Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-01-22
Saint Mary S Beacon.
OUR INDIAN BATTLES AND
THEIR NORAL.

remand third on larger scale 10
SION. it is believed. to be added to
the list. The troops Of Gen. Miles
have been pushed close upon the In
dians. A bloody battle having been
fought. the power, but not the justice,
of the United States Government will
have been vindicsted. The sixty.
three Indian women. many of them
mothers with children at their breasts,
whose bodies. pierced with our bullets.
lie frozen under the Nebraska bliz.
zlrd. are eloquent in protest against
the policy of tbs administration,
which 10 responsible for their deaths.
As long ago as April z. 1880. Indian
Inspector Armstrong wrote to Score.
tary Noble. warning him that trouble
must soon follow at the Pine Ridge
Agency from bis arbitrary reduction
of the rstions there paid out from
5000. 900 to 100000. The order
for the reduction, as Inspector Arm
strong explained. came after the
greater part of the year had been
lived through on the basis of 5000.
900 rations, so that the saving of the
1000. 900 rations would be crowded
into three or four months. The re.
suit would be that the Sioux would
have to steal or starvs. As a matter
of fact, seeing their rights under sol.
emn treaties ignored and starvation
staring them in th~ sfaos. fhs Tndiara
first devonrcsl their own cattle. When
these were cpnsnmef they. nstdraliy
began to cast Nintful ayes upon the
ranches within their reaeh. IA fssf<<
ing has a we'll understood effect in
disordsring the imagination, it il not
surprising that about this time. too.
they began to see visions, 10 expect a
messiah who would deliver them from
their troubles and to hold ghost.
dances" The Government, misled
by its agents, such as Roger. appoint.
ed under the spoils System in return
for services in running the republican
machine, declined to heed the inspsc.
tors warning. Instead of Civ ing the
Indians again their usual and proper
rations to help them through a severe
winter, it sent troops to irritate and
overawe them. The arrest of Sitting
Bull when he had done nothing i'm.
proper was an outrage, and the de.
mand that his people should give m
their guns and their poniss-their
dearest possessions-was another
That these, under the circumstances.
were highly improper and unjust
measures should have bean clear to
any person acquainted with the Sioux
and having the intelligence and tact
the Secretary of the Interior aud the
President should exact of their an.
pointees. There is now, indeed. littls
question anywhere, it seems. that the
present bloodshsd and suffering in
Nebraska and South Dakota are dus
to the elimination of a system long
known to be bad, and. the inexpsri.
encs and Incompetence of Agent Row.
er are held up as the GROWING exam.
pie. 1.-TWO months Of DIR. Royer,"
says the Philadelphia Press. "hsvs
cost an Indian war;" The Prsss de.
plores the fact that "political influ.
ence" is the cause of hia .elec,;on
The Hartford Courant likewise IA.
plores "the bad system which m.Lss
tbs .,,o;,.ua,, sc .n.. ....,.
pp ~ " SUN asen" GER
sa'n' Aus oourant iaiis 10 lay the
blame OF the continuance of the bad
system where il belones but aida
"For wbatsver rasson. Rove 60.
n.;...a e.. =. a. 3.@ p
p''"'su: n'ass: '0r tue d'mcu' ana
responsible duties oil an Indian agent
was not one of them. He was known
to be inexreriencsd /: hs ouicklv show.
sa himself "a ha ;ncomns,sn, ! ~.
h,r,.;n AS. - ~ :. '.'
" p''e 'ue 'ouu'ry 10
paying 'or MS incompetency The
Presidents organ at Indianapolis. the