The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-21
OLNEY AND THE INDIANS.
The Attorney-GenerarsI Ignorance He
suits Many Abuses.

suits i'm Many Abuses.
Washington Correspondence New York POST
Unless President Cleveland insists upon.
ne A'torney-generals making trip
through the West or else requires him to-
take the judgment Western affairs OF
persons who know the country. the people,
ana the conditions. serious trouble is likely
ances or the agents OF The Department OF
Justice in connection with the Indians Mr.
Olney. whose ability lawyer Is beyond
question. and who in such cases as the rail-
road riots OF last year has handled the
" manner because the conditions are all
familiar 10 him. knows as little as child
OF what is going on within his own jurisiic-
ton In parts Of the country where he IL a
stranger. The keynote OF his feeling about.
this was struck by him in con.c rsation with
a man who called while ago 10 him
of great damage which one OF his Western
district attorneys was about TO infiict upon
the the sovernmens The visitor after sndurlnss
indifference and meeting his desultory cross
questions as long as he thought desirable
Now, Mr.. Attorney-general. what do YOU
know about the situation out there? Have
YOU ever spent any time in the Western.
Indian country
The ACCOMPLISHMENTS face wore sar-
donic smile he threw up both his hands
in gesture OF mock supplication and an
swered God forbid.''
OF course it does not take men of the
class. of the average hanger-on Of a West
e eh., frontier ,s court very long to discover
deal with who knows what he is about. or
one whom they can ride over with impunity-
On the strength of Mr.. Olney's course in
the case of the seven Indian policemen ar
the Cheyenne river agency. the whole gang
OF OF par room toushs who make up the body
felt at liberty TO do anything they pleased
on or about Indian reservation. assured
that they would suffer no harm from WASH
ington. where the head OF their department
AFFAIRS so far away from home; The sys-
n In fhnxr has
about an anti-Indian campaign under the
forms of law wears very much the air OF
conspiracy. Deputy marshals are paid. not
stated salary, but fees for each separate
service The more work they can trump
up, therefore, the better the can line their
pockets.
A few days ago the first of a series of ar
rests for bigamy was made an Indian
reservation. IL was at Pine Ridge. and the
victim was old American Horse, a Sioux
chief Of deserved prominence. who has been
power 10 good in his tribe through his
friendliness for the government. He had
been living with more than one squaw,
after the universally recognized Sioux fash
ion. for many years. and before
had dreamed of using force to prevent him.
The Sioux code OF domestic and social
morals is not the code of Caucasian civili-
cation, II is true. and the government il
doing what II can, with some promise or
success. to win the Indians over 20 form
of marriage as white men understand IL.
The process is bound in the nature of
things to be slow. bu. II certainly is not
going TO be accelerated by swooping down
in dramatic manner upon a prominent
chief and dragging him off 10 a Criminal
Court. Moreover. there does not appear TO
be any excuse in law for the high-handed
course OF the deputy nlarshals. American
Horse had not committed any offence
against white man, and he had not COM
mitted one of any sort of the reservation.
As the law has been steadily interpreted
heretofore, the Federal courts have no such
jurisdiction within the borders of a reserva-
ton as outside. 1t 10 not likely, therefore.
that the arrest of American Horse will
stand when ii comes to be tested before a.
Federal court. But. meanwhile. the prison
er and all his tribesmeD and friends have
been taught that the white man has no
respect for his own law. and that the mar
shals are permitted by the Great Father to
do whatever they choose long as IL is
only an Indian who is 10 suffer.
From Pine Ridge the move was made
upon Rosebud agency. Here another In
dian has just been arrested for the same
offence. and with equally little shadow or
right. In the opinions Of many experienced
judges of affairs on the frontier, these two
incidents are of piece with the Chey-
enne river prosecution. the Turtle mountain
raid. and others which have occurred late
ly, and which have for their purpose
viously the pulling in of fees. and not the
vindication Of any law or right OF the gov
eminent against the Indian.