The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1919-04-17

Coffey however could not, his
methods are different, he has no
respect for. constitutional council
proceedings and was determined
to force the issue and to railroad
things as his benighted conscience
uniformly dictates. But Coffey
soon discovered that he was deal
ing with different class of people
thar those who set him up as an
imposter president of the General
Council, and the Fond du Lac boys
soon showed him where to head
in. and the council proceeded with
Vice President Henry La Pralre
in the chair.
Coffey was given the floor and
he proceeded with his usual line Of
infamous blather, announcing tie
General Council, its make up and
it's work, and referring to the
mixed bloods as interlopers in. tn.
tribe, saying that they had no
right whatsoever to share in the
tribal property. He took the
Fond du Lac Indians to task for
supporting the General Council
and John G. Morrison, in short he
topk every man to task who did
not fall in line with his ideas and
referred to them as conspirators.
During his argument he became
intensely abusive IT, every one who
ventured to ask a question, be
yelled, shouted, swore and snorted
like a mad bull breaking into a
china shop. In his mad stampede
he failed to show the slightest re
gard or courtesy for the women
who were in attendance at the
council, using vile and proiane
language in an attempt to cover
every one present. His depraved
character was truly and fully por
trayed, and at the conclusion of
his blasphemous outbursts. it was
apparent to. every one present that
the man is simply a plain deluded
dupe more to be piticd than
censure1.
In a calm, deliberate and gentle
manly manner, John w. Carl,
John Arten, Charles Jackson and
Frank Beau|ieu arose in orderly
manner and replied to the charges
and statements of Coffey. They
showed the facts whereby Coffey
has been constantly misrepresent.
ing the work of the General Coun'
Gil and Legislative Committee;
they proved conclusively by their
record of achievement IN Congress
that the Chippewa matters have
come to point of material benefit
to all the Chippewas of Minnesota
they proved that the action of the
White Earth local council was in
conformity to its constitution; they
showed from the record Of hearings
and the Congressional Record that
it was due solely to the work OF
the Legislative Committee that the
illegal appropriations from the
tribal funds had been discontinued
this year, and that the claims OF
the Indians against the govern
ment for unfulfi!led treaty stipula
tons would soon be brought tt
linal settlement, and they proved
to the satisfaction of the council
that the work of the Gehera
Council under PRESIDENT Morrison
was in strict conformity to thu
wishes and likewise to tue grea
benefit to all Of the Chippewas o.
MINES ia. They further proved
to the Fond du Lac. Indians, tina
Coffey, a member of their bane
was the greatest detrimeut to tbei'
welfare as we'll as to al! the Chip
pewas and that be has and is act
ually u,isrepresenting the true
conditions relative to the Interests
of all the Minnesota Chippewas
| both st home and at Washington
D. c., that he even went SO far a