Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-19
UNCLE SAM FIGHTS
LIQUOR TRAFFIC
Caustic Telegram Sent by w. E,
Johnson of U. S. Service to
Nez Perce, Idaho.
ELECTION MAKES NO CHANGE
II County Goes Dry United Staes VIII
Continue TO Look After Interests
or Red Men.

II Nez Percc county votes dry, the
government will not withdraw its
right to suppress the liquor traffic on
Inc reservation. but will continue such
efforts with renewed energy In CO.
operation with local authorities. A
dry vote will be considered an en-
dorsement of our efforts to protect the
Indians from whisky pedlers and of
our efforts to protect the taxpayers of
Nez Perce county from expense at
tached to outrages arising from this
traffic. You are authorized TO make
this telegram public"
The foregoing caustic telegram sent
by w. l.. Johnson (chief special Of
ficer of the United States department
for suppressing the sale of liquor to
Indians throughout the United
States, whose head office is in the
Templeton block,) to his agent. Mr.
Cone. Lewiston. Idaho, gives a pretty
good idea In nutshell of the firm.
unyielding methods employed by
Uncle Sam in dealing with the sale of
liquor to the Indians.
The Nez Perce Indian reservation COW
ers about half of the Nez Perce county.
in northern Idaho. the counties to the
north and south having done dry" last
fall. An election to test NeZ Percc
county also has been called for May 9.
1910 The reservation was opened some
five years ago with a provision that no
liquor be sold within its confines for
a term of 20 years. But recently the
local authorities have been Issuing sa-
loon licenses in some IL towns on the
reservation. giving the Indian service
n great deal of active work closing up
these saloons as fast as they were
found,
RAIDS CARRIED ON.
First the local United States authori
ties arrested Alfred Dick of CuNdesac,
charged with selling liquor on the res
ervation to the Indians. He was con-
victed, but the case was carried up to
the supreme court of the United States.
the lower court was sustained and DICK
sent back TO Jail. A year ago last May
notice was served OH every open saloon
and speak easy place on the reserva-
tion, and they were numerous, to close
within 80 days. Most OF them put out
their lights but some OF the bolder
fellows showed fight. On July SIM
ultaneous raid was made on every open
Joint and blind tiger on the reservation
Many men were arrested and there
was a smashing up of $4,000 to $4,000
worth of saloon furniture and an out
pouring of large quantities of bad
whisky. This well organized raid re-
suited in the conviction of six men;
three went to the penitentiary for term
from IL to Is months. and the others
are counting their beads in jail now.
Last fall the Idaho local option was
instituted. since which many of the
counties have gone dry and Nez
Perce will be tested May 9, 1910. There
are 147O Nezperce Indians on the res
ervation, and they are OF high class
Indian blood, being close to the head In
the ways of civilization of all the vari-
Gus tribes throughout the United States.
They farm, and rent farm lunds to the
whites. AS an instance of their char
acter, recently they organized among
themselves an anti-Saloon league, adult
members Of the tribe are Hooking III.
and 1t looks as IL by May 9. nearly
every Indian on the reservation Will
cast his vote for dry county. That
shows a pretty high state of civiliza-
ton, q pattern some white settlements
might follow with advantage. Anyway,
whichever way the county goes, the
territory embraced within the reserva-
ton will be kept free from liquor IL
Uncle Sam and his faithful officers
have it in their power
NOON11 Wuhl 1O LIN
The largest town in the county Is
Lewiston, with population of about
5000, but Mr.. johnson says there Is d
strong element there and in the other
towns opposed to the saloon, and he is
quite sanguine it IS sufficiently domi-
nant to down the saloon in Nez Perce
county That being the result, every
county In Idaho embracing Indian res
ervations VIII have become dry
which means so much to the effective
work of Mr.. johnson and his corps OF
assistants.
Last year an appropriation OF SSO,Oo0
was made by the United States gov
ernment for the suppression OF the
liquor traffic among the Indians, which
amount Mr.. Johnson expends largely
among his regular army of aids. and
special officers enlisted In raids organ
lied to put down liquor in various parts
of the country. Last year he made
some convictions as for east as New
York. OF late years Minnesota and
Wisconsin have proved the black sheep
in his flock of states.
ONE HUNDRED SALOONS CLOSED.
From October. 1909, to Dec 1909 he
closed 100 saloons in Minnesota alone.
He dug up an old record showing that
in the Indian treaty of '55 that state
must not sell HQuOr 10 luuidhSs ~
the time that information came
to light the state was alive with
saloons. One may imagine the work
that confronted him A more resolute
man would have quailed before the tre-
mendous fight about to be started.
But he went In and won out. but not
before he and many of his men had
been thrown in jail by the local au-
thorities. AT one time Mr.. Johnson was
confined to a Jail for week.
Even in many of the Minnesota and |
Wisconsin towns where he was met |
with the most stubborn opposition. to- |
day the merchants are thanking him |
for his work. as where before when the |
Indians received their money 1t all |
poured into the saloons. while now the |
liquor is beyond convenient reach and |
the Indians go into the towns, buy |
blankets, flour and other provisions. and |
return 10 their homes good Indians.
The effects for good are already begin
ming to show In the improved charac-
ter of the natives. which is the source
OF much satisfaction to the men back
OF this work.
RECK DENIES RUMOR