Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-08
UNCLE SANS WARDS.
The Sioux Delegation at
Washington.
Secretary Noble Gives Them a
Hearing.
John Grass and American Horse the
Principal Speakers.
Young Man Afraid of His Horses Got Rat
tied When Asked How Many Arms
His Band Surrendered.
Associated Press Dispatches.

OStWecE secretary NOBLE aHG the SIOUX
Indian delegation began this morning at
the interior department. Secretary of
War Proctor and Mrs. Proctor and Miss
Preotorwere present; a}so the wife OF
Secretary Noble and Miss iHalstead. The
'conference was opened by Secretary No
bic, who said: You were represented
here just after the agreement with Gen
,eral Crook was made.s,you made certain
requests and complaints at that time,
and you received certain promises from
me. There has been trouble since then,
and yea have come again to say what
you think proper,as to the cause OF the
| trouble, and to make any further COM
/ plants you see tit The secretary OF the
interior is here to tell you that he has
kept his word; but if there is anything
more he can do through friendship for
the Sioux, he is ready to do it. He is
your friend, and the great father has
told him to be your friend. He wants
you to talk to him as friend, and he
will meet you in the same spirit"
The secretary then asked if the In
dians had made any arrangements
about speakers. He could not hear
them all, but would listen to few, and
he desired them to speak briefly. He
added that ii no objection was made he
would hear from John Grass, Hollow
Horn, Kicking Bear, American Horse,
Two Strike, Hump and Young-Man-
Afraid-of- His Horses.
In response Louis Rencoltre said this
arrangement was not satisfactory, as it
was desired that each agency should be
represented.
| The secretary replied that he would
hear John Grass and American Horse.
and then take counsel with them as to
who should follow
| John Grass then came forward. Rev.
| c. S. Cook, Episcopal minister at Pine
Ridge, acted as interpreter. Grass at
once began to speak of the recent trou-
! ble among the Indians, the origin OF
which he did not know. They had come
for the purpose of conferring with the
| secretary in regard to the matter. The
Indians, he said, did not desire to be
driven back to their wild life, but wished
to consult with the president so as to
determine upon the future. The In
dians thought it desirable that the
agents should be civilians rather than
military. In the past, he said, the In
dian agents had. opportunities to steal,
but now it was difficult for them to
adopt such practices. The agents OF
late years, he said, were good men. In
! speaking of his own reservation (Stand-
ing Rock) he said the threatened trou-
BILE had been putdo by the Indian po-
lice. They believed in the Indian police,
and he requested for an increase OF fifty
men.
Grass then shook hands with the sec
retary and took his seat.
American Horse was the next speaker.
He displayed considerable natural abil-
ity and made graceful preface to his
remarks, referring in complimentary
terms to the secretary and ladies pres
ent. The government, he said, had
made mistakes in their attempts to civ
ilize the Indians. He proceeded to
enumerate their mistakes. Instead OF
the positions at the agencies being filled
by Indians, white men crowded them out
and took the places. What his people
wanted was chance to rise and fill po-
sitions OF trust and consequence that
were within their reason. He then
spoke of religious matters, and said there
were three religious bodies on their res
ervation, which were trying to teach
them to live better lives, and especially
bring about religious marriages, but
they did not want to be compelled to
marry certain persons.
The secretary inquired who had
sought to compel them to marry.
American Horse replied that he re.
ferred more particularly to persons who
eloped. When a couple were brought
back, the agent obliged them to be mar
ried.
Young Man Afraid OF His Horses
rated his services in the interest of
harmony during the late trouble. He
said he brought his people into camp
and turned in their arms.
'How many?" queried the secretary,
plussed. He knew that the total was
small, and he did not care to say how
many. He hoped the government
would not only educate the children, but
would also give them something to do
when they finished at school.
Two-Strike said he had made peace
with General Miles and was going to do
what he could to maintain it.
Hump said about 800 of his people
| had been killed, and there should be
some consideration shown the surviv-
Ors. He wanted the rations increased
and continued.
Hollow Horn, Bear and Medicine Bull
talked briefly, and Secretary Noble
spoke to the Indians. He said: The
Indian must not be discouraged. He
would be supported as long as he en-
deavored to do well. There were two
sides to the question-what is due the
Indian, and what is due from the In
dian. Up to 1884, the Sioux had been
given $42,000,00O by the government.
The government acknowledges its treat
les and agreements with the Sioux. In
1884, when this money was paid, there
had been much, more money paid than
was promised by treaty.
The secretary then quoted statistics
as to the aid lent the Indians. The
schools the Indians wanted had
been kept up at all the agencies,
and an industrial school, such as thev
wanted, had also been re-establisled at
Pierre, and another school will be put in
at Flandreau. Farmers had been kept
at different agencies to show the Sioux
how to farm the land. 1t was mere
accident that $100, 900 should have been
cut off the Sioux appropriation imme-
diately after the agreement with Gen
eral Crook. 1t would have been the
same if there had been no agreement.
These thinpS ahOI11d now corvinoo +b