The Portland daily press., 1891-01-07
PENoBsCoT COUNTY.
YORK COUNTY.


The n onthly meeting of the Women's In
dian Association was held yesterday after
noon at High street church vestry. Mrs.
Frye, the president, opened the meeting with
reading Of the Scriptures. Mrs. II. ]. Bal
ley Of Winthrop, offered prayer. Reports Of
the secretary and treasurer were read and
accepted.
Mrs. Forster reported for the legislative
committee. or the $50 Indian bills intro
duced into Congress In 1890. only thirteen
were passed; Of these, seven were for rights
OF way for railroads through Indian lands.
| 1t was of great Importance that the bill to
drive the Utes still farther from their home 5
was not passed. This being prevented In q
large measure by the intercession of various
Indian Associations.
Mrs. Judge Bonney spoke OF Bishop Hare's
saying how impossible 1t was for US to un-
derstand how our civiliz alton took from the
Indian nearly all that he held dear, and that
we must be patient with his not faster ac
cspting our ways
Mrs. Bailey Of Winthrop, spoke briefly,
but with great earnestness of the govern
ment's Injustice to the Indians.
Mrs. Frye said. that years ago, 800 friendly
Indians asked protection Of the command
ant Of Fort Cobb, and he promised 1t II
they would settle around his fort. Four days
after this coming under his protection they
we're fired upon by United States troops.
Those who survived. with others. avenged
this act Of cruelty eight years later by the
Custer massacre.
Bad Indians should be dealt with as bad
whites; but she thought bad Indians were
largely the result Of the governments treat
ment. How often have we taught them to
disregard treaty obligations! How often
have bad whites impos sed on their credulity
and taught them vice? All this bloodshed
but made her feel our responsibilities deep
ened towards helping the Indians to become
| chrstianized and civilized. Much has been
| said Of the bad Indians, very little, nsxt to
nothing Of the good Indians, who amid so
much opposition stand firm to their Christian
life. Think Of forty Indian women's mis-
sionary societies in Dakota, one society to
| every thousand Indians.
A very interesting letter was read from an
l educated Christian Indian of Dakota, Whose Q
| spirit with hostile Indians on one side and
troops on the other would do credit to any
| white man.
| The secretary after reading from the
"PREss" Of January G. that Secretary Noble
was reported to have said, "The story Of
starvation among the Sioux was pure fab
rication," read the following from General
N. A. Miles's article in the January North
American Review:
THE fact that they have not received slf-
icient food Is admitted by the agents and the
"fficers of the government who have had OPP
portunites of knowing. and their condition
| Is again as threatening as at any time when
they had not been 10 hostility. The Sioux
l Indians during that time were under the
charge Of evil agents, who have been fire.
| quently changed and often inexperienced
Many of the trioes have become rearmed and
remounted, and have assumed a threatening
attitude. They claim that the government
has not fulfilled its treaties and has failed to
make large enough appropriations for their
support; they also claim that they have suf-
fered for want of food, and the evidence of
this is beyond question and sufficient to sat
Isfy any unprejudiced intelligent mind. The
statements OF the officers. inspectors. both OF
the military and interior department, of
agents, Of missionaries and civilians familiar
with their condition, leave no room for reas-
enable doubt that this Is one of the principal
causes Of the present disturbance"