Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-06-08
yANkTons ARE NOT pRuNkARos
No Drunken CarouseIs Resulting From
Supreme Court Decision


Supreme Court Decision.
The recent decision OF the United
States upreme court holding that in
toxicating liquors can be sold to In
dams who have taken their allotments
OF lands has caused the publication of
numerous articles in the newspapers
stating that it would result in 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
Iankton 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
dams 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. 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 4ankton reservation to the United
States government they had a provi-
sion Incorporated in the treaty forever
prohibiting the sale OF intoxicating IL
quor on any of their coded land, with
the result that 40 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.
tianity and the upbulding 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.
1t is 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
for bootlegger to venture into this
territory, as they are spotted almost
as soon as they arrive. There is not
an Indian to DE 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.