Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-06-17
INDIANS ENTER PROTEST.
Sioux Chiefs Claim Their People
Are Not Treated Right.
Formal Statement Presented to Con-
gress and the Secretary OF
War-Wniting for the
Messiah.
lSpecisl Washington Letter. !


The American Indians seldom have
IN 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 a council of Sioux
Indians at Pine Ridge agency, and they
sent four chiefs to Washington to me-
morialize the congress for justice. They
appeared before the senate committee
OH 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 a number Of our people
have been employed and taken from tho
reservation to accompany Buffalo Bills
Wild West show for exhibition purposes
throughout the United States and Europe.
plan was inaugurated to allow the In
dians to trade out one months salary at
Rushville, HEB, before boarding the cars.
James +. Assay, white man, who was ex-
PEELED from the Pine Ridge reservation for
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
rage0us charges or lose their position with
the show
upon the return of the Indians to the
agency this man 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, un-
der the provision Of the laws governing
Indian reservations, removed from the
Pine Ridge agency In 1891, but was still
permitted to use the reservation at his
convenience and defraud the Indians by
charging them exorbltant prices for goods
sold under the Buffalo Bill trading COM
bfnaton, which seems too strong for the
officials at Pine Ridge to break. in face of
Assays persuasive powers Of pleasing those
whose favoritism 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 same as the whites do? What reason
Is there for Assay to be allowed to violate
tho law and plumber the Indians in the most
outrageous manner?
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
ing 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 as 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
Indian country was step in the right
direction.
There Is a clause in the printed forms of
the contract for beef which reads as fol-
lows: That the beef cattle under this con-
tract shall be good. healthy. merchantable
steers and cows tho bulls or stags) not over
seven years of age
Among the cattle received from the con-
tractor since July l. 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
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the reservation. The
cattle received for issue on February 10
and 20, 1897, were so poor that they dropped
dead near the Holy Rosary mission school,
but were dressed and issued to the In
dams as understandable beef and up to
contract requirements. Other cattle died
while en- route to Porcupine and Medicine
Root: and at this issue old bulls, some
spicuous and served as an issue Of mer-
charitable steers and cows (no bulls or
stags) not over seven years Of age"
In giving testimony before the COM
mittee on Indian affairs, American