The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-10-18
under which it works, must be deter
mined on it's publication.


At this time, while the Indignation
against the Indians in Minnesota is
at height caused by the recent bat
tie in which so many of our soldiers
were killed and wounded, it is like
committing social suicide for one to
do otherwise than argue that moth
ing less than complete humiliation is
a fitting punishment for these lawless
knights of the forest. Yet withall,
there are two sides to this. as well as
to other questions. It is not strange
that the public is familiar with but
one side of this question.
The Indians, knowing this, are
anxious for the reporters to be pres
ent at all the pow-wows or coun ellis,
thinking in their ignorant simplicity
that through them the public will
learn their side of the story, which
unfortunately is rarely the case.
About the only conception that the
average white man has of his red
protege is a lazy glutton feeding at
the government crib ready to spit his
benefactor at the first opportunity.
That he is an Indian is
true, yet no fault of his That he is
ignorant goes without saying, yet
owing to this fact he is numerically
cheated-robbed and prodded, until.
driven into a frenzy Of rage, he seeks
redress-then comes an Indian up
rising with it's usual murder and
bloodshed. In the present trouble
the surrendering some twenty or
more of their comrades to the gov
eminent as witnesses, is not the para
mount one from the Indian point of
view.
There is greater grievance back Of
all this that they want corrected
first. Rev. J. H. Chandler, a man
quite familiar with the Indians gives
out hint that will furnish the pub
lie food for reflection before it
proceeds to wipe the red man off the
earth to avenge the blood of our gal
liant and heroic soldiers who were
sacrificed to atone for the crime OF
dishonest and corrupt public ofici-
ais. He says:
I'm my opinion the hardest fight is
yet to come. The trouble which the
government will have in pacifying the
Indians engaged in the present out
break is but a drop in the bucket
compared to what must be done to
finally fix upon exact justice for the
red men. The evil lies with the Off
Gals in charge, and in the manner in
which they execute the laws. The
officials themselves are more guilty
of breaking the spirit of the laval
though they manage to adhere very
closely to it's letter-than are the
Indians. The dead and down tim
Der act was enacted ostensibly as in
favor of the Indian. AS I read it |
thought it good act for the relief of
the Indians, not only in monetary
way, but to teach them habits of
industry and self help, bnt the Off
Gals in charge have made of it little
less than a farce. Under it's oper-
ations the whites and half and quar-
ter breeds have taken advantage of
law primarily intended for the bene-
| fit of the Indians and the latter,
being slow of wit, are left out in the
cold. Even the half breeds are not
sharp enough for the whites, and in
stances are known where they have
let the contract for removing timber
from their claims and found them
selves in debt to the contractors
after the work is completed. 1t is
nothing less than robbery, and many
of the officials, | am informed, are
engaged in the knavery.,'