The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-06-09
YANKToNs ARE NOT DRUNkARDs
No Drunken Carousels Resulting From
Supreme Court Decision.

The recent decision CT the United
States upreme court holding that in
toXicating liquors can be sold to In
dians who have taken their allOtments
of lands has caused the publication OF
numerous articles in the newspapers
stating that it would result in a reign
of terror in the locality where Indians
reside AS far as the Yankton Indians
are concerned these articles are erro-
neous. Wagner is situated in about
the center of what was formerly the
Yankton Indian reservation, and is the
nearest town to the Yankton Indian
agency.
The Yankton Indians all took their
allotments Of lands years ago There
is probably not 10 per cent of the In
dians that will use Intoxicating liquors
in any form. A large majority of
them belong to the different churches
on the reservation, and each of these
Indians are not only total abstainers,
but are strong workers in the cause of
temperance. A larse majority of these
Indians realize the denoralizing eff.
fects of the use OF intoxicating liquors
among them, and to guard against this,
when they ceded the land that was
the Yankton reservation to the United
States government they had a prOvi-
sion incorL Grated in the treaty forever
prohibiting the sale of intoxicating IL
quor on any of their ceded land, with
the result that 10 intoxicating liquors
can be sold within the limits of what
was formerly the Yankton Indian res
ervation. The provisions of this treaty
have been incorporated into an act of
congress prescribing a severe penalty
for the violation of the same. with the
result that the eastern half of Charles
MIX county has absolute prohibition
| against the sale of intoxicating liquors
for any purpose even the drug stores
are not allowed to handle it.
This excellent condition among these
Indians has been largely brought about
through the efforts of Rev. John p.
Williamson, the Indian missionary re-
siding at Greenwood on the Yankton
reservation, who has practically spent
his life working for the cause of Chris
'i'''ey hiAu INC upDuIluIlS vi lUeSC III
dlans. He has translated the Bible
and hymn books into their language.
In this work he has been assisted by
Bishop Hare of Sioux Falls and Dr.
Riggs OF Santee agency. These men
have probably done more toward the
upbuilding and improvement of the
Indians in South Dakota than any one
| else.
1t is a very rare occurrence to see
an intoxicated Indian on the streets of
| Wagner. With the cooperation of the
government authorities at Yankton
| agency and the local authorities of
| Charles Mix county it is not very safe
| Ior bootlegger to venture into this
| territory, as they are spotted almost
| as soon as they arrive. There is not
| an Indian to be tried at the coming
| term of court in Charles Mix county
| for any Offense, and there have been
no serious crimes committed by any
OF them for number of years. While
| we do not mean to say that all of these
! Indians are total abstainers, yet the
| condition among them is 40 worse than
| 1t formerly was. Those who want IL
| QuOr have always been able to get it,
But what drinking there is among
them is largely confined to the mixed
| bloOds and younger Indians.