The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-08

The Indian Office Prepared for the
Failure of the Sioux Commits
siOn's Work.
Passengers in a st. Paul Coach Re-
lieved Of NalUables by Masked
Robbers.

WASHINGTON, Aug l. Ie llluluh OlllC6 rs
fully prepared for the failure OF the nogO-
tatiOn with the Sioux for the opening OF the
great Dakota reservation. The new com
missioner, who Is n Rhode Island nun and
particularly green in Indian affairs, has little
to say about the negotiation, having received
no information from the commission since it
went out, and possessing no other data for
forming Il judgments But experienced Off
ciuls, interpreting the news that comes from
the agencies in the light of their knowledge
of Indian character and habits, do not
think tnut tho opposition 10 the
treaty developed at the less civilized
agencies Will be overcome. The first success
ut Ro>cbuu was urutraIized 10y the tlilure at
Pine Ridge aud all that was gained at the
lower river agencies threatens to be lost at
Standing Rock. The Indian office people
have no confluence in the motives and inten-
tions OF the leading chiefs at Standing Rock.
The original tribal relations are more com
plrtcly maintained and the influence of the
chiefs Is greater ut Standing Rock than at
any of tho southern agencies Much the
Same condition OF things still subslsts there
that existed at ROsebud before the power of
spotted Tail was broken, and that is still
found to degree at Pine Ridge. Ihele may
be no single chief at Standing Rock who has
the same power and influence with mis- tribe
as Red Cloud but the whole body of Chiefs
including Sitting Bull Gall and John Grass
are more potent IN the affairs of the tribes
than the head men of any other agency.
knowing this and remembering the bitter
opposition OF these chiefs to the sale OF any
reservation lands last year the Indian office
has little confidence that the requisite mum
Der OF signatures vet required to make up
three-fOurths OF the whole will be obtained
at Standing Rock.
The opinion already begins to be firmly
expressed by persons interested in these
matters in Washington, that only one course
will remain for the government after q
second refusal by the Sioux to negotiate for
the opening of their reservation. Congress-
OF course, has power to declare the reserva-
/ ton, or such part OF it as is not needed to
meet the requirements of the land in severaIty
act, open to settlement and a part of the
public domain 1t is believed here, even by
! persons who have always had the interests
of the Indians at heart, that this should be
done as soon as the legislation can be gotten
! through congress. Due provision will have
to be made, of course for the protection aud
maintenance of the Indians, but it will not
! be necessary to give them the
/ ing bill. The supcrtuous lands in the
! reservation can be opened to settlement
under the homestead law, without the for
mality of sale, and the government can as
sumo the responsibility of compromising the
Indians, by appropriating q lump sum, 10 be
! invested for their benefit, and its interest ex-
| pended for schools and for stock and agri-
! cultural implements as fast as they can be
! induced TO take and work land in severalty.
! There would probably be little opposition to
| such measure in the next congress, II the
real interests of the Indians were carefully
/ protected, except from selfish schemers of
the Bland type, and the sentimental cranks
who lend them Responsibility.
Such a simple measure as l have described
! would, in the long run, be better for the IN
dams than the present bill, with its cumbrOus
machinery for the sale of the lands, and the
loan of money to the Indians from the gov
ornment, to be repaid from the proceeds
| There is a clumsy fiction in this that deceives
nobody and irrtates everybody. The con-
veyance of the land is made to look to the
| Indians like q sale and to the settler like a
! gift; the payment of money is construed to
| look like a bride to the Indian, and like q
! purchase to the taxpayer Nobody is hum
| bugged, and nobody is grateful 10 the gov
ernmont Glad as the people of Dakota
were to get any bill, this measure is a poor
makeshift. The proposed substitute, suppos-
ing the pending measure to be rejected, will
be vastly more just and fair to the settlers
who shall enter upon the reservation
lands Too little has been said,
in the eagerness of the people to
get these South Dakota lands open in some
way, of the gross unfairness of making the
settler pay T1.20 an acre for lands west of
| the Missouri river when those east of that
stream have been ACC aired under the home
! stead law for nothing but an entry fee The
government should bear the expense of e&-
| tingulshing Indian title, not saddle it on the
settler. Tbs is what was done in the open
ing OF Oklahoma. The government bought
the Indian title to the lands for two or three
million dollars and threw it open to settle
ment under the homestead law This is
what ought to be done in Dakota. The gov
| eminent should eXtinguish the Indian title
to the superttuOus lands in~the reservation at
| its own cost and then throw them open to
! the settler.
This result can probably be brought about
! in the next congress, in case the present ne
gotiatiOns fail. Ii it can, such failure will
| be blessing IN disguise to the people of
Dakota and to the home seekers of the coun-
| Try. The Indians will never again get as
| good terms as are offered to them now The
! people will get vastly better Dakota will
stand in new position in the next congress,
with four senators and three representa-
ttves, instead Of one voteless delegate,
and half a dozen more new members
from the Northwest to back her Instead OF
being glad to take what she can get, Dakota
will be apt to get what she wants, so long as
she only wants what is reasonable and what
other communities have had. If congress is
disposed to be just to the people in the mat
ter of opening this reservation, there is not
likely to be much resistance from the Indian
office, which has lost patience with the
arrogance, Incidence and greed of the Sioux,
and thinks it is time the government stopped
pampering and pettlng them and treated
them like other Indians, who are made TO do
what is good for themselves and the public
T. A. earle.