Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-29
THE iNDlAn TROUBLES.


the Cause of Dis.atisfaction-Theyw Want
Plenty of Beef
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-Commissioner
Morgan, of the Indian Bureau, has re-
ceived a report from Special Agent
Cooper regarding the Sioux troubles in
the Northwest Mr.. Cooper was sent
to Pine Ridge at the beginning of the
troubles and he has been there through
out He says that there seems to have
been a complication Of causes for the
difficulty, and the Indians themselves
do not appear to know what caused it.
He continues:
''There seems to be diversity Of
opinion on this subject by men who
have for the past twenty-five years
been acquainted with the Indian char
acter. 1 think the first starting of the
trouble was the ghost Dance the cere-
monies of which best suited the older
Indians, and especially the chiefs, who
were realizing that by the advance Of
civilization and education they were
losing their influence with their people
and gradually becoming creatures of
insignifcance. The ghost dance prom
ised much that was desired by the In
dians, and the doctrine taught was very
acceptable to their susceptible nature.
They readily grasped that which prom
ised such liberal rewards. The originator
of this dance was fully aware of the
Indians superstitious nature, and in
setting up the doctrine and prescribing
the course Of ceremony constructed it
SO as to mt ct the exact wishes of the In
Il 81
head men on this reservation, such as
Big Road, Little Wound, Jack Red
Cloud (son of Chief Red Cloud and
Crow Dog, and they all seem to be of
the same opinion, and that is that the
ghost dance theories promised them a
great deal more than they were getting
from the Government, and they all
| joined it, thinking that it would in the
end bring them abundant of wild game
and plenty of every thing to eat with
out the least effort on their part Lit
| tie Wound says that a great deal of
jealousy exists among the chiefs, and
they would adopt any method that
would restore their lost prestige over
their people"
| The agent reports that there is still
| great discord between the two factions
|
treaty and those who did not. The lat
ter were among the prime leaders in the
| ghost dance. AS to what methods of
administration will be necessary to fully
restore harmony, the agent says the
Indians should be given plenty to eat,
especially beef, and sufficient clothing
to make them comfortable. He recon-
mends the enlistment of friendly In
| IN he n in
conclusion:
mo one can deny the fact that the
Brules have caused all of this trouble.
A few Indians from other agencies
have gathered here Also but had the
Brules been checked in the start the
trouble would have ended and settled
this question. The presence Of the mil
itary on a reservation is a good thing in
time of war, but has very exciting in
| huence over them in time of peace.
From my experience with Indian az
fairs, I must confess that the use of mil
itary would be my last resort to settle
disturbances among the Indians. In
my opinion, the best method for set
ting trouble among Indians is to use
the good element against the bad, and
| quiet the matter among themselves,
|
this connection that the very
best method to be used in Substituting
an Indian is plenty Of beef. The older
Sioux are just as carnivorous in
their desires as they were twenty
five years ago, and this class will never
be educated to the diet of the white
people. MANY people may differ with
| me in this matter. The newspapers. as
well as individuals, all have their the
cries and solutions of the question, and
| are liberal with their criticisms toward
most every one connected with Indian
affairs, and this, like many other pub
lie questions. has to be burdened with
that class of people who know the
least and say the most. 1t is probable
that the treatment of the Indians has
not in every respect followed exactly
the written laws ON the statute
books. or the unwritten laws Oh
morality, but to suppose that the de-
partment has always been wrong Gas
many would have the world believe).
and that the Indian has always been
right, is to suppose that Che savage is
endowed with a stronger sense of moral
obligation than the civilized man, a
proposition that will hardly be accept
ed by those who understand the in
wardness of the willy Sioux. 1 believe
it safe to say that the present indicar
tons are that the most serious time has
passed, and in conclusion l would most
earnestly recommend that the indians
from other reservations be returned to
their homes as soon as it is practicable
to do SO, and required to remain on
their respective reservations until the
present feeling and excitement quiets
down"
| To Open the Strip.
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Jan. 23.-Let-