The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-08-10

49, NHWrEE rIHa@l
which the commissioners are trying to gain
the 'copsentn Of t~hree.fourths OF the Indi,
ans at Standing Rock agency to the sur,
render Of O large portion OF their reserv.lr
ton the New York Tribune 81 this morn.
ing says:
What the commissioners are now doing
is only too apparent. They are trying To
bulid0ze the Indians; trying to intimidate
them into commenting 10 the treaty, and
what is worst oi all, trying todothis BY Al.
seging the dishonesty and peridy Of
their " government. The Sioux
are plainly told that they must not rely
upon che good faith OF congress, nor believe
that it will beep its engagements; end in
the same breath they are chidden because
they suspect the sincerity OF the govern
ment in it's proposals of payment OF their
! land Surely cynicism> rai> hardly so be.
You'd the exhibition tn: se Commissioners
are now making at Standing Rock. This
is their idea OF negotiating d treaty to
threaten the other party with ~high-handed
coDfiscation Of their lands ii they refuse to
sell them for less than they believe them
to be worth TO a government whose good
iaith they have reasons TO doubt. We are
compelled to repeat what we have said be-
lore, that the most brutal and reckless
seizure OF Indian lands would be less dis.
creditable than the methods at present
employed. II the country is not again to
be disgraced by the immortality and base.
ness OF it's Indian policy, the commission.
ers at Standing Rock must be instructed
to suspend their %bulidozing tactics and tell
the Indians that they are free TO decide the
question for themselves. In Il word, the
country must compel congress to stand by
its own laws, and the outrageous intima-
ton that unless the Sioux yield to threats
they win be plundered in cold blood by the
people Of the United States must be repu.
dated and rebuked emphatically,
A Washington special Of Che 9TH inst,
says: The failure OF the Sioux commission
to secure the consent OF the Indians to
any of the agreements Is very Notifying
to the interior department officials, for
Secretary Villas has taken a greater inter.
est In the success al the proposed opening
OF the reservation than in anything
else coming under his administration.
He selected his commission with a
special reference to their abil
ity to deal with the Indians, but such
Was his anxiety 20 secure an army officer
that after Crook aud Ruger declined to
serve, he selected Capt. Pratt, OF the Car
Isle school, for the place. 1t seems to
have been an unfortunate selection, I'M
officers OF the interior department are in
clined to place upon Pratt's shoulders the
larger share OF the responsibility for the
present attitude OF the Indians.
Pratt plunged right in there and
attempted to bulldoze the Indiaiis," said
one angry official. "andhe has ~notsueceed-
ed. He 10 a martinez and can do nothing
except in a brutal way. He was captain
in a negro regiment before he went to the
school and could knock his men around
as he saw fit. Then he got control Of
a large number Of Indian children at
Carlisle, N there he could bulldoze
and boss things. He used to treat
people in this department much the same
until he got a setback a while ago. Now
he has gone at this work oil delicate diplo-
macy like a bnll ia a china shop and, Of
course, he'd fail"
This opinion OF Pratt extends to several
other government departments that have
had dealings with him. The other mem
bers Of the commission could, it is thought.
secure the consent Of the Indians ii it were
not for Pratt.