The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1905-06-09
YANkToNs ARE NOT pRuNKARps
No Drunken carousels Resulting From
Supreme Court Decision.

Supreme Court Decision.
The recent decision CT the United
States upreme court holding that in
toNicating 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
lankton Indian reservation, and is the
agency.
The Yanllton Indians all took their
allotments of lands years ago. There
is probably not 10 per cent of the In
diarls 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 large majority of these
Indians realize the demoralizing eff.
fects of the use OF Intoxicating liquors
among them, and to guard against this,
when they coded the land that was
the 1ankton reservation to the United
States government they had provi-
SION Incorporated in the treaty forever
prohibiting the sale OF Intoxicating Ii
quor on any OF their coded land With
the result that 10 Intoxicating lllauors
can be sold within the limits of what
was formerly the Yankton Indian res.
ervation. The provisions of this treaty
nave 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
Min county has absolute prohibition
against the sale Of intoxicating liquors
Tor 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 Yanllton
reservation, who has practically spent
ms life working for the cause of Chris
tlanlty and the upbuilding of these In
dams. 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.
IL 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
nor 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 Ii
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