The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-06
VOORHEES, AND PIERCE DISAGREE
Pleasantries of the Senators on a
Subject Of Life and Death to
the Dakota Settlers.
The Election Bill introduced and
Senator Turpie Of Indiana
Takes the Floor
Against it.


today Hawley reported and asked to
have put upon its passage joint resolu-
tlon authorizing the secretary of war to
issue arms and ammunition to the states
of North and South Dakota. henderson
moved to amend it by also including the
state of Nebraska, and he referred to the
threatened uprising of the Sioux Indians
on their reservation there.
Voorhees, said that if the proposition
were one to issue hundred thousand
rations of food to the starving Indians It
would be more consistent with Christian
civilization Maj. Gen. Miles, he said,
had stated in a public interview that the
Indians were driven to revolt or into
savagery by starvation, and 1t was, in his
judgment, an inexpiable crime on the
part of the government to stand silently
by and do nothing except furnish arms
to whites. He criticized severely the
management of the Indian bureau. After
remarks by Hawley and Dawes, Pierce
said that he had sometimes wondered
that the white people in that region did
not themselves go on the warpath, be-
cause they, were hungry. The Indians
seemed to get hungry as well as noble,
the further people got away from them.
Qaughter.) He (Pierce) lived within a
few miles of the great Sioux reservations.
Voorhees-Does the senator suppose
that Gen. Miles does not know what he
is talking about or that he does not know
better about Indian affairs than citizen
Of Dakota?
Pierce-1 am nearer to the Indians
than Gen. Miles is. have no doubt that
at some of the agencies there are Indians
who complain Of insufficient food. But
do question very much whether General
Miles made the statement attributed to
him in the newspapers. If the sen ator
from Indiana we're starving and had a
Winchester rife, l venture to say he
could get a barrel Of -four without any
trouble. The trouble with the Indians is
that they are fed and clothed and allow
ed to live on the bounty of the govern
ment and that therefore, as the old adage
says, "The devil finds mischief still for
idle hands to do" apprehend that you
might take the same number of white
people and put them on a reservation and
feed and clothe them and take care of
them, and that in less than six months
they also would go upon the war path.
l hope that the JOINT resolution will pass
Voohees paid high compliment to the
soldiers and other good qualities of Gen
Miles and SAID he woulu take his state
ment for sooner than that of senator
who lived near the Sioux reservation and
who with his people) wanted to get In
dian lands as soon as possible. One was
a reliable officer, the other IS the fox
lying around the pen where geese were
waiting to get some of them. daughter
The discussion had not closed when the
hour Of 2 O'Clock having arrived the vice
president laid before the senate as un
finished business the election bill anc
Turpie took the floor in opposition to it
At the conclusion Of his speech the senate
adjourned.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-Senator Pierc,
has prepared bill for the APPROPRIATED
of $500, 900 for the maintenance Of For
Lincoln. He thinks it will pass.
Congressman Carter Is preparing bill
providing for donation to Montana of al
desert lands on condition that the stat,
provides for reclamation of certain por
tions of them. Grant will carry with i
control of certain waters and cutting o
lumber.