New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-04
ARE THE INDIANS STARVED
THE SENATE DEBATING WHAT 1T SHALL DO
TO SUPPRESS THE THREATENED
OUTBREAK.
SHALL ARMS AND AMMUNITION BE FURNISHED
TO THE WHITES OR RATIONs AND lpoD
TO THE REDSKINS 1-GENER\L
MILES's VIEWS DISCUSSED


Mr. Uawley authorizing the secretary OF war ~ S"o
arms and ammunition to the states OF Nor'' al"
Dakota. Mr.. Voorhees, was the chiei sPc'ho. " Wv
opposition and his point was that instead vi ''>"e
nrs IN be whites hc Government should issue ra'iol'
10 the Indians whose disposition to takc 10 INV W."
he attributed to the fact that they were s''rVIS'
Nondersou moved 10 amend the resolution by hcI"u'"N
| Tho Stat. of Nebraska where. he said there WIS
threatened uprising Of the Sioux Indians on tcii rV
| walton. ii Aha, :,
the propositon were one to issue hundred thous"'
ratons of food TO the starving lhdians IL "'"" w
more consistent with Christian civilatl"h NldJ''
/ General Miles he said. had stated III pnpIo '"'o'
views that the Indians were driven 10 lc'o' ="
bclon or into savaCcry. by Starvation anu " was.
! in his judgment incapable CRIME Oh INC p"i' W
the Government to stand silently by ana ii" h"'nI"S
except furnish to the whites. ''ehcrn M''o,
had stated to the public he had previously sta'en
n him. that the Indians were beng S'"rNcu I''"
hostiIitics and that they preferred 10 dc nHhun8
rather than be starved to death Mr. \'"r''c' "
CARDS the policy pursued in the Administration "
Indian affairs as a crime revolving to man ana I"
| God The Indians had newspapers to make Known
/ t,cr suHqrurs and prvations. They had been SnIcr
ing for wears I'm silence There was blood outlines
somewhere in connection with ii. lie han lh"h""u
TO introduce a resolution asking for an Investigation
on the subject but he had an entire respect i'r 'ne
Committee
assume to instruct that committee. But somewhere
/ there Was blood outlines that would have t. be
answered for The ho>tiltics into which the Indians
/ in the Northwest being starved would result
not merely in the destruction of the lives OF many
Indians but OF the lives Of thousands OF Ame'l ="
citizens and hundreds Of American soldiers mat
condition Of things had been brought about by
nircardv parsmonious or dishonest pocy-hc Knew
NOT which, While he was willing that the john
resolution should pass and that the people "i TIE
Northwestern states should be armed. he conid l'"'
refrain from emphasizing the occasion by th">c Jew
words When he had asked General Miles whether
something could not be done to prevent ho'tli~e> INC
Generals answer was that he feared II wa TOO la'e'
Whether il was too late not he was gao td' Ills
skirts were clear OF any Of the blood 'Hat womb Nv,
she'd growing out Of a policy of StarVa'i'h' H'l'"N
/ and crime toward the Indians. TIE" p"H'N h"' "'''
pursued TO take The lands Of the Indians ana n"' pay
enough for em to keep the Indians from starving IT,
death when dispoSses,ed Of their homes.
Mr. lldwley said he did not know that he hF'
any objection to the remarks Of the senator from
Indiana except that they were perhaps litc hor'
and exaggerated. lie, too had been thinking ''' ITO
presumed most American citizens had b"m U''
100 900 ra,ion> Of food would be worth moN Than
100 900 ball cartridges, and he had boon hoPh- '"''
the time would arrive when an appropriation w'ud
be made for that purpose. Nj allegation had been
made that the sioux Commission had made certain
promises to the indians which had been "niITc'
disrccardcd by Congress. and that there hal bee
constant irritation ever -incc II had been also sand
in the public press That the allowance OF r'''h-
had been fixed at citain figure long aeo, and I"l
been gradually diminished on the theory that tI'
indians were going TO civilization % We're d>In-
out whereas neither was the case.
Mr. Dawes. chairman II the Committee on indian
Affair.", ,atiilcally expressed his delight that the zen
ator from Indiana had discovered tho real cause &"
the present trouble, among the Indians. because those
who had lived among them and who had had much
| to do with them General Miles and Others were
| much perplexed as 10 what the oanec ana what
| was the remedy. There great diversity Of opln
! ion on the subject good deal Of what tie senator
! from Indiana had stated was undoubtedly ui'.
There large body oi those IT,
dians starving. "t least short "i i''l-
| and that condition aggravated the feeling prevalent
among them But he doubted that that the origin
Of the evil or that supply OF food would be- the cure
for it, The Indians who starving were Indian
who had been led by religious To abandon their
home, and follow the standard OF their chiefs on the
warpath leaving all their sources Of supply ana ia
means Of support which tLcy had hitherto enjoyed.
The difficulty with the Indian service all along IN t
past had been d constant change Of policy. lcrci"
fore for years j had been impressed upon C0n-ir-'
that the best way 10 treat the Indian Wa 10 -iiNr
| him into self support. Root. hog. or az" lh been
the phrase sometimes put over the door 81 ih'~" vino
administered the affair, Of the Indians ard the "Ic'
|
CURED by treaties, and t. give notice 10 a." Indians
that next wear they were to have only 20 much ana
that the difference must be supplied 10y the labor 81
| their own hands. lie thought 1t well I" hold "i'
! every inducement 10 the Indians 10 turn from DC
pendcncc on Government rations and to supply their
own support; and that il well to resort 10 All inc
devices within the limits OF Justice and reason 10 Ill
ducc them to do IT.
As 10 the suggestion in the public pres, that the
Government had failed to keep the promise, made I"
the Indians by tine sioux Commission, and That cen
era, Crook thc head OF that Conmi-SionJ va, 81"
wounded by the lack Of good faith Oh the part &" inc
Government that he went to hi, grave through grief
the truth wa, that the Commission had mad" tvs"
sorts Of stipulation, with the Indians one "i tl'H
had been written out in plain language and enacted into
law by Congress and that stipulation the Commission
had taken out ~ the indians asking them - accept IT,
The Commission bad power to alter it in one ipta
The indians had had csu-e Of complaint on account
| ~ the non fulnment Of other agreement. and Tho
Commission had told them that it had no authority q
10 these matters but that il would it, influence
with the Government In the case. The COMM
had reported to the Interior Department and to Tho
President. Just it had told the Indians IT would do
The Commission had then gone to the Indian Depart
| mcut with forty representative Indians. TIL" Indian
| Committees Of both house, had been invited 10 the
conference. The agreement WA, read over in ii"
presence Of the Indian, and Of the Commission and
all had as-cntcd to IT. IT had then been embodied ~
bill that was drawn up by General Crook and his
catc, and was submitted to Conerc, by the President
The bill thus framed to the complete satisfaction Of the
Indians had passed the senate without the dotunG 4"
| an il or the crossing OF t. but where il now
he did not know. lie knew, however, that the SKIRT
If the Executive and OF the senate were clean Of au
attempt 10 depart ota from the assurance given Il
the Indian, by the Commission. Mr.. Dave, aid that h
realized the dan ger and the nccc sty Of present
lief bring around compO~urc among the Indians an'
to cAtrcatc them from the lead OF such bad Indians
sitting Bull and Red Cloud, who were the bauc am
curse of the Indians.
Mr.. VOORHEES, sad he did not know whose fault
! was that the Indians not fed II might be tl
fault OF Congress, II might be the fault OF dShOne,
men. The Indians armed with Winchester rifle
and were in state of starvation and de- pcratiOn. The