Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-11-24
FACTS In THE CASE
A Statement Made by Commits
siOner Morgan on the
Indian Question.
UnprinciPled White Men Make
the Trouble---NO Grounds
For Complaint.

shown a press dispatch from Guthrie,
Okla, stating in effect that there are
well grounded fears of trouble among
the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians
in Oklahoma during the approaching
winter because of the reduction of
the food supply furnished by the gov
eminent, and stating that even now
they were In a state OF great distress
for want of food. For this condition
Of affairs, the dispatch stated, the
government is by many persons held
directly responsible. Commissioner
Morgan said: ut will be a reply to
this statement to give the facts in
regard TO what the Cheyennes and
Arapahoes have actually received.
They number 1890. Since the year
1869 there has been expended for
their benefit for rations, clothing,
etc, the sum of 81, l09,8 $50 IN fulfill
ment of the treaty StipulatiOns.
There has also been expended in their
behalf, for the same purpose, since
1872 the sum of SO, 1913, $50, all of which
was a gratuity given by congress to
supply their necessities and promote
their civilization and not called for
by any treaty. In October, 1890, the
Cheyennes and ArapahOes agreed to
surrender to the United States a
large part of their reservation, the
price to be paid by the government
being $500, 900 in cash and 81, 900, 900 to
be placed in the treasury to their
credit to bear interest at ) per cent.
per annum. In accordance with this
agreement allOtments have been
made to the Cheyennes and Arapa-
hoes, 100 acres of the choicest land to
each man, woman and child of the
tribes; and in further fnlfillment of
the agreement there has been paid
them within the last - months $780,
900 less S67, 900. This sum was paid
TO attorneys who made contracts with
the Indians, and with the consent Of
the Indians was taken rOut of the
$500, 900. The first installment of in
terest on the 81, zoo, 900 amounting to
SOS 600, became due on July l last.
Payment Of this sun is just about to
be made, the first installment hav-
ing just been sent to the agent, and
the second installment will be sent
as o 0 as the first is paid.
Last year while the Indian Office
was making up the estimates of APP
preparations to be made by congress,
it had regard to the fact that the
~Cheyennes and Arapahoes would re-
ceive at an early period $500, 900, and
therefore it asked congress to appro-
! pirate as a gratuity for the benefit of
these Indians only 5000, being
$4,000 less than the amount apprOpri-
ated for each of the two preceding
years. Nevertheless, subsequently,
Secretary Noble stated the facts 10
congress and urgently requested an
additional gift of $4,000 for food,
which congress failed to grant.
1T can hardly be expected that the
government will continue to subsist
Indians out of the public treasury.
There are probably 600 children
among these people Of school age.
The Indian Office has offered to take
all of these children into their board
ing schools, feed, clOthe and educate
them free of all expense to these In
dians.
The change of ratiOns issued from
weekly TO bi-weekly is for the conven-
fence and benefit of the Indians. A
weekly issue day is a hindrance to
the progress of Indian farming, for it
keeps many of the Indian families
half the time on the road to and
from the agency to receive ratiOns to
the neglect of their farms and other
civilized employment. 1t will I've
seen from the above statement that
these Indians have absolutely no
ground whatever for complaint
against the government, and already
the white people who have gone in
and settled emOng them have COM
planned that the government has
treated the Indians with a degree of
liberallty which it has denied them.
This unrest among the Indians is I'M
d%Oubtedly caused by those who hope
to be benefited in some way. During
the last campaign unprincipled men
stirred up these Indians for political
purposes, and if any trouble occurs
will be largely responsible for the
7 rnf,l4r y