St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-06
Six Hundred Signatures Sc
cured by the Commission
at Standing Rock.
This Tnsures the Opening Of
the Sioux Reservation to
Settlement.
Hundreds of Emigrants Ready
to Invade the Promised
Land.
Special to the Globe.

STANDING Rock AGENCY, Aug. B.
The most important work in the his
tory of Dakota. and one of the most sig
nificant victories of the government
over the ignorance and preJudlceS OF
Indians has been accomplished. The
requisite number of signatures for the
opening of the great Sioux reservation
was secured to-day, the sensation OF the
morning council being the signing by
Chief Gall, who was the field general
of the Indians during the memorable
Custer campaign, and who, until within
the past few days has been most Bit
terly opposed to the treaty. Gall made
no speech, as was expected lie would
when he signed. but with his faithful
followers around him and in the pres
ence of those whom for years he had
Influenced against giving up the lands,
he marched silently to the roll, touched
the pen and amid the applause OF
the friendly Indians and the dis
approving grunts of the Sitting
Bull band it was announced that
Gall had signed. This settled it. The
Blackfeet and Upper and Lower
YanktonianS followed Gall, and signed
with a rapdity and eagerness that
proved the wonderful influence of this
powerful chief. During all of the day
the Indians have been signing, and to-
night the 100000 acres of land to
which the whites have been looking
lOngingly for so many years are
ioiced. over their success, and
will leave tomorrow, justly proud
of their work. An attempt to inter
view them to-day was futile, as they
have been kept steadily at the tables
where the Indians were signing. 10
get some idea OF what the Indians
really
EXPECT TO GAIN BY SIGNING
the treaty the Indians were sought out
for interviews. Gall had very little to
say, and acted as though he half re-
GREETED having given his consent;
he has very jealousy guarded
what he believed to be the
interests of his tribes and looked with
diSfavor and suspicion on every effort
get their lands. To-day he SAID to
a GLOBE reporter that he had very
little to say to the outside world through
the press. Closing with these words:
/ have given my consent. My Indians
have signed because | told them to. after
learning that the government could take our
lands for nothing if 1t wanted to. The
whites have now got our lands. and l hope
they will ne satisfied and let US live in peace
in the future.
John Grass was more talkative, and
with the aid of an Interpreter the fol-
lowing interview was secured, which
shows the bitterness of feeling between
Grass and Sitting Bull:
why did you and your Indians hold out so
long on this treaty question:
I'VE held out" Grass replied Ito get bet
ter terms for our land We do not think we
are getting enough for it. and then when we
found the Indians at the lower agencies were
signing we thought it the best we could do"
what is your idea of the future of the In
dlanS of the great Sioux reservation, and
what do they hope TO gain by signing this
treaty?"
I'VE hope to receive such help from the
government and the white people as viii en-
able us to become like them-tO become civil
lized. to make money, TO live in good houses
and have the same comforts the whites en-,
JOY. There is one big log in our way, though
and that is Sitting Bull. he is utterly worth
less to us, and keeps us back more than he
helps us on. He is of no consequence to us,
and if the whites think SO much of him they
had better come and get him. He never was
chief and is always noisy in making
trouble He has gathered around him band
of bad men having no idea of civilization, and
all he seems 10 want is 1otorlety. He has not
only opposed the present treaty, but always
has opposed civilization and always will be q
nasty man TO get along with. When he gets
into trouble he makes fine promises but aft
erWardS SneakS out of them
'N hat do you think should be done with
Bun for his trying to break up the council
and prevent the Indians from signing the
tTeatys"
Il think the government ought to take him
away off. and keep him in prison away from
these indians. He is no account, and his in
hSs fcrT, fp11 bod nI,O
government should at once remove him from
the reservation. We will never make any
progress towards civilization while this man
is permitted to stay here. 1t is better to send
one man away tnan that the whole nation
should suffer by being kept back"
What is the general idea of the Indians
regarding civilization? Do they want it or
nOt?''
"Yes. we want to be civilized and live like
the white people. We want to earn our liv-
ing and learn to be as the whites, but so long
as we have the diSturber and his bad in
fuence to contend with we can't accomplish
very much"
what do h Indians generally think of
this bill?i You have met them in your private
councils, in camp, and ought to know more
of their ideas and wishes than has been made
known in the general councils"
They are all willing to sign--thatis. all ex-
cept those who are influenced by Sitting
Bull They all want to become like the
white men. You see our young men and
young women here have formed themselves
into q society, under the direction of Father
Croft and the Catholic church, and are max
ing good steps towards civilization. They
have dropped the Indian ways, and are bet
ter than they used to be. We must depend
on our young people. If we could keep our
young men from camp life at school or some
place ii would be better for them and for u.s.
The government should encourage them. and
cease TO encourage old men like Sitting Bull,
who can never keep their tongues quiet"
"What do you think OF Gov. Fosters idea
of having industrial schools at the agency?'
1t is a good one. If the government
would build big houses, where they could
teach our young men TO make wagons, har-
ness, shoes and clothes for ourselves. and
teach them the white peoples language be-
sides, it would be good, and we would like it.
hope they will do this. 1t would help US
instead of leaving them to loaf around their
camps making mischief
Thus spoke Grass. Sitting Bull. when
asked what be believed the effect of
opening the reservation on the Indians
would be, exclaimed:
Don't talk to me about Indians. There
are no Indians left. Excepting my band OF
Uncapapas they are all dead, and those still
wearing the clothing OF warriors are only
squaws. 1 am sorry for my followers who
have been defeated and their lands taken
from them"
1t is learned to-day that the Indians
have all along doubted that the govern
ment had the power to take their lands
without paying them what they asked,
and not until John Grass became salts
fed of this point by consultation with
lawyers In Bismarck did he consent to
accept the treaty. The Indians will
now be compelled to take land in sever