The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-05-25

this government has policed Tx
larger half of Nez Perez county, IN
GLIDING several Incorporated vii
lagos. and prohibited the sale Of
liquor to any man with a red skin
One is just as lawful as the other,
There can be no such thing a:
dual jurisdiction 10 the enforcement
of police regulations. The prohlbi-
ton of the sale Of Intoxicating
liquors is a police regulation and
with the state and among its citizens
rests solely with the state. Indians
to whom land has been allotted IN
severalty are citizens of the United
States and therefore citizens OF the
state in which they reside. and this
regardless of the fact that the gov
eminent has placed in a patent TO
their lands restrictions against
alienation or encumbrance for a
period of years.
"Such is the decision of the su-
prsme court of the United States in
a habeas corpus proceeding-in Re
Heff. decided April 10, 1905.
There are no new principles laid
down in this decision. 1t is simply
clean-cut application of the healthy
doctrine of state sovereignty and
local self government to the Indian
question.
"In looking backward one is as
tonished that ten thousand Ameri-
can citizens residing within the
boundaries of the former Nezperce
reservation should have submitted
all these years without protest to
such palpable interference with their
constitutional right Of self govern
ment. Congress has said to the
state of Idaho, you must accept
these new Indian citizens we have
created and give them full benefit
and protection of your laws, both
civil and criminal. The United
States government must now keep
its hands off and permit the state to
govern its own citizens, whether
their color be white, red or black.
Such is the law as settled by the
highest courts of the land. The
good people of Nez Perez county
should congratulate themselves.
at must occur to the we'll in
formed that this 'butinsky' policy OF
ne United States government, which
mas been suffered ever since the res
.rvation was opened. has not been
pronounced success, whether viewed
rom a practical or a moral point.
aft has suppressed saloons, but
las promoted booze joints In the
oppression of the legitimate caterers
o the liquor requirements Of the
nner man. it has produced the ire
'ressable 'bootlegger'. It has re-
trieted the traffic of pure liquor
nd substituted in its place Indian
re water, embalming fluid, furni-
lre polish and extracts of 'killem-
uick.' Incidentally the county Of
Ter Perez loses at least ten thous-
nd dollars each and every year.
csnse money, that would otherwise
c paid by the twenty or more sa-
IONS which are constantly, openly
nd VIGOROUSLY running upon the
,rmer reservation.
There is no use lamenting over
Ie hundred thousand dollars license
oney that has been lost. Let the
.ople of Nez Perez and Idaho
'unties wake up and license regular
Iloons upon the former reservation,
J they have undoubtedly had the
ght to do for at least ten years
st past. The state of Idaho may
It be able to suppress the sale OF
Iuor to Indians, but in my judg-
ent the state can and will efficient
regulate a traffic which the gen.
al government has utterly and
mentally failed TO either suppress
regulate.