The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-06-15
REDS RECALL CARL SHURZ
INDIANS OF NEBRASKA HAD NO
LOVE FOR STATESMAN.
HE MADE CITIZENS OF THEM

Standing Bear, One Of the Big Sioux
Chiefs, When He Heard That Carl
sehurz Had Passed Away, Smoked
Pipe a Minute, Then Said, "oood."
Regardless of the way In which the
east looks at the memory OF Carl
Schurz, the dead statesman is remem-
bored in Omaha chiefly as being the
cause of the American Indians being
admitted to full citizenship In this
country-not because he took the side
of the red men in the long struggle,
but he, as secretary of the Interior
issued an order which so aroused the
west to the wrongs OF the Indians that
a crusade was started In Omaha which
reached to all portions Of the United
States, says an Omaha special, lasted
seven years and ended by supreme
court decisions and legislative enact
ments which made the Indian as free
as n white man If he chose to be so,
and to accept the conditions Of clvili-
zatlon.
Schurz had the order issued to Gen
eral Crook, then stationed at Omaha
and commanding this department Of
the army, and Immediately the cause
OF the Indian was taken up by Thomas
II. Tibbles, late vice presidential can
didate on the populist ticket, General
Crook, John l.. Webster, who will prob
ably be the next United States senator
from Nebraska Federal Judge Il. s.
Dundy and a score of other promi.
nent men In the west.
Previous to this fight every Indian
in the United States was subject to
the orders of the secretary of the in.
terror. The government was absolute
autocrat over the destiny of red men
in the. entire country, and that author
ity was frequently abused fearfully,
There had grown up, in Washington
and at the Indian agencies in the west,
a ring of grafters who fattened off the
spois of the Indian affairs.
A Memorable Trek.
Back in 1879 pitiful procession
wended its slow way northward from
Indian Territory, bound for the prai.
ries of Nebraska. There were thirty
Indians on foot and one old wagon
drawn by two wornout horses. In the
wagon was the dead body of child
an Indian boy. And the leader of the
little party was the father of the dead
child; the famous Ponca Indian chief
Standing Bear, a few years later to be
the best known Indian in the world
and to speak in every city in the coun
try in behalf of his own people.
Standing Bears party was enroute
to the Niobrara country in northern
Nebraska to bury the child in the an
cient burying grounds of the tribe
The party had left Indian Territory fol
that purpose, although its members
had been refused permission to leave
the reservation on which they had set
tied against their will.
Formerly the Poncas lived in north
ern Nebraska, along the Niobrars
behalf of the whites for years and hat
lost 700 braves fighting the battles o.
the whites For this previous secre
tary of the interior had given them j
fee simple, full title to their reserva
tion and their lands.
Then Mr.. Schurz was made secre
tary of the interior and at the poin
of the bayonet had driven the Poncas
down into Indian Territory, deprivins
them of the lands for which they helC
government deeds. The Poncas were
left months without rations in the new
country and more than one-third o
them died while there. Among thos,
who died was the son of the old chic
Standing Bear. The chief refused t
have the little boy buried in tn,
strange country, but instead, gather
ing few members of his tribe. h,
started for the ancient hunting ground
Of his tribe, intending to bury tn,
child where generations of Ponct
chiefs lay.
Schurz heard of the runaways an,
through the war department tele
graphed General Crook, in Omaha, t
arrest the Indians and return them t
the Indian Territory. But the chic
of the Omahas, Iron Eye, went +
meet the Poncas and offered them
refuge on the Omaha reservation.
1--WE have all the land Standing Bea
? and his people wish for; we have cor
and meat in plenty; come live wit
: u.s." said Iron Eye.
; But the government, through Schur;
, said No" So Crook arrested the oil
: chief and brought him and his follow
? ers down to Omaha. And with thel
came the wagon bearing the dea
!, child.
Planning Great Campaign.
5 Standing Bear told Crook his ind
n vidual story. The great Indian fighte
a knew the general history of the Il
dians and was already indignant ,
their treatment, but the treatment a
e corded Standing Bear was too muc
d and even the stern warrior rebelle
- That night Crook came into Omaf