St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-02


the gentlemen from the borders of bar
barism to secure an enactment which
would open the Sioux reservation, with
out submitting to the arbitrament of ig-
norance and depravity, is to be regretted
by all right-minded men. Gentlemen
have been here year after year praying
congress to sweep away that barrier of
aboriginal greed. avarice and savagery
Delegates and eX-deiegates have spoken
and pleaded for their people. Men
OF all classes have humbly
sought that boon of thrift and
enterprise, a chance. No opportunity
like its predecessors. has been almost
heartless. One thing has been espe-
cially noticeable. Opposition to the
proposed measure has not come from
any member of congress or senator who
lives OF has lived in the great North
west. We must look to Hooker, of Mis-
sissippi; Dawes, to Massachusetts; HOl-
man, of Indiana. and others from re-
mote portions of the Union, of offer OBJ
structiOns to the people who seek to
ENLARGE THE HORIZON
of our American civilization. 1t Is only
fair to say that these gentlemen are
eminently honorable and sincere. The
newspaper or the individual who abuses
cause no good. There is no more hon
orable, fair-miEded, sincere man in
either end of the capitol than Senator
Dawes. Yet he has been the great
source OF delay and hampering
IN this matter. Why? Solely
because he is broad-guaged
philosopher, who is well aware of the
und0ubted fact that the Indians have
been foully dealt with again and again
by the white race, and he is determined
while he is in congress to demand fair
play always for the Indian. On gen
eral principles, he is right. We who
know and feel the need of driving
a wedge between the bands of
understand, as Senator Dawes does
not, and seemingly cannot, that he does
wrong in this particular case. That is
to say, in defending the Indian. he goes
so far as to do the white men on either
side of the reservation great injustice.
But whoever blames Senator Dawes as
willfully obstI ucting civilization does
not know the man. Then there is Mr..
Holman, of Indiana. He is hon
est. sincere, honorable and PAINS
taking as a legislator. No man
studies public affairs more keenly and
faithfully than he. No man has more
the courage of his convictions in the
committee room and on the floor of the
house. He killed the bill on the Forty
ninth congress. and many have been
fatal objection at that time. Neverthe-
less. he was acting from sense of pub
lie duty, and did right as the right APP
peared to him. Gen. Hooker, of Missis-
sippi, is man very much like Mr.. Hol-
man in conscientious discharge of duty, /
He fought the
INFAMOUS OKLAHOMA BILL
all through the Fiftieth congress, solely
from high sense of duty to the entire
Some congressman either
or will not see anything beyond
their own districts. Gen. Hooker is
broad and liberal in his views. Upon
the question of the Sioux reservations
however, he was misinfermed atfirst. !
As soon as the matter was personally
to him by Col King and
by DR.. Bland, both sides being pre-
sented, he aided in amending the bill
so as to meet with the approval of the
house, and thus amended, he helped to
secure its passage in that body. The |
same things ought to be said concern
ing the other opponents of the bill. 1t |!
is idle folly to blame and berate men,
bers of congress for Directing to various |
pieces of legislation which come before |
them. They cannot fully understand |
every one of the $4,000 bills introduced. |
When measure comes up, involving |
II 100000 acres of public lands, |
and affecting the rights of the
original owners, they would not be fully |
alive to their duties if they did not hold |
up such measure until they investi- |
gate it. Meantime, while they are thus |
acting honestly and honorably, they are
a meritorious measure in |
which the best people in a great state |
and the average writer and |
critic abuses them roundly. Cui bono? |
What good is thus accomplished? The |
result of such abuse and villification is |
merely to render the average man stol-
dly and determinedly the enemy of the |
measure in question. S. ID. f.