Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-09
IN BEHALF OF THE INDIANS.
Closing Sessions OF the Annual Meeting of
the Board of Commissioners.

Closing Sessions OF the Annual Meeting OF
the Board OF Commissioners.
SOME LIVELY REMARKS MADE-BAD FAITH on
THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT CHARGED
SENATOR DAWES EXPLAINS - RESOLUTIONS
ApoPTED-MoRE APPROPRIATIONS WANTED.
At the afternoon session of the annual
meeting Of the board Of Indian COM
missiOners at the Riggs House yester-
day number of interesting addresses were
made on various phases Of the Indian question.
Rev. Chas. W. Shelton, financial secretary of
the Indian mission of the American Missionary
Association. the first speaker of the afternoon,
took a cheerful view Of the situation and the
prospect
COMMISSIONER MoRGAS's REMARKS.
He was followed by Gen. Morgan, commits
siOner of Indian affairs, who spoke entertain
ingly on the subject of the education Of the
Indians. The government boarding school at
Pine Ridge agency. he said, was going on as
usual and the mission schools were but little
interfered with. People are inclined to ex-
sggerate the seriousness Of the present trouble
with the Sioux The hostile Indians number
only about 5000 out of 10000. He said that
out of all these 1sj. 900 had never received gov
eminent aid at ALL As rule they are enter
prising and progressive and are anxious TO
make the best of their opportunities He ex-
pected a marked advance IN their condition II
they we're treated as they should be-
OTHER ADDRESSES.
Capt r. H. Pratt. superintendent Of the In
dian school at Carlisle. Pa; Miss Grace How
ard missionary to the Grow Creek Indians. and
Prof L. e. Painter, of the Indian Rights Asso-
ciaslon. also spoke on the general matter of ed
ucation well as upon particular features OF
the subject
Miss Alice c. Fletcher special agent of the
Indian bureau TO the Omaha. Winnebago and
Neg Perez tribes male an address in which
she started the discussion OF the question. How
can we aid in promoting the settlement Of lands
in severalty!' She was followed in this by SEN
ator Dawes. Commissioner Morgan. Miss Kate
Foote. president of the Washington Branch
WoInan's National Indian Association. and Hon.
Hiram Price. ex-commissioner Of Indian af-
fairs.
THr EVENING SESSION.
The evening session, the closing one Of this
years conference, was devoted to the discus
sion Of the Indian outbreak in Dakota The
whole matter of the causes of the trouble was
pretty well gene over. but the remedy was not
such ea-y matter to ind. Mr.. Herbert
Welsh. secretary Of the Indian Rights Associa-
ton of PHILADELPHIA. took the ground that the
whole difficulty might have been avoided with
proper legislative action. DR.. Langford told a
story illustrative. as he thought. of the Indian
nVuarlOn- An OiO CuleI on DtlfR tdktD W tAlc
Capitol one day was shown the four bas-reliefs.
the landing of Columbus and the Indians well
coming HIM. the Penn treaty. Pocahontas saw
ing John smith life and Daniel Boon. killing the
Indians The Indian :. sole but expressive COM
ment was: Indian give white man bread In
dian give white man land Indian save white
mans life. White man kill Indian"
PROMISES ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN VIOLATED
At the conclusion of this recital, Mr.. VIM.
McNichael Of New York started rather a warm
discussion by reading the following newspaper
paragraph. an extract from letter by Miss
Cox last September:
Gen Crook Gov. Foster of Ohio and Gen.
Warner. the acting commissioners. gave not
only verbal promises but written ones. that if
hey would sell their lands and sign the treaty
founded on the Dawes bill their rations should
not be reduced and that nothing which they
then received should be taken from them.
Not more than month after the treaty
signed at Pine Ridge the beef issue was reduced
1000 900 pounds for the year. and at Rosebud
1900 600; their annuities were also reduced. 1t
is said that Gen. Crook felt so bad about this
that il is thought it FASTENED his DEATH
SENATOR DAWES EXPLAINS
Senator Dawes at once rose to explain that
the commissioners had made no promises ex-
cept that they would try to have certain things
done. The bill for this purpose had passed the
Senate last session and the House this. and the
SttalOT ne tAltCbtu II 10 rcplhS lue sell
ate with the House amendments today. As to
the reduction in the beef rations the Senator
said that through some sort of hocus-pocus in
the census the government had been issuing
rations 20 some $500 more Indians than there
were. When the mistake was discovered the
number OF rations reduced.
BAD FAITH CHARGED.
Mr.. McMichael continued to charge bad faith
on the part of the government. but Senator
Dawes managed to parry all his thrusts. At the
conclusion of this mimic psssage-at-arms a let
ter was read from DIR. Charles A. Eastman de-
scribing the events at Pine Ridge and the scene
of the killing. DR. Eastman is full-blooded
Indian. educated in Boston. and his letter was
listened TO with the greatest interest
REVOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The final business of the meeting was the
consideration of the resolutions which were
drawn up by the committee on business and
resolutions. As adopted the resolutions were
as follows:
This conference meeting. at time Of gloom
in the history Of the Indian movement. derives
fresh courage from the comparison of views az
to the situation The Dakota trouble although
melancholy in its results of violence and blood
shed, extends to but probably less than 200 of
25O.OO0 Indians Its cause Is partly to be found
IN the inevitable opposition of the chiefs and the
anti-progressive and anti-Christian eleme nts
TO the present ciyilizing tendencies. Depre-
eating the contact of sOidiery with these people
when unnecessary as frequently. 6emoralzing
and injurious. and the indiscreet and some
times needless firing upon the Indians and
especially the barbarous and inhuman de-
struction of their women and children We re-
joice to be assured that the administration has
not Welded to the demand for the transfer Of
the Indians To the War Department.
We are also more and more convinced Of the
detrimental effects of removing valuable OH
GERS IN the Indian service. whose experience
cannot be replaced. solely or really for politi-
cal reasons. and most earnestly urge the reten-
ton of such men, without regard to their poht-
ieal opinions, and the extension of civil service
reform regulations to the subordinate appoint
ments TO the Indian department. The value Of
Permanence cannot be too strongly insisted on
in all governmental relations to the Indians,
permanence in the tenure Of Office permanence
in the lines OF policy pursued and permanence
in the efforts for their education, elevation and
ehristianization- While seeking to accomplish
these objects as rapidly as possible We recog-
Eize the fact that IL Is rendered a slow process
by the conditions that surround the solution Of
the problem.
INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS ASKED
This conference urge very earnestly upon
the government q continued increase in the
congressional appropriations for education
under q system Of adequate common school in
struetion until every Indian child is enabled
to 20 10 school We favor compulsory educa-
ton as indispensable TO qualify these children
for citizenship and continued support to con-
trax.t scooola I'll he - H., 60