The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-10-12
BlO00sAED IN MINNESOTA.
ACTUAL REBELLION AFTER
AFTER OCTOBER i5-STATE'S
RIGHTS THE CAUSE.
Liquor Question And Old Indian Con-
tract Inyolvcd-District Half As
Big as New York.

Government. and armed rebellion at
that.
This statement sounds like a joke
so years after the Civil War. and just
that length OF time after the settle
ment OF the question OF States rights.
but II isn't. II Is a serious fact that
Is giving both stats and Federal off,
cials grave concern.
Unless some compromise, which
does not seem possible now. can be
effected before October 18th. the date
on which the anti-iiauor clause OF
the old Indian treaties goes into op-
Grafton. bloody conflicts between the
Indian agents OF the Government
f.nd the citizens In the little towns
of Walker. cass Lake. GAINESVILLE.
Mooreheaj. Detroit and others In
the area affected may be confidently
expected.
The Government has announced
that on the date mentioned all the
saloons In the area covered by the
ancient Indian treaties must retire
from business. The owners OF the
saloons. backed by practically all the
citizens Of the towns. declare that II
any attempt is made by the Federal
ofhcials to close the saloons armed
resistance will be offered. Thus the
situation stands today. Neither side
10 willing to back down; indeed. It
does not seem possible for eitflcr
side TO back down. Violent threats
are passing back and forth. feeling
~ already at fever heat. and a prac-
teal s,G's Of rebellion already ex-
lists.
Frank Ives. editor OF the Cass
Lake Times. expressed the situation
candidlly and conciseiy in an open
letter TO Governor Eberhart some
days ago. He called on the Governor to
appeal to PRESIDENT Taft In an effort
TO have the old treaties abrogased,
and added:
Conflict In now too imminent
TO be ignored. You. as Chief Execu-
tive Of this State. are the only one
now who can prevent not a conflict
OF law. but of arms. Can you AFFORD
20 he rcrdu until the rebellion Is act
uaiT begun?
But the Governor has not yet act
Cd. and apparently does not intend 10
act. .\eeoause there Is a keen political
sitoatiNQ involved. lie is a candl-
date fON recollection against q Demo
crat. Jaraes Gray. who has declared
for county option. The large ma
jority OF county optionists In Mime
sofa are members Of the republican
party. and should the Governor take
any action benerting the liquor traf-
nc he would undoubtedly ALLEVIATE a
large number OF votes. So he has
announced that he can do nothin.
and has advised the rebels to await
action by the Supreme Court in
test case. and abide by the result.
decision by Judge Page Morris.
OF the United States District Court
of Duluth. however. has apparently
settled the matter already. and the
rebels have no intention OF abiding
BY any judicial construction OF the
points involved.
And on October is. William L.
johnson. daredevil Government In
dian agent, better known out here as
"Pussyfoot." has announced his in
tention OF closing up every saloon In
the Indian country found open on
that date. Backed by an opinion OF
District Attorney Charles c. Houpt
M 81. Paul. he says he will close the
saloons by force II necessary. The
men In the territory affected unani-
mously announce that rifles will ar
bitrate the dispute n Johnson tries
to carry out his intention.
The anti-saloon party In Mime
sofa Is believed to have been the
agency which unearthed the old In
dian treaties. At any rate late last
winter Johnson announced that "a
clause In the treaties forbade the sale
OF hquor In all the territory covered
by those ancient documents.
without the slightest warning last
April. Johnson and a number OF dep
uties. all fully armed. descended ON
the saloons at Cass Lake and NAH
onmen. smashed fixtures. spilled
liquor and put the bellgerents TO
route. That Is. they did this until
the enraged citizenry walked TO what
was going on. At Mahonmen John.
son and his deputies were surrounded
by posse armed with shotguns and
after fierce fight were arrested.
handcuffed and thrown into jai,
a l.