The Tomahawk., 1918-03-28
D0|NGS At WASHING
TON.
Legislative csnmlttse Busy with Matters
Of Great Importance TO Minnesota
chIppsvas.
Washington, D. G..
March Is, 1918.

w 0AASA6V way 40 W
March Is, 1918.
SPECIAL TO The TOMAHAwK.
Matters of great interest and far
reaching consequences to the Chip
pewa Indians of Minnesota have
been considered in Washington
during the past week. The Su-
preme Court of the United States,
by divided court, held that the
joint resolution of March 4, 1915,
appropriated 100000 of the trust
funds of the Chippewas for use
during the fiscal year ending June
30, 1915. The court deemed it un
necessary in that case to determine
the power of Congress to make the
appropriation or the legality of its
expenditure by the Indian Bureau,
holding that these questions were
not in issue in that suit. The
questions which the Supreme Court
declined to pass upon in the case
just determined are both square!y
presented in the case now pending
in the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict Of Columbus, whict. latter case
the Indian Office, through its at
torneys has been able thus far 10
prevent the consideration of BY the
court, one subterfuge after another
having been resorted tc to prevent
the. case being heard. That case,
thanks to Senator Kellogg of Min:
nesota, will no longer be delayed
and will be promptly heard. When
Senator. Kellogg learned Of the
tacticts employed by the Indian
Bureau he promptly took the mat
ter up with Secretary Lane and
arranged for preemptory instruc-
tions to the Indian Bureau and its
attorneys to assist in the advance
ment and early bearing Of the case
pending. Senator Kellogg is a
man of few words, but prompt
and effective in his action. He
will see to it, with the other mem
hers of the Minnesota delegation,
that hereafter the Chippewa In.
dians of Minnesota receive a
square deal at the hands of Con-
gress and the Indian Bureau. A
petition has been filed with the
Supreme Court of the United
States for rehearing of the case
just decided. In view of the di.
vision of the court, Mr.. Balllnger,
the attorney for the Chippewas,
believed that no effort should re
main unperformed to win the case
for the Chippewas and that the
circumstances justified the fling Of
the petition.
Slowly but surely the legislative
committee of the Chippewa Gen
eral Council are frightening their
grip upon the Indian Office and
exposing the deception that office
has heretofore practiced upon
Congress in obtaining large annual
appropriations from the principal
trust fund of the Indians. Here.
tofore the Indian Bureau has
camfiouaged Congress, it has Gre
ated the inference and belief that
practically all of the 1900 Chip
pewa Indians in Minnesota are
'incompetents," and have to be
fed, educated and looked after like
other incompetent people; that the
S1S5,O0O annually appropriated
from the principal trust fund has
been used in buying clothes fol
them. in buying food for them, in
seeing that they had proper houses
TO sleep in and in giving chem thai
care and attention which incompe.
tent people require. Upon thit
false assumption Of the actual con
ditions existing Congress has au
thorized the appropriations in the
past. It low transpires thst prsc