The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-12-11
ARE THE INDIANS STARVING.
Debate In the Senate over the Red
Mems Condition.


WASHINGTON. Dec, 3-Mr Hawley,
from the Committee on Military AT
fairs, reported and asked to have put
upon its passage joint resolution au.
thorizing the Secretary Of War to is-
sue arms and ammunition to the
States of North and South Dakota.
Mr.. Manderson moved to amend it
by alsO including the State of Nebr s.
ka, and he referred to the threatened
uprising of the Sioux Indians on their
reservation there.
Mr. Vo ,rhees said that II the prop.
osition were one /" issue hundred
thousand rations Of food to the starv
ing Indians it would be more consist.
ent with Christian civilization.
Major General Miles, he said, had
stated in public interviews that the
Indians were driven to revolt or rebel
lion, or into savagery by starvation !;
and it was in his judgment an inexpi-
able crime on the part of the govern
ment to stand silently by and do moth
ing except furnish arms to the whites
Gen. Miles had stated to the public, as
he had previously stated to him,
that the Indians were being starved
into hostilities, and that they preferred
to die fighting rather than be starved
to death. He. Mr.. Voorhees,, looked
uprn the policy pursued in the admin
istration OF Indian affairs as a crime
revolving TO man and to God. The In
dians had no newspapers to make
known their sufferings and privations.
They had been suffering for years in
silence. There was blood-guiltiuess
some where in connection with it. He
had intended to introduce resolution
asking for an investigation on the
subject But he had an entire re-
spect for the Committee on Indian
Affairs, personally and collectively,
that he bad no right to assume to in
srtuct that committee. But some
where or other there was blood guilt.
mess that would have to be answered
for.
Mr.. Hawley said that he did not
know that he had any objection to the
remarks Of the Senator from Indiana,
except they were a little florid and
exaggerated. He too had been think
ing (as he presumed that most Amer.
lean citizens had been) that 100000
rati0ns OF food would be worth more
than 100000 hall cartridges, and he
had been hoping that the time would
arrive when an appropriation would
be made Tor that purpose
Mr. Dawes, Chairman Of the Com
mittee on Indian affairs, said that he
saw the Indian troubles with full
appreciation of the danger and Of the
necessity Of some present relief to
bring around cOmposure among the
Indians and to extricate them from
the lead of such bad Indians as Sitting
Bull and Red Cloud, wro were tn
bane and curse Of the Indians.
Mr.. Voorhees, said that the Indians
we're armed with Winch, ster rifles
and were in a state OF starvation and
depreciation. They could enter the
field with 6,000 fighting men, and
wit the advantage of their knowl.
edge Of the country they could fight
six thousand OF the best American
troops on terms Of equality. He
asked the Senator from Massachu.
sctts to state whether those Indians
had enough to eat; whether General
Miles was right or wrong, and wheth
er the Indians were being starved in
to belligerency.
Mr.. Dawes said that he had had
two interviews with General Miles
and that he had heard to-day for the
first time that the Indians were or
the warpath because they were
starving.
The discussion was further contin
ued by Mr.. Voorhees, and Mr.. Pierce
and had not closed when the hour o
2 O'clock having arrived, the Vic,
President laid before the Senats, al
unfinished business, the election bill
This was warmly opposed by Mr.
Turpie who, at the conclusion Of hi
speech, received the congratulations
OF bis Democratic colleagues, and thu
Senate at 8 :25 adjourned