Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-08-04
CONTRACTING OPINIONS.
What Will the Standing Rock Indians
doa-Cla:ms that they Will Sign.

What Will tho STANDING Rock Indians
doa-Cla:ms that they Will Sign.
Standing Rock Agency, Aug. The
council to-day lasted over four hours,
bat nothing was accomplished. The
Indians still refuse to sign. Speeches
were made BY Gall, Mad Bear. Sitting
Bull and other chiefs. Sitting Boil said
he was opposed to tie treaty, and as
many OF the Indians had crops to look
alter there was no use Of keeping them
in council longer. Isll said he yould
never sign either paper and that this was
final. After making this declaration he
went mp and shook hands with eaor
commissioners as evidence Of his friendIi-
ness to the whites. He sImply opposes
the treaty and says he does not believe
the great father will be very much dis
pleased. The Indians have not much
land left compared with the vast posses.
sions OF their forefathers and he could
not see why the government wanted to
take half they had less when there wes
SO much vacant land elsewhere. II was
expected that il the Indians could be
convinced to-day that they had NOT in.
terpreted the 1868 and 1876 treaties
properly they could be induced to sign !.
The commission had these treaties ex-
planned by the same interpreters who
who participated in making them, but
it seemed to have no effect upon those
now in council. IL Ia believed to-day
that after the beat killing Saturday and
drawing OF rations Monday most Of the
Indians will leave the agency The
commission will open the papers for
siEning Friday or Saturday and will get
the Interpreters, who are getting S. per
day from the government, to lead of.
They will hardly have courage TO refuse,
Pierre. Dak., Aug, Direct and re-
liable information received from goY-
ernment official, who is now at Standing
Rock agency. tonight, is to the effeot
that the Indians will sign the treaty
beyond q doubt, and shat the dispatches
sent out from that agency to ths press
are unreliable and manufactured for
sensational purposes. The gentleman
further states that tho commission re-.
ceiyed its instructions from Washineton
to get the indiana signatures, and they
are going to do it. The reds are simply
holding off for presents and feasts, and
at no conference has there been any
strong opposition TO signing the treaty.
This intelligence, together with that re-.
ceived from loxef Bruls and Grow creek
this morning to the effect that there was
no opposition down there, confirms the
belief that the commission will succeed
in its work, and that within three
months.
Bismarck, Oak. Aug, 2-Gov. Church
and Auditor Ward returned last evening
from Standing Rock agency. While
there Gov, Church made 4 apaeoh In tha
Indians. He says while the Indians are
stubborn. be believes the commission
/ viii finally induce them 10 Sign. Au-
ditof Ward gays he believes there
has been . CHANGE and that The In
dians are holding nut simply to get
moro fationa. and Thar they Will finally
sign. Mr.. Graham OF Des Moines, Iowa,
Who also attended the councils two OF
three days. does mot coincide with this
belief. Hs.does NOT believe the Indians
| let this agency can be induced TO sign
she black paper. and he doubts * thee
viii sign the red. ~.
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