The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-22
J. J. 0psahl, tident of 1855 Treaty
Enforcement League, Writes
Congressman Lindbergh.
DEMANDS THAT INDIAN
TREATIES BE ENFORCED
Asks That Representative Take No
Action That Would Lead to An
nulment of Treaty.

AS result of letter writ
ten short time ago b,
Congressman G. A. Lindbergh to
Brainerd man, saying that he was il
favor of abrogating the Indian treaty
much action has been taken by loca
men in favor Of the treaty to oppose
the annulment of the treaty.
Sunday "a Law Enforcement or.
ganization was formed in Bemidji
Today, J. j. Opsahl, president of the
1855 Treaty Enforcement League
wrote a letter to Congressman Lind
bergh asking him to explain his &C.
ton.
Mr. Opsahls letter is as follows:
Bemidji, Minn., Feb. 21, 1916.
Hon. G. A. Lindbergh,
Washington, D. G.
Dear Sir:
Have noted the newspaper reports
on your 1855 Indian treaty comment
in which you are quoted as follows
1st. That you will introduce 8
bill to revoke the treaty if the ma
jority of the people of your district
demand it,
End. That this treaty is obsolete
and has outlived it's usefulness.
3rd. That the dignity of the state
is affected
AS you are generally frank in
your declarations, I would like to
have a little more information on
these three points raised by you.
= 1st. In which way are you to de-
termine the majority's wishes? Two
years ago several thousand from
this district sent your requests
to go to the interior department and
ask for enforcement of the 1856 law,
as 'home protection
End. On the point of obsoleteness:
How about the fact that we have at
the present time more Indians in this
part of Minnesota than in 1856, if
Indians are the only consideration,
but have not you, as we'll as few
others overlooked the fundamental
principle and purpose of the treaty,
Its home protection ?"
When the commissioners repre-
senting congress met with the Indian
chiefs to negotiate the treaty, it was
done for the purpose of securing this
vast tract of agricultural forest and
mining land area, for homes for cit
liens of the United States, irrespec-
tive Of color Of skin, and no doubt the
chiefs looked forward to the day that
at least part of red brothers would
live there as good, full-pledged cit
liens of the United States as any i'm
migrant from kings or kaiser
realm across the Atlantic, and the
conditions of these chiefs, which was
accepted and ratified by congress,
was that the big Father" could have
these lands as the homes for the cit.
liens of the United States, red or
white, but one of the conditions was
that "booze" should be kept out OF
the district. The Indian wards were
selling the lands and moving out as
one of the conditions. Whites were
expected to move in, and the purpose
was to keep "booze" away from the
red and white alike, and the commits
sioners as we'll as the chiefs agreed
that: Booze never had, and never
would tend to make better Indians
better homes, better and happier
mothers, better citizens, miners
bankers, lumbermen, railroad men d
farmers.
Now, has the treaty become obso
lete because of the fact that citizens
of the United States moved in, as ex
pected by the chiefs and congress
or has it been proven that the olt
chiefs and our former congress wer'
mistaken in their contention tina
booze was detrimental to moral, in
dustrial and happy home develop
ment?
Will your arguments on the obso
leteness of the 1855 treaty be baset
on that the chiefs erred, and tha
booze is now needed to build NOR
happy homes, to raise better boys AM
girls, produce better railroad, farm
mill and mining laborers, or bette
bankers and legislators? If you Cal
prove this we will not oppose the alb
rogation of the 1855 treaty.
3rd. AS to your point that tn
dignity of the state is affected, wa
little surprised. The first para
graph of the official oath of office O
the governor of Minnesota, the chic
sponsor for the states dignity an
honor, swears, first, to uphold an
enforce the laws of the Fedora
union, then of the state, and if h
wishes to be true to his oath of of
flee there would be no need of mar
tial law in this part of the state t
fight the invading booze enemy, be
cause the government has ampl
power through the state, county an
municipal departments, if he has tn
7 i-lss Il