The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-04-01

1NNAA ~ SlP1S injustice 10 lllc nOnlG e.
stead settlers OF the Rosebud who
during the past eight years have un-
dergone many hardships and priva-
tons in ar honest effort to d~evelor
a country sold them by the govern
ment at four prices, and who now
have to battle the government and
state both to avoid confiscation OF
their property through unjust tax dis
elimination.
Three fourths of Mellette county
property both real and personal is
held by Indians. The government
officials encourage the Indians and
aid in removing from taxation in that
goung county "all /. ID. cattle, all
increase OF /. d. stock, all allotments
all property purchased by nancy the
result of sale of either, ali personal
property OF Indians who still draw
their rations", though they be voters
and you quietly ac%quiesce. South
Dakota needs some representatives
in congress who will represent the
settlers and citizenS and not repre-
sent nor aid the officials at Wash
ington to further perpetrate gross
injustice on the Rosebud Settlers BIZ
encouraging through the Boss Farm
ers to brand all their stock |. ID. and
to avoid the duties of real citizen
,ship. No one makes a good citizen
who does not contribute their part
to civil government and the
full duties of citizenship, Thousands
of head of taxable stock now nave a
fresh l. ID. brand since the issuance
of the orders referred to have been
promulgated. The Indians are not to
be censured. Most of them would
assume the full duties of citizenship
gladly, and pay their taxes if the
government officials would treat
them candidly; but the recent acts
OF the Department in taking large
sums OF their payments and erecting
two large hospitals is only another
example of a series OF %blunders sig
nalizing the Indian Departments con
troll iof the Red men for the past cen
Jury As a result the merchants of
The Rosebud had to advance 100000
worth of provisions for poor old Lo,
in many instances to sustain his life,
until the Hospital is paid for. What
10 needs is plenty of bread not prep
aration for burial.
Senator. you perhaps say that you
know all the above, but that o
cannot control the government. You.
and Senator Gamble, Congressman
Burke and Martin are responsible
for the conditions. The old Rusticus
Kinkaid Just across the Nebraska
line assumes full responsibility alone
for opening to his settlers three mil
lion acres giving the settlers $40
acres for fling fees and his Indian
Wards are satisfied, and from a po-
litical standpoint he is a success for
in last election he received more votes |
for congress than every candidate for
president in the same district. You
and your colleagues are responsible
for the condition, and o and the
governor and his tax commission +
in q position to know and it is your
duty to adjust and require an equit-
able and a non-discriminatory tax
the former Indian reservations.
1t is a State question. an.the State
Supreme Court and the United States
Supreme Court have held and Will
hold that excessive, unjust and dis
criminatory taxation is an Illegal
c~onfiscation laf property and void.
You should be and are the medium
through which we reach the Governs
ment at Washington.
what right has the government
open the Rosebud Tor settlement.
sell it to the homesteaders at d high
price. require expensive. and danger
tillagc, require them to estab-
lish civil government; prosecute
cllmtnals; punish Offenders: open
roads and build bridges; vote bonds
and build school houses: equip same
.,1 ,.,,1n,, {ooa1nyo. !, piptoi in !
schools; pay taxes OF $50 per quar-
ter; subject the family to the hard
ships. and pay all the bills? Why
should all their property be taxed to
the statutory limit and over half of
the property go free? Is that fair or
justice? Are you representing your
splendid constituency when you al
low it?. Isn't that a pure confisca-
ton of property without due process
OF law? Gregory. Trip and Mellette
COMMITTEES are populated with some OF
the finest citizenship in the state,
and the. land is we'll adapted TO graz
ing and dairying purposes but gov
eminent officials contention that the
white settlers stock can be held Tor
per head damage and that the
wards cattle are entitled TO free range
and not amenable to the State la"
OF .trespass needs adjustment, and 1t
is your duty to get busy on h 1op.
Senator-elec Johnson n con-
gressman-elect Candy promise to lay
congressional etiquette and adjust
the question OF honest equltaple \
alton and uniform trespass laws. But
that would be humiliating to you
and you would not want them 10
"beat you to it."
Very sincerely,
&c. O. Van Meter