The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-06-02
No Daily carousals Result
From Supreme Court Decis-
ion on Reservation.
5oOTLEGGlNG is BARRED
1t is Known That of The Entire Tribs
Less Than Ten Per Cent. Indulge
in Intoxicants Which Are
Death to Redman.

Wagner $. D.. June 1.-The recent
decision OF the United States supreme
court holdins that Intoxicating liquors
can be sold to Indians 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 the
Yanlton Indians are concerned these
articles arc erroneous. Wagner is stu-
ated i'm about the center of what was
formerly the Yanhton Indian reserva-
ton. and is the nearest town to the
Yanhton indian agency.
Fer Cent. is Small.
The Yankton Indians all took their
allotments of land years ago. There is
probably not 10 per cent. of the Yank-
ton Indians that will use Intoxicating
Liquors in amy form. A large majority
of them belong to the different church
es ON the reservation and each of these
Indians are not only total abstaiuers.
but are strong workers in the cause of.
temperance. a large majority of these
Ipdi ans realize the demoralizing effects
of the use ot Intoxicating liquors among
them and 10 guard against this, when
they coded the land that was the YanlN-
ton reservation to the United States
government they had u provision in
corDOrated ~ The treaty fol ever prohib-
iting the sale of lntoNicatine. liquor ON
that no Intoxicating liquors can be sold
within the limits of what was formerly
the hankt0l Indian reservation. The
provisions of. this treaty has been in
corporated Into an act of congress pre-
;sCri5ing a severe penalty for the viola
tion 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 pur-
pose, even the drug stores are not AL
lowed to handle it,
Christian Workers Help.
This excellent condition among these
Indians has beea largely brought about
through the effogts of Rev John p.
Williamson, the tntl.tu mss 4o .sal,y' re-
siding at Greenwood on the Yankton
reservation who has practically spent
his life working for the cause of Chris
lanity and the upbuiding of these In
Gians. 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 towards the
upbuildins and Improvement of the In
dams in South Dakota than any one
else.
Ii 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 ii is not very safe
tor a bootlvgger TO venture into this
territory, as they are spotted almost ;,s
soon as they arrive. There is not an
Indian to be tried at the coming term
of court in Charles Mix county for AN
otferSe. and there has been no serious
crimes committed by any of them for a
number of wears. While we do not mean
to say that all of these Indians are to-
tai abstain1rs. yct the condition among