Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-11
.cteiy the
Attitude of the Mormon Church

that any euOrt maze 10 prove ne is d
pOlygamst would result in failure ar!
while that point cannot said to have
been abandoned absolutely it is quito
certain the opposition will concentrate
its endeavors to prove that the posi-
tion he holds in the Mormon church IS
Incompatible with the oath of Al
legance he has taken to the United
States. That proof must be made, ii
the opinion of senators, before he can
be unseated.
AS to the ability of the oopOstion
of Senator Smoot to establish such a
proposition there is wide divergence OF
opinion among the senators. but there
Is pretty general agreement that II
1t should be established its re su't
would he the unseating of the Utan
senator.
of cattle with him when he and his
band retreated to the mountains
eighteen years ago, but three weeks
ago white man stole his last calf
(the last one. too. in the band) man
also stole his last pony before his
own eyes, but he being now 80 years
old could not overtake the thief and
recover the pony. They have now
twelve ponies altogether and not suf-
ticient hay for wintering them, as
every foot of the land is now "fled
upon by white men, who have
claimed and cut the hay. Even ole
Rising Suns land, where he has lived
for eighteen years. and, being more
agriculturally disposed than others,
has cleared and cultivated ten acres
OF land (this year but one acre cult
waited as he is 80 years old and his
wife 92) even this land now has a
white homesteaders shanty upon it,
The place where they are is now so
| stripped of wood that there is no fuel
! for them. Back farther in the noun
tains where they got wood last winter
the land is all taken. They cannot
buy wood and must steal it or freeze
They cannot get logs for new houses
and there is hut one relatively decent
log house among them mean
among the three fourths who are
helpless.
The only government rations they
can get now are one third of pound
; of flour and one fifth of a pound OF
salt pork per day. and no clothing.
, About three -fourths of them get this
pittance of -four and pork, the re
mainder sharing it with them
, AS to the moral condition men
toned | will say that it is also sub
stantially correct. AS the agent says:
Their women are getting bad" Such
things are hard to prove | believe
the newspaper statement to be true
: And yet, uptil sternest necessity came
upon them they prided themselves
and honestly-upon possessing the
traditional morality of the Indian
rather than tie somewhat looser NOR
ais of the half breeds.
wish to add that Captain Brenner,
, the Indian agent, has always done all
in his power for them. They being
off the reservation his powers are
limited to some extent He cannot
protect them under the United States
laws nor do the state authorities
trouble themselves about them save
t to prosecute them severely if they
, NEEDLE with white men. The reason
y for This is that the opinion prevails
e that the United States should care
: for its own wards"
e I can see no hope for them where
: they are unless by some means they
J. can have land, and | see no present
It prospect of their getting It. The only
II relieving thought one can find in the
II situation is that the Indian can bea1
wretchedness without the suffering i
l. brings to white men. and yet the.
d were once we'll situated with game TO
< food and furs for clothing.
ID A. NEG Beeie.
e. DR. Beede is well known all owe
". The state as man of careful observa
,e ton. and there can be no question a
a. TO the accuracy of his statements.
of appears that an emergency exists |
of the Turtle Mountain district, a
re emergency which calls for immedia'
ne action by the Christian people of Il
ad state