The record-union., 1891-02-08
Conference Held With the Secre-
tary of the Interior.
JOHN GRASS PRINCIPAL SPOKESMAN
FOR THE HOSTLES
Secretary Noble Gives Them Some
Kindly Advice, and Assures Them
That the Government VIII Live Up
to Its Agreement, Providing the In
dfans Consent to Lead Peaceful
Lives.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.

Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. THE conference
between Secretary Noble and the Sioux
lndlansdelegation began this morning at
the Interior Departments. The Secretary
OF War and Mrs. Proctor and Miss Proc
Tor We're present, as were also the wife of
Secretary Noble and Miss Halstead.
The conference was opened by Secre-
tary Noble, who said: "You were repre-
senfed here just after the agreement with
General Crook was made. You made
certain requests and complaints at that
time, and you received certain promises
from me. There has been trouble since
then, and you have come again to say
what you think proper as to the cause of
the trouble and to make any further COM
plants you see fit.
The Secretary is here to tell YOU that
he has kept his word, but if there is any
thing more he can do through friendship
Tor the Sioux he is ready to do it. He is
your friend, and the Great Father has
told him to be your friend. He wants you
TO talk to him as friend, and he will meet
you in the same spirit
The Secretary then asked if the Indians
had made any arrangements about speak
ers. lie could not hear them all, but
would listen to a few, and he desired them
to speak briefly. He added that if there
was no objection made he would hear
from John Grass, Hollow Horn, Bear,
American Horse, Two Strikes, Hump and
Young -Afraid-of- His Horses.
In response, Louis Rencoltre said that
TINS arrangement was not satisfactory, as
1t was desired that each agency should be
represented.
The Secretary replied that he would
Ir&l,t Il 7
and then take counsel with them as to
who should follow.
John Grass then came forward. Rev.
Y. ). Cook, the Episcopal minister at
Pine Ridge, acted as interpreter.
Grass at once began to speak of the re-
cent trouble among the Indians, the ori-
gin OF which he did not know. They had
come for the purpose of comforting with
the Secretary in regard to the matter.
The Indians" he said, "did not desire
to be driven back to their wild life but
wished to consult with the President, so
as to determine upon the future. The
Indians thought it desirable that the
agents should be civilians rather than
military. In the past Indian agents had
opportunities to steal, but now it was diff
fcult for them to adopt such practices.
The agents of late years have been good
nen."
Y In speaking of his own reservation
standing Rock he said that the threat
eped trouble had been put down by the
Indian police. They believed in the In
dian police, and he made a request for an
increase of fifty men.
Grass then shook hands with the Secre-
, tary and took a seat.
American Horse was the next speaker
He displayed considerable natural abil-
Ny and made graceful preface to his re-
marks, referring in complimentary terms
to the Secretary and the ladies present.
1.-The Government" he said, chad
made mistakes in their attempts to civil
ize the Indians"
He proceeded to enumerate their mis-
takes. Instead of the positions at the
agencies being filled in by Indians,
white men crowded them out and took
their places. What his people wanted
was chance to rise and fill positions of
trust and consequence where within their
reach.
He then spoke of religious matters. and
said that there were three religious bodies
on their reservation, who We're trying to
teach them TO live better lives, and es-
pecially about religious marriages. The
Indians did not want to be compelled to
marry certain persons. The Secretary
inquired who had sought to compel them
to marry. American Horse replied that
he referred more particularly to persons
who eloped. When the couple were
brought back, the agent compelled them
to be married.
Young -Man-Afraid-o His Horses re-
lated his services in the interest of har-
mony during the late trouble. He
brought his people into camp, and had
turned in their arms.
How many?" queried the Secretary.
The orator was non-pluse6. He knew
the total was small and did not care to
say. He hoped the Government would
not only educate the children, but give
them something to do when they finished
at school.
Two-Strikes had made peace with Cen
eral Miles, and was now going to do what
he could to maintain it.
Hump said about 800 of his people have
been killed, and there should be some
consideration shown the survivors. He
wanted the rations increased and con-
tinued.
Hollow Horn, Bear and Medicine Bull
talked briefly and Secretary Noble spoke
TO the Indians. He said: ''The Indian
must not be discouraged. He would be
supported as long as he endeavored to do
well. There were two sides to the ques-
ton of what is due the Indian and what
is due from the Indian. Up to 1884 the
Sioux had been given S42, ,000, 900 by the
Government. The Government acknowl-
edges its treaties and agreements with
the Sioux. Since 1884, when this money
was paid, there had been much more
money paid according to the treaty."
1ilS EocCItltIs SldbiSl1cS us 10
the issues to the Indians. Indian schools
had been kept up at all agencies, and in
dustrial schools, such as they want had
also been re-established at Pierre and an
other school would be put up at Elan
dreau. Farmers had been kept at
the different agencies to show the
Sioux how to farm the land. 1t was
mere accident that 100000 should have
been cut off from the Sioux appropria-
ton Immediately after the agreement
with General Crook. Itwould have been
the same if there had been no agreement.
These things should now convince the
Sioux that the Government had been
trying to do what was right for the Indi-
ans.
In conclusion, the Secretary advised
the Indians to think over the MANY thinos
the Government had done for them: To
look at the promises made by General
Crook, and have confidence in what he
said.
The Secretary said he wanted the Indi-
ans to make up their minds to do the best
they could to educate, or to have edu-
! Gated, their children, and never to let
their young men dream that they could
ever get anything by force from the Gov
ernment of the United States.