The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-03-20

IN THE HANDS OF U. s. NARsHALs
For Serving On People Indicted at
Superior.

Following adjournment of the federal
court yesterday at Superior, nincty-seven
warrants for the arrest of persons indicted
by that body, were placed in the hands Of
q. S. Marshals for serving. This huge
grist of true bills marks the end of over a
weeks secret session of the grand jurors and
sets mark in the number of writs returned
in a similar length of time in the federal
court at Superior.
While all the writs are still held secret
it is said that the majority of them are based
on violation Of the government laws forbid
ding the sale Of liquor to Indians. 1t is
said the principal work Of the july was,
however, directed to stamp out the alleged
traffic in liquor to Indians. The biggest
number of wfits it is said were leveled at
offenders on Indian reservations which
means that many Indicted and will pay fines
of hundred OF dollars if they wish to keep
from going TO keep going TO prison. 1t
puts us in mind of sheep shearing tiine,.
when the sheep are bearded and sheared,
the only difference is the sheep are deprived
of their coat of wool and the Indian is de-
priyed of his cash.
We were always of the opinion that the
law governing liquor on reservations, where
Indians are concerned provide for the com
hscation and destruction of same, but as it
is this liquor is now kept as evidence against
the Indian from whom it is taken.
Hundreds of dollars are spent annually
BY the Indian in liquor cases, both in fines
and expense, does If not look peculiar to
man on tie side lines--It certainly must
When you stop and figure it out Bill, what
benefit Is accomplished. None, as the same
thing is gone through again. The only
remedy We can see for liquor suppression is
the abolishing Of the distilleries throughout
the country and this is the only plausible
remedy. For long as the government allows
the manufacture OF whiskey and the licens-
ing OF saloons for the sale of same then just
SO long will any person, regardless Of ma
tionaity, secure the stuff and just 50 long
will Indians a. well as his white brother se-
cure the same and in that case the Indian
department maintain a large corps of secret
service men al. an enormous expense and
the Indian and others made TO pay tribute
in money each year OF hundreds of dollars
at the shrine of the whiskev altar. Who is
to blame, the government who upholds the
traffic by allowing the distileries to operate
or the saloon keeper who pays his money
for the paivilege. We are as much oppos-
ed to che liquor as anyone but can see
where the government is at fault for allow
ing the root of the evil to live. OF course
Uncle Sam is after the Tong green and is
blind TO the evil and just SO with the saloon
keeper is Just the same. So why uphold
one and condemn the other and now who
is to blame foI the liquor evil and the dfs-
pensing Of liquor to the Indian. The sa-
loou keeper, who buys the right or Uncle
Sammy, who grants that right Let Uncied
Sam do what is right in this case and one
branch of the department will be abolished
secret service in the Indian service.
AS it is today this branch is detriment
to some of the Indians, for do they not use
them as decoys to catch the saloon keeper
The Indian put to such uses buy whiskey
from saloons and in this become accustomed /
to drink and made undesirable citizens.
This practice should be abolished at once
for the good of the Indian thus employed.