The morning news., 1891-01-06
CAUsRs OF rHH oUrBRBAK.
Secretary Noble Gives His Views on
the Subject

Secretary Noble Gives His Views on
the Subject.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.-Secretary Noble
to-day expressed himself as having heard
nothing officially from Gen. Miles proposal
TO substitute army officers for civilians as
Indian agents at the South Dakota agencies,
but that IL Gen. Miles recommendation
should be submitted to him ho will vigor-
ously oppose 1t. Secretary Noble spoke
with some earnestness of the reports that had
been In circulation recently to the effect
that the Indians were in a starving condi-
ton, and that the pending trouble grew out
of the fact that the government had not
kept its agreement with the Sioux, but, on
the contrary, had already begun to cut
down the rations supplied TO them, In vio-
latian Of treaty obliga ions. Secretary
Noble denounces these statements as un-
qualihedly false. He said the story OF
starvation among the Sioux was pure
fabrication.
THE INDIAN BUREAU DEFENDED.
The secretary defended the Indian bureau
from the impntaton of dishonesty and mall
administration, and in reply to direct
question, what, IN his opinion, was the pri-
mary cause Of the present trouble among
the Sioux, said: at is hard TO say,
especially at this distance, and with lack
of fuller information than
possess, precisely what the primary
cause OF the present trouble was. think,
however, that it is safe to say that fac
tional opposition to, and dissatisfaction
with, the act Of 1880 for the reduction of
the reservation, on the part of the leaders Of
the non-progressive element, was the pri-
mary cause. The former agent at Pine
Ridge called attention to this matter in his
annual report. ss.a
"Another cause was the failure to speedily
fulfill the promises made by the Sioux COM
mission, by virtue OF which they secured the
signatures Of those who consented to the
act. r 9s
CHANGE OF THE BOUNDARY LINE.
"Another cause which doubtless had its
influence was the wording of the agree
msnts which changed the Boundary line
between the Rosebud aud Pine Ridge
agencies, which threw into the diminished
reservation of Pine Ridge some Indians who
had been drawing rations at Rosebud, and
they we're asked TO remove to the ressrva-
tion where they were drawing their rations.
in conformity with the law. This they were
unwilling to do.
Another cause for disaffection was
doubtless the partial failure OF the crops,
brought about by the large amount of time
consumed In the negotiations with the
Sioux commission, which called a great
many Indians away from their farms
at time when their labor was
greatly needed. and, suppose, also,
that the drought which has affected the
Indians and whites ALIKE In Dakota has
reduced their supplies Of food so that they
have not had as great an abundance as In
other years.
THE RELIGIOUS EXCITEMENT.
Religious excitement among them has,
no doubt, had its influence, particularly the
widely spread story that the Messiah had
come upon earth who was TO restore the
Indians TO their former condition and de-
stroy the whites.
"Other causes, also, which it would be
somewhat difficult to state, have had a
large influence to bring about the unhappy
state of things that now exists.n