The Meeker herald., 1893-05-20
WAITE TO CLEVELAND.
CoIorado's Governor Asks the President
to Keep the Indians on their
Reservation.


observation.
Governor Waite has sent the following
communication TO President Cleveland rela-
tive to Indian troubles In this State.
To His E1cellency, Grover Cleveland, Presi-
dent OF the United States:
Mr.. Pre,idenf.-l take this occasion TO call
your official attention to Indian atfairs-a
matter OF great Importance to the citizens Of
Colorado. As you arc doubtless aware from
recent occurrences, there is n very unfriendly
feeling between the white settlers of the state
and the Ute and Navajo Indians. The late
disturbance In New Mexico was simply
rather unusual outbreak OF that feeling. l
will not discuss at this time the cause of that
hostility, or which OF the two Is to blame
the white man or the Indian. From the best
Information can get the outbreak in New
Mexico was the result of abuse and insult by
drunken and renegade Indians. The period
ical troubles in Colorado, which, though GER
tain as death and taxes are not always dis
cussed In the newspapers, result from the
fact that the Indians are allowed be the
United States Indian agents to wander away
from the reservations.
There are two causes which Induce the In
dian agents to let the Indians leave their
reservations.
First-The ratlons go right along. Prnc-
tically 1t costs the United States Just as much
TO support the Indians when away from the
reservation as when at home, and the real but
not apparent, OiueFencc is pocketeu py the
thrifty Indian agent
Sccond-The Indians take their vacation in
an annual aunt, and, contrary to their Gus
tom before they were restricted to reserva-
lions, they destroy all game in these excur-
sions. They remorselessly kill the doe with
the few-wceks' old fawn, though the death OF
the mother involves the death OF the offspring,
and the Indians in these raids also frequently
destroy the cattle of the settlers. OF course,
they cannot consume the meat they kill, and
game for their hides, they usually
sell these hides to the same thrifty
Indian agent, whJ gives them
a written permit to leave the reservation.
The Ute Indian reservation OF Colorado Is In
the southwestern part Of the state, 10 Abun-
dainty large enough to support the Indians,
and abounds In game, but, armed with writ
ten permit from the indian agent, the Colo
RADIO Ute wanders into Eastern Utah in June.
By the latter part OF that month he is en-
camped in Northeastern Utah, and In July
both the Colorado and Utah Utes invade
Northwestern Colorado. At certain seasons
the Colorado blacktail deer is gregarious-
more so than ordinary deer. Hunters and
settlers assured me that they have occasion
ally seen bands Of these deer In Northwestern
Colorado in focks like sheep, numbering 5000
or 5000
1t is at such times that the Indians. $50 to
200 miles from home, attack these herds and
slaughter bucks, does and lawns alike for
their hides So great has this cruel slaughter
become that, II present conditions continue,
the utter extinction of the the black-tail deer
is inevitable. Two years ago there were five
large and distinct herds Of elk that roamed
over the parks and mountains Of Northwest
ern Colorado To-day there arc only sorry
remnants of two herds, the others having
been entirely destroyed for their hides and
antlers.
We have good game law and game war
den, and can readily protect ourselves from
the outrages Of individual hunters or ordinary
hunting bands, but we are powerlcss, short OF
calling out the military power Of the state, to
protect our borders from = band of maraud-
ing Indians, composed of perhaps 100 or $50