planned by the commissioners
yesterday, the Indians were to-day
expected to state their objections or
opinions, and to ask for any needed in
formation. Capt. Pratt told of his talk
with the secretary of the interior two
weeks ago, and told the Indians that the
secretary had something to say to them.
These woIds, he said, came directly
from the secretary. They were, in sub
stance, the following:
1.-The government does not understand
your reasons for refusing the bill before you
hear it. nor why you do not take up your
allotments and support yourselves. 1t does
not understand why ii has to clothe and feed
YOU when you promised in 1876 to do it for
Yourselves: nor why you do not take land in
severalty, Ike the white man, who starts
without anything, but makes his own living
and supports you. too. The government has
found out that your young men can go out
in the East and work like anybody. 1t does
not take more than three years TO give up
Indian ways and live like white people
The old men ought to be smarter than the
young men. You refuse year after year to
take allotments of 160 acres free gift and
make a living out of it, The man over the
river pays for his 16O acres, when it is no
better than yours.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ASHAMED
and Is losing heart in asking appropriations
to support you. 1t begins to think your lead
ers are not wise. 1t does not understand
why, after so many years it has to use force
to put your children in school. The govern
ment says you violate your treaty III not send
ing your children to school, and by not tax
ing allotments. By your own acts you are
released from any further support. The
government is afraid you have been listening
to men who are enemies TO the government
and to you"
The meeting was then thrown open
to the Indians. and Swift Bear and
Good Voice, of the Rose Bud agency,
said they would take the Great Fathers
word home and discuss it there with their
people. Pine Ridge agency accepted
the bill. Braves from the Cheyenne
River agency objected to it on these
points:
First-Fifty cents an acre is too small
price. The standard government price is
Second-The Flandreau Indians who have
sold all their own land have no right TO share
in the benefits of this treaty.
Third-We are not yet ready for land in
severalty.
Fourth-We are men like you, although we
are not white, and why
SHOULD WE NOT BE CONSULTED
beforehand in regard 10 the terms of sale?
We do not like to be compelled to sign the
paper just as it is nor refuse it altogether.
Fifth-You say that schools were promised
us for twenty years from the treaty Of 1868,
and that the provision expires this year. We
do not think so. We have not had the prom
ised schools for more than ten years. Let
the twenty years begin with the time the
schools began and we shall have schools for
ten years longer.
The Crow Creek representative was
for the measure. The Lower Brules
were for the bill. White Ghost asked
to 60 to Washington and Capt. Sewers
stated that some Of his people had col
lected over $500 to pay the expenses of
visit to the Great Father, but
that they had been refused per-
mission to go. John Grass, the
famous leader of the opposition at