The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1891-01-12
want aaas and Ammunition.
Tive south Dakota Men Tell How the En-
dlans Live ON the Fat of the Land.

4
Tive south Dakota Men TELL How the En-
dlsns Live ON the Fat of the Land.
WAsHISaroN, Jan l0--John III. King,
railroad commissioner, of South Dakota,
and eA-State Senator Il. M. Goody ykoontz,
OF Chamberlain, are la the city on legal
business. Both are well informed a. 70
| the condition of things on the Sioux res
| ervation, and are emphatic in their dec
larations that there Is no foundation
whatever for the reports that the In
Gians arc half starved or suffering In any
other way through the neglect OF the
government.
Mr.. KING has been iden tilted with the
reservation for ten years past, aud al
tended the pow-wows held by the COM
missioners sent out in 1882, 1888 and
1889. Hc has personally seen the rations
issued 10 the Sioux, and In talk with
reporter OF the Pest said:
The Sioux Indians are the best fed
people on the earth. They consume
more meas per capita than the city OF
Washington or any manufacturing city
In the United States. They were fed
for four years without any treaty obli-
cations whatever. after the treaty OF
1868 had run out, and before the Black
Hills were purchased. Then we more
than doubled their rations, and for
twelve solid years after 1870 we have
given them the equal OF q pound and d
half OF beef every day for every man,
woman and child and papoose on the
Sioux reservation. When an Indian
dies they refuse to disclose the fact, and
draw rations for him until the United
States discovers it. and In this manner
the government issued over 1000 extra
rations for four years prior 10 last year,
aud believe we are snow issuing over
1000 extra rations TO those Tn
dlans that are dead. AS soon as a pa
poosc Is born II is put on the ration rolls,
and draws q pound and q half OF raw
meat every day. Many infants die, but
IL the agency physician docs not know
IL the agent does not. They 20 right
along drawing rations.
s'Beef, coffee. fiour and bacon are
issued once or twice week--enough 10
make the poor settlers In Nebraska aud
Dakota look green-oyed with envy. We
have given these Sioux m average OF
nearly 81, T50. 900 every year for twenty
years.
Just think OF nine pounds OF fresh
meat besides -four and other things TO a.
family OF six every day, and then believe.
the stories about starving II you viii.
after twenty three years, aud within
the last two years, the government has
undertaken TO lessen the pound and q
half TO pound and quarter Of beef
daily, and up goes the howl OF starva-
tion. Why bless your soul, we have this
year bought $50, 600 worth OF beef from
the Sioux Indians themselves, 750, 900
pounds of their own raising, aud then
a Natg
back TO them In ratlons. We have done
the same with wheat and oats. We hire
many OF them, and board and clothe them
besides.
They have over $4,000 dogs on the
Sioux reservation that the government
feeds, keeps alive, aud II they get little
hungry they can and do kill a few dogs
and have q feast. They have large herds
OF cattle, and some families OF Indians
that the government has fed and clothed
always are to-day worth 100000.
"The government in the past has made
three mistakes with the Indians. all OF
which the present secretary OF the inter
lor IL trying to correct,
Fl. Fhry hare done and are dofng too
much OF this feeding aud clothing bnsi-
ness.
2. They should not be allowed arms.
Nearly every Indian has Winchester,
but be never hunts. There Is practically
no game.
3. The government should have day
schools on the reservation and educate
the Indians at home instead OF sending
them TO Carlisle and other boarding
schools Let the little fellows go home
every night and tell their parents what
they have learned during the day, and II
the parents refuse To send their children
10 school. let the penalty be no rations.
"The Indians can be civilized. No
military Is needed. The story that the
indians are starving IN absolutely false.
No matter how high the authority nor
from whence it comes. IL Is not true.
| The present war Is a Misunderstanding
and the result OF religious craze The
| Indians do not want TO fight, bat they
are compelled, aud 1t may not be posi-
BILE now 90 avoid IL. Neither the mill
tary nor the eastern phllanthropist
| should have the management of the
Sioux, bat plain, practical business men
In the west, who believe that the Indian
can be civilized and eduontad--that he
has rlghts--but not that because he "a
on Indian he should be allowed TO live In
ldleness and ignorance all his life and be
| supported by the government forever,
Disarm and educate the Indian at home.
put him on lands In seyeralty, protect
him la his property, and the Indian prob
lem Is solved.
orders 20 Hold Themaelyss In Rs~d ~dInass.
| VANCOUVER BARRAcKs, Jan. IO.-~Six
companies OF United States troops have
been ordered 20 hold themselves IN read
| mess % move 10 the scene Of the Indian
troubles at short notice. The order was
presumably given owing 10 the reported
1 troubles Ia Idaho.
wyoming Horne Thieves.