| Show THE INDIAN conference WAa washington HiNGToN feb 7 the conference between secretary noble and the sioux indian delegation began this morning at the interior department the secretary of war and mrs and miss proctor were present and also the wife of secretary noble and miss halstead the conference was opened by secretary noah who said you were represented presented ro here lust after the agreement with general crook was made you made certain complaints and requests at that time and you recel received ved certain promises from me there has been trouble since then and you have come again to say what you think proper as to the cause of the trouble and to make any alay further complaints you see am fit the secretary is here to tell you that he has kept his word but if there is anything more he be can do through friendship friend friendship shi me for the sioux he is ready to do it he is your friend and the great father has told him to be your friend he wants you to talk to him as friends and he will meet you in the same spirit the secretary then asked if the I 1 indians n had made arrangements about speakers he could not hear them all but would listen to a few and be desired them to speak briefly he added if no objection were made he would hear from john grass gram hollow horn bear american horse two strike hump and you young ng man afraid of his horse in response louis Ben Ren oltre said odd this arrangement was not satisfactory as it was desired that each agency should be represented represented resented the secretary replied that reg he e would hear john grass and american horse and then ahen take counsel with them as to who should follow JOHN GRASS then came forward rev C S cook episcopal minister at pine ridge bidge acted as interpreter grass at once began topeat to speak of the recent trouble among th the indians the origin of which he be did not know they bad come for the purpose of conferring with the secretary in regard to the matter the indians indiana he said did not desire to be driven back to their wild life but wished to consult with the president so 80 as to determine upon the t ture the indians thought it destra desirable bio that the agents should be civilians rather than military in the past he said the indian agents had opportunities fc steal but now it was difficult for them to adopt such practices the agents ef f late years he said were good men in speaking of his own reservation standing rock bock the threatened trouble had been put down by the indian police they believed in indian police and he be asked for an increase of fifty men grass gram then shook hands with the secretary and took his mat beat AMERICAN HORSE was waa the next speaker he displayed considerable natural ability and made a graceful preface to his remarks re ferring in complimentary terms to the secretary and the ladles ladies present the government had made mistakes mista keg in their attempts to civilize the indians he proc proceeded eWed to enumerate their mis takes instead of the positions at the filled indians white men man had crowded them out and taken their places what his people wanted was wasa a chance ch anceto to rise and fill positions of trust and consequence he then spoke of religious matters and said there were three religious bodies on their reservation who were trying to teach them to live better lives and especially bring about religious marriages marriage but they did not want to be compelled to marry certain persons the secretary inquired who had sought to TO MARRY MABBY american horse replied that he re berred more particularly to persons who eloped when the couple were brought back the agent obliged them to be married YOUNG XAN MAN A RAM OF ms I 1 related his services in the interests of harmony during the late trouble he brought his people onto nto camp and had turned in their arms how many queried the secretary and the orator was somewhat non plus PIUS sed he knew that the total was small and did not care to say he hoped the government would not only educate the children but also give them something to do when they finished at school TWO said he had made pence peace with general miles and was now going to do what he could to maintain it HUMP said about of his people I 1 had been killed and there shou should be some consideration shown to the survivors he wanted the ration increased and continued HOLLOW HORN bear and medicine bull talked briefly and then secretary noble spoke to the indians he said the indian must not be discouraged he would be supported as long as he endeavored to do well there were two sides to the question of what is due from the indian up to 1884 the sioux had been given by the government the government acknowledges its treaties and agreements with the sioux since 1884 when alien this money was paid there had been much more money paid pad according to treaty the secretary then quoted statistics as to the issues to the indians the schools the indians want have been kept up at all the agencies and industrial schools such as they want had also been reestablished established re at pierre and another school would be put up at flandreau andreau Pl farmers had bad been kept at diff different lerent agencies to show the sioux how to farm the land it was a mere accident that should have been out cut off the sioux appropriation immediately mediate after the agreement with general Genera crook it would have been the same if there had bad iven been no agreement these things should convince the sioux that the government had been trying to do what was right for fol the indians indiana in conclusion the secretary advised the indians to think over the many things the government had bad done for them to look at the promises made by general crook and have confidence iq in what he said the secretary said ba h wanted the indians to make up th ig minds to do the beat they could to edu cate or have educated their children child reni and never to let their young men dream that they could ever get any thing by force from the united states anat |
