Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-09-08
10! HI POOR INDIAN.
Progress OF the Work Mt Crow Creek
BAD white ascn Eatesfere with the

|H..
Progress of Work ut Crow Creek
Sad white ascn Eate.fers With the
Reds.
Chamberlain, sept. s The commits
~sioners to get signatures came down
from Grow Greek yesterday end crossed
over to Lower Bfuie sgenoy last night.
They begin their work there to-day.
The long and tedious work Of Grow
| Creek resulted IN giving the ,Hlaus a
full understanding of the PROVISIONS of
the treaty. All questions were clearly
and fully answered ard the most skeptl-
col and stubborn Indian was met with
facts aud logic that was u~nanswerable
on his part and to any fair minded man
would have been overwhelming COL
vincing. The treaty was presented to
them on Saturday evening sor signatures
end up TO Wednesday morning l25 out
of 293 had signed. Tue commission
concluded they could do no more by
stayiEg at Grow Greek go they LIFT a
copy of the treaty with n of the en-
ployes OF the agency for ell to sign who
go desire and they csme down and Will
begin at Lower Brule.
To say that 1t is q disappointment to
the commission is not extravaganza.
They believed, and so did ell who know
the Indians at Grow Greek. that little or
no trouble would be experienced In get
ting their consent to the treaty. Bnt
they e~lectioneered and counselled among
themselves until quite a strong senti-
ment was worked up against the treaty.
The young men were in favor of ratify-
ing the offer OF the government, but the
old men, the ssges of the tribe, as q rule
opposed it on the ground that they were
not getting enough for the land.
No greater farce was ever enacted than
this effort to treat with the Indians.
The supreme court OF the United States
has twice decided that the government
can only treat with a foreign power and
that ludians are wards Oft . nation. lu
the face and front of these two decisions
the American congress-, Impelled by a
slckly sentiment born and nnrtured III
the east among a people who have no
practical knowledge of the Indian. his
wants his character or his disposition,
insist that before q citizen of the repub-
lie can take possession OF 100 acres OF the
public domain as q homestead all this
sort OF tomfoolery OF treating with the
Indian muat be gone through with, Lit
the question OF settling rights and titles
w Gubse lAuuS were lSlb w nch "a
practical knowledge o4 the wants and
necessities OF the Indian, it would be
settled in q very short time, and settled
in such q name es to be nst and eqult-
able to the Indian as we'll as the white
man. But the present commission is
hedged in by an ironcIad law that Oh
~solutely leaves them no discretion. They
can only offer the Indian what the law
provides, and the Indisn is as well
versed in the act of congress as the com.
mission ia, and true to his nature he
demands more than is provided for by
lew. This difficulty meets the commits
sion ct every turn, II is no fault OF
theirs, but of such eminent philanthropy
lists as Senator Dawes, OF Massachusetts,
{ and others.
Added to this is the innate meanness
of such meddlesome loafers as Qainn,
secretary OF the Dakota railroad commits.
sion, who followed the commissioner
J to Standing Rock as a correspondent.
and by every means with his reach
thwarted and hampered them in their
work. He gave aid and comfort to the
/. b%elligerent inclined Indians, and
vas swift TO herald all over the conntrJ
9 Ithat the commission was q failure. Wher
! demonstrated with for sending false spe
sensational reports he turned upon Caps
: r. Fl. Pratt and abused him in . scandal
Gus manner This proceeding OF a hire
ling of the Northern Pacific railroad,
man kept in bread by the tax payers o
Dakota. had the effect OF st,rline mp 81
the bad blood Of the Indians at Standinl
Rook and they communicated with al
the agencies. The first thing an India'
does, who is inclined to oppose th
y treaty, is to relate the failure OF tn
u commissioners at Standing Rock an
= add. white men said they are right
' not asserting to the sreaty." This Sol
IL IL OF opposition was stirred mp and egge
g. on by such meddlesome hirelings
Quinn. Tha people npon the borders
10 the reservation believe the railroad con
ID missioners should discharge Mr.. Gain
as from his soft snap OF q place end let bi
H. go among the indians and get his ration
gs where he done his dirty work.
i'd