Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-08-22
THREATEN TO
USE FORCE.
Governors Of the Pueblo Indians
Assert They Will Resist
Taxation.
TO co TO WASHINGTON
Representatives From the Nineteen
PuebIos to Ask for
Relief.

A congress of representatives o
fourteen of the nineteen Indian Puet
los was held at the U. S. Indian Indu
strial School in Santa Fe on last Sat
urday, for the purpose of considerin!
what action should be taken with le
gard to the recent decision of the su
preme court which decided that thu
Indians were citizens of the United
States, and as such would be obliged
to pay taxes. 1t was decided by the
congress that representative from
each pueblo would be sent to Washing
ton during the short session of the
United States Congress in January
Judge A. J. Abbott, United States At
torney for the Pueblos; Superintend-
ent G. J. Crandall, of the Indian
School here; and Superintendent
James K. Allen, of the U. S. Indian
School at albuquerque, will, it is
thought, accompany the Indians to
Washington.
Decision Of Supreme Court.
The decision recently handed down
by the supreme court of New Mexico
declares that by the treaty of Guada
lupe-Hidalgo, signed fifty-seven years
ago, at the close of the Mexican War
the Pueblos assumed the rights of cit
lzenship and have exercised these
rights since then. The decision says
that as result of such treaty these
Indians have held petty offices and
voted as citizens. Judge A. J. Abbott,
attorney for the Pueblos, will appeal
their case to the Supreme Court of
the United States, but it is not be-
lieved they can win out, as the de-
c1sion recently handed down is strong
one. If they lose here, their only hope
is to get Congress to intervene in their
behalf
a If the recent decision of the supreme
court is carried into effect, it would
mean that the inhabitants OF each
pueblo would have to pay regular taxes
from $500 to s1,500. This, it is claim
ed, would eventually ruin them, as
these Indians are poor and barely cap
able of being self-supporting. The
Pueblos farm some but their methods
are very primitive. They raise corn,
oats, wheat, chill, beans, and other
small gains, but not in sufficient guam
titles to amount to anything. They
cut their grain with a sickle and thresh
it out with horses of goats. These
methods have been in vogue count
less age.
PuehIos Have Been PeaceabIe.
When one goes back into the his
tory Of the Pueblo Indians, it would
seem that they were the most deserv-
ing of all the Indian tribes They have
always been peaceable, have helped |
the government fight in war and have
done many other things worthy of
consideration. The Apaches, Crows,
Sioux, Snake and other Indian tribes
that have caused the government all |
kinds of trouble, have been much bet.
ter treated. Now it only seems fair
that Congress should do something for |
the Pueblos.
If Congress does not intervene in |
the Indians behalf, a grave question
faces the Territory of New Mexico
There is disposition among a few
Of the different Pueblos, headed by the
[sletas, to resist with force any action
on the part of the territorial officials
to carry out the decision of the SUI
preme court. The Indians that feel
thus inclined are trying to persuade
the rest of the Pueblos to act as
unit in the matter. There are 1909
Pueblos, and they are foolish enough |
to think that if the question were left
to them and the citizens of New Meyi
co alone, they could win. The officials
hope that some settlement will be |
made with the Indians so as to pre- |
vent any bloodshed or trouble.