The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-10
WEHRLE FEELS
RUSSIANS HAVE
been INSULTED
Bishop of the Bismarck Diocese
Takes Exceptions to In
dian Resolutions

llHCS GIANCPllOSssS ~ III
dian Resolutions
DECLARE SIOUX FALSIFIED
Diocese of Bismarck, Bismarck, \
D., February s, 1919.
Bismarck Tribune: Please publish
the enclosed, and, since the foul attack
against our German Russians has re-
ceived n column on your first page,
expect that this answer vii also be
placed on the first page.
Respectfully yours,
VINCENT WEHRLE,
Bishop Of Bismarck.
Bismarck Tribune,
Bismarck, n. D.
I was absent for week and have
seen the article "SiOux Indians De-
mandb Loyalty Of Foster Sons" only
today. 1t is memorial" address to
Representative w. L. Caddell and con-
tains so many falsehOods and insinu-
atiOns against our German Russian
Catholics and our Catholic parish
schools that | find it necessary to
make a public protest. ..
1t is Ostentatiously given as a me
morial' by the Teton Dakotah tribe.
but every one who knows those IN
dams knows also for most certain that
it is not their product but the product
of some white man. and most probably
of one who tries to keep himself in
fat position by displaying cheap
patriotism. The Indians are not used
to put their nose into other peoples
business and to accuse others of
crimes without having any proofs at
all 1t requires CHEAP white trash
to do this ''lE '.*.
The memorial" says: 'Therc are
many people Of foreign birth who have
never become citizens ~ The or
iginatOr of the memorial" would do
well to find out exactly how many
of our foreign born German Russians
have not become citizens as soon as
the laws permitted it, From my
knowledge / know there is hardly Il
dozen in thousand.
1t goes on "And who have never
learned the language of our country"
1t is true enough, our foreign born
farmers are no experts in the English
language Their first duty was to
build mp their homes and to change
this western wild prairie into the
prosperous country it now is. Bear
ing every hardship of pioneer life.
they have shown the truoSt love for
this their new country, much more
than some government employees who
draw Il fat salary ana have their
heart more in their salary than in the
welfare of the Indians. whose charge
the government has entrusted to them
The memorial: ''They have shown
n disposition to band together in col
opies-'' A miserable accusation.
They have taken their homcstcadS
where they could find them. and it
was quite natural that they were
anxious TO live nen. their friends and
relatives as long as 1t could easily be
done. 7H iE"@1 ..''t
The memorial: 'Thcy have
shown n disposition to preserve the in
stitntionS of the countries from which
they came" An accusation which
is nothing but lie. so contemplate
that one feels tempted to place Il short
adjective before the word lie
The memorial: continuing to
speak the language Of those countries
in their churches. schools. homes and
in their daily intercourse with one
another When has it become Il
crime to speak that language which
one knows? | suppose the originator
has speant at least a number Of years
with the Indians. Has he. Il man Of
good education as one may judge from
his fluent English. learned enough Da
kotah to converse intelligently with
the old Indians who do not know Eng
lish? If he has not. he should not
expect that immigrants living on
farms and advanced in years should
learn English well. ...- ...
The memorial" These people
have persistently refused to send their
children to our public schools"
Another lie There are dozens of pub
lie schools in Emmons. Grant and
neighboring counties where the great
est number Of the children are German
Russians 1t may he that some of
them at times kept their children at
work when they should have been sent
to school: but am most certain that
among thousand German Russians
there are not two who refuse to sent
the children to school for the purpose
that they should not learn English
Let the accuser show from the records
of the counties how many German
Russians had to he fined for neglect
ing to send their children to school ::
L am sure the records of Emmons
county will prove that he has made
assertions injurious to the good name
Of large number of our citizens.
without any particle of proofs.
The memorial: .They have main
tanned private and parochial schools
in which some foreign language was
taught and in which no effort or
thonrht Is given to the inclllca tim of