Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20
LOS SIDE OF THE ACCOUNT.


Los SIDE OF THE ACCOUNT.
Various Transactions in which Uncle Sam
| Has Got the Best Of Him.
UxREQu1rKp CLAIMS now p1aEoS-HoLxp AT TIL
cAPIToL-TRKATIEs THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CAR
RIKD oUT-THE PRESENT COMPLAINT OF TIL
sIoUx-LANDs TAKEN WITHOUT REcoMPENsE.
TREATIEs WITH INDIANS have been Of
l. common occurrence in the history of thii
country. Congressional files are loaded with
papers in connection with agreements tina,
wait for congressional action; that have beer
waiting many years. Now for few hard facts
On August 10, 1866, treaty between the United
States and the Indians Of the Choctaw and
Chickasaw tribes was ratified and proclaimed
This treaty provided for the cession of large
tract of land, for which the nation was to pay
the Indians the sum Of $6. ,714.65. The In
dams no longer possess the land nor do they
possess the six millions Of dollars. Numerous
reports have been made on bills which pro-
vided for the payment of the claim.
| On the 18th day of August, 1866, a treaty was
entered into with the Greek Indians and there
is now a bill pending which appropriates the
sam of S400, 900 to carry out the treaty provi-
sions made, signed, sealed and delivered, SO far
as the Indians were concerned, twenty-four
years ago.
THE MINNESOTA CASE.
Old-time settlers in the northwest have not
! forgotten the bloody splash on the first page of
their history-that awful Minnesota massacre.
| Congress made immediate financial reprisal by
cutting off the payment of annuities to Sioux
| Indians and in 80 doing unintentionally became
unjust. There we're many members of the
SlsSptOn WahnetOn akanf Wau-
pakoota bands, who, in the war which followed
the outbreak, remained loyal to the authorities.
| Many of them enlisted as scouts and served
against the hostile portions of their own tribes;
others enlisted in the United States army and
fought bravely. Committee after committee
has reported favorably on the proposition to
pay these loyal Indians the annuities due them,
amounting in all to S3O5, 1888, but nothing
practical has been done.
NORTH DAKOTA AND COLORADO.
In December, 1886, treaty was entered into
with the Fort Berthold Indians by which a
great tract of the Fort Berthold reservation in
North Dakota was ceded to the United States,
and the price which representatives of the
United States agreed to pay for the land was
| SSOOOOO, in ten annual installments. The Gros
| Ventres, Mandans and Arickarees. who sold the
land are waiting patiently for the first INSTALL
| ment of that $500, 900, now two years overdue.
The southern Ute Indians-the Weemnuches,
have little account they would like the United
| States to settle. The recompense due these
Indians for the lands coded to the nation was
fixed at $50, 0OO payable in five annual INSTALL
ments and to be divided per capita. In addi-
ton to the cash payment the government was
to give the Utes 800, 900 worth of sheep, to be
| divided equally among the members of the
bands, irrespective of age or sex.
THE CGUR DALENE INDIANS
II any tribe Of red men has grievance
against the United States it is that branch of
the new Messiah's family known as the Ceur
d'Alene Indians, now located on a little reser-
walton in northern Idaho. Time was, and not
so long ago, when these Indians were the pos
sessing occupants of magnificent tract of
territory, but now they have nothing left but
their reservation, the other lands having been
| seized by whites without remuneration or in
demnity.
A thousand fortunes have been made out of
this vast estate, yet the rightful owners have
never received one cent of recompense. When
Chief Joseph, with his wrathful Nez Perces,
| swept through Idaho the CGur d'Alenes de-
Tended white settlers. their homes and families
| the C9ur dAlene chief, SOltise, rendering
especially valiant service. A treaty was made
terms of which they ceded to the United States
every foot Of land except that which
composed their reservation, and in re-
turn were to receive Sl5O,0OO. Since that date
another commission secured for the govern
ment other rights and promised to pay for
the same the sum of S5O0,OOO. The bargain was
a good one so far as the government was con-
cerned, for, says report made by Representa-
tive Wilson, ''the total area acquired by the
United States under these two treaties, pro.
posed and agreed to be coded by the CGIr
Alene Indians, aggregates about 5000, 900
acres, more or less, secured at total cost of
$3.50 900, making an average cost of about %
cents, more or less, per acre." But there il no
appropriation as yet.
THE COMPLAINT OF THE SIOUX.
Let the Indian himself give fairly good sue
cessiOn of reasons for the present discomfort
among the Sioux. American Horse is doing
the talking and he is directly addressing Indian
Agent Roger at Pine Ridge. 1t happened three
weeks ago.
Il think" said American Horse, "the late
Sioux commissioners Gen. Crook, Mai. War
ner and Gov. FOSTER had something to do with
starting this trouble. / was speaker for the
whole tribe. In a general council signed the
bill the late Sioux bil), and $50 signed with
me; the other members Of my band drew out
and 1t divided us, and ever since these two par
ties have been divided. The non-progressive
| started the ghost dance to draw from us. We
were made many promises, bu: have never
heard from them since. The Great Father saws
| if we do what he directs it will be to our bene-
tit, but instead of this they are every year cut
ting down our ratlOns, and we do not get
| enough to keep us from suffering. Gen. Crook
| talked nice to us, and after we signed the bill
they took our land and cut down our allow
| ance of food.
The commission made us believe that we
would get full sacks if we signed the bill, but
| lnsteadOf that our sacks are empty. We lost
considerable property by being here with the
commissioners last year and have never got
anything for it. Our chickens were all stolen
| our cattle some of them were killed. Our crops
| were entirely lost by us being absent here with
| the Sioux commission and we have never been
benefited one bit by the bill, and in fact we are
worse of than we were before we signed the
bill.
I'VE are told if we do as white men we will
be better of, but we are getting worse off every
year.
THE commissioners promised the Indians
| living on Black Pipe and Pass creeks that if
| they signed the bill they could remain where
| they were and draw their ratiOns at this agency,
showing them on the map the line, and our
people want them here, but they have been or
dered to move back to Rosebud agency. This
| Is one OF the broken promises. The commits
| sion promised to survey the boundary line and
| appropriate 81 600 for the purpose. but it has
| not been done. When we were at Washington
the President, the Secretary of the Interior and
the commissioner all promised us that we would
get the 900 900 pounds of beef that was taken
| from us and heard the bill appropriating the
| money passed Congress, but we never got the
| beef. The commissioner refused to give it to
II