The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-16
BEER AMONG THE RED MEN.
Inducements for the Indian to Don the Unit
r1rm mnd Follow the White Man. Wnys.

Inducements for the Indinn to Don the Unit
form and Follow the White Mans Ways.
WASHINGTON. April Is. The last Congress
made an important change in the statute In
tended to permit the use and sale OF intoxi-
eating liquors among the Indians The law
prior to tho amendment was In this language:
Nj ardent spirits shall be introduced. under any
pretencs. into the Indian country. Every person lex
cept AN Indian in the indian country who sells. ex.
changes. gives. barters. or disposes Of any spirituous
liquors or wine to any indian under tho charge Of any
Indian superintendent or agent. or introduces or at.
temp's to introduce any spirituous liquor or wine into
the Indian country. shall he punished BY imprisonm emit
for not more than two years and by = me Of not more
than $500"
Several years ago the Wells Fargo Express
Company took the ground that malt liquors
were not included In this statute prohibition,
and hence carried them into tho Indian Terri
tory. while Commissioner Morgan insisted
that they were 80 included. The company
held that the words ardent spirits and spiritu-
Gus liquors had n definite meaning. distinct
from that which applied to brewed beverages;
but the Commissioner went on directing his
DEPUTIES to seize and destroy beer and ale.
The United States Court for the Eastern Dis
trlct OF Texas at length decided that the stat
ute did not include malt liquors. but the Com
missioner continued his seizures. proposing
to turn over the captured barrels to the
United States Marshal for libel.
Meanwhile. however. he had also taken tho
precnution to appeal to Congress for a change
in the law. as many beer saloons had been
opened In the Indian Territory. Last year
Agent Bennett seized a car load Of beer at lie.
high. in the Choctaw Nation. and turned IL over
to the United states Marshal. who refused to
accept It. An appeal was made TO the Attor-
$500. r..,..l ,,p,, fhnuOhf tha MarehaI wyaa
right. Presently Agent Bennett. who per-
shared Com issioner Morgan's peculiar
notion that beer Is ardent spirits. reported that
the malt liquor In question had been spirited
away" to Texas.
Fortunately congress put an end TO TINS
the law SO as to prohibit the Introduction or
sale OF ardent spirits. ale. beer. wine. or IN;
the penalties remaining as already mentioned.
Commissioner Morgan reported that the beer
and ale , .nG ,hss IN NJ. one "sGaa ranfs s0% brs SIsl nssSits
ine Creek had Ieen killed by others OF his
'Fisi sa ts6 6..n psi 1hs R oss. Sosess s.t tR.e there is
one way still Tor the Indian to get his lager:
ns%sly, BY sn ! IsRSl an s scld dF%y' h. AZ m ssS pest Sss
his beer like his white comrades And there.
too, Il L Isss llEe Int to az s. hI% harm rnor since
sven ali Vines are rrohibited., beer Is served
only in moderate quantities; and as the snieers
are responsible Tor me Good condpct q thelr
commands, they keen an eye on the admins
tration OF the post ~canteen. or rather post ex-
change, as II is now called.
Whether this ability to procure beer lawfully
10 q stimulus TO enlistment among the Indian
youth does not appear by the reports OF re-
cruiting Officers, At oil events only = few can
from tribal allegiance and accepting citizen
ship the Indian. at least II he moves away
from any region included IN the statute pro;
his whisky. too, ike . white man. Who Viii
az Az. that = s IS iad Issn ps i I: Sfs: g II "a ~;