Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-06-19
INDIANS ENTER PROTEST.
Sioux Chiefs Claim Their People
Are Not Treated Right
Formal Statement Prevented to Con-
Eress and the Secretary of
war-waIting for the
Messiah
Especial washington Letter


The American Indians seldom have
an opportunity to be heard, but they
always have ample opportunities to
suffer; and nearly all of the wars of
the past 200 years have been caused by
injustice and oppression. the white
men being the original aggressors.
Recently there was council of Sioux
Indians at Pine Ridge agency. and they
sent four chiefs to Washington to me-
mcrialize the congress for justice. They
appeared before the senate committee
Indian affairs. and presented their
memorial, which has just been printed.
The document is signed by Red Cloud,
American Horse, Clarence Three Stars
and Patrick High Star. Their state
ment of grievances is, in part, as fol-
lows:
For many years number of our people
have been employed and taken from the
reservation to accompany Buffalo BilPs
Wild West show for exhibition purposes
throughout the United States and Europe.
"A plan inaugurated to allow the In
dians trade months salary at
RushyiIIe Neb before boardinf, the cars
James F. Assay. white man. who was ex
PEELED from the Pine Ridge reservation for
misconduct in 1891. has a deep-rooted
scheme, and the Indians are coerced, and 1t
Is made compulsory for them to trade at
Assays store in Rushville, Neb-. and pay
for the goods they purchase the most out
rageous charges or lose their position with
the show.
Upon the return of the Indians to the
agency this Assay is permitted to be
present and collect bills against the In
dams while final payment is being made,
and in some instances Assay handles the
cash and presides over the payment Mr..
Assays conduct was such that he was, I'M
der the provision of the laws governing
Indian reservations, removed from the
Pine Ridge agency in 1891, but was still
permitted to the reservation at his
convenience and defraud the Indians by
charging them exorbitant prices for goods
sold under the Buffalo Bill trading COM
bination, which seems too strong for the
officials at Pine Ridge to break, in face of
Assays persuasive powers of pleasing those
whose favorftism he seeks. Why not re-
Quire Messrs- Cody and Salisbury to stand
UP to their agreement and pay the Indians
cash, thus allowing them to trade where
they choose and enjoy competition in prices
the the whites do? What reason
is there for Assay to be allowed to violate
the law and plumber the Indians in the most
outrageous manner?
1.-The Cody-Salisbury contracts call for
payment of services in lawful money of
the United States If the orders issued by
the Wild West company on Assay and his
robbing machine are lawful money of the
United States. then all this goes for moth
fng- suit in equity should be brought
against the Buffalo Bill Wild West COM
pany for every cent that has been paid the
Indians in orders on Assays store, and the
amount due each paid to the Individual In
dian who rendered service in cash per
contract An investigation will bring out
more facts in connection with this robbing
scheme. Assay should be kept off the reser-
walton altogether; his removal from the
direction.
There Is a clause in the printed forms of
the contract for beef which reads fol-
lows: That the beef cattle under this con-
tract shall be good, healthy, merchandise
steers and cows Ono bulls or stags) not over
seven years of age
among the cattle received from the con-
tractor since July 1. 1896. there have been
old oxen, straight bulls, fresh cut bulls, and
stays, old, poor cows that were not able
to make the journey from the agency beef
corral to the several issue stations
slaughterhouses-on the reservation. The