832 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.axx.h 



of the weaker race. It is uow sixteen years since our lust war with the Sioux iii 

 187.6 a time when our presenl Sioux warriors were mostly children, and therefore 

 have ii<> memory of having fell the power of the government. It is but natural 

 that these young warriors, lacking in experience, should require but little incentive 

 to induce them to test the bravery of the white man on the war path, where the 

 traditions of his people teach him is the onh path to glory and a chosen seat in the 

 "happy hunting grounds." For these reasons every precaution should lie adopted 

 by the government to guard against trouble with its disastrous results. Have such 

 precautions been adopted? Investigation of the presenl trouble does not so indicate. 



Sitting Bull and other irreconcilable relics of the campaign of 1876 wen- allowed 

 to remain anion;; their people and foment discord. The staple article of food at Pine 



Ridge and s of the other agencies had been cut clown below the subsisting point, 



noticeably the beef a I Pine Ridge, which from an annual treaty allowance of 6,250,000 

 pounds gross was cnt down to 4,000,000 pounds. The contract on that beef was vio- 

 lated, insomuch as that contract called for northern ranch beef, for which was sub- 

 stituted through beet from Texas, with an unparalleled resulting shrinkage in winter. 

 so that the Indians did not actually receive half ration of Ibis food in winter— the 

 very time flic largest allowance of food is required. By the fortunes of political 

 war. weak agents were placed in charge of some of the agencies at the \ ery time that 

 trouble was known to lie brewing. Noticeably was this so at Pine Ridge, where i 

 notoriously weak and unlit man was placed in charge. His flight, abandonment of 

 his agency, and bis call for troops have, with the horrible results of the same, become 

 facts in history. 



Now, as for facts in connection with Pine Ridge, which agency has unfortunately 

 become the theater of the present " war," was there necessity for troops ! My past 

 experience with those Indians does not so iudicate. For seven long yens, from 1879 

 to 1886, 1, as agent, managed this agency without the presence of a, soldier on tin' res- 

 ervation, and none nearer than 60 miles, ami in those times the Indians were naturally 

 much wilder than they are to-day. To be sure, during (lie seven \ cats we occasion- 

 all} bad exciting times, when the only thing lacking to cause an outbreak was the 

 calling for troops by the agent ami the presence of the same As a matter of fact, 

 however, no matter bow much disturbed affairs were, no matter how imminent an 

 outbreak, the progressive chiefs, with their following, came to the front e no neb in the 

 majority . w ith the fifty Indian policemen, to at once crush out all attempts at rebel- 

 lion against the authority of the ageut and tin- government. 



Why was this.' Because in those times we believed in placing confidence in the 

 Indians; in establishing, as far as possible, a home-rule government on the reserva- 

 tion. We established local courts, presided over by the Indians, with Indian juries; 

 in fact, we believed in bavin",' the Indians assist in working out their own salvation. 

 We courted ami secured the friendship and support of the progressive and orderly 

 element, as against the mob element. Whether the system thus inaugurated was 

 practicable, was successful, comparison with recent events will decide. 



When my Democratic successor took charge in 1X86, he deemed it necessary to 

 make general changes in the system at Pine Ridge, i. e.. a Republican system. All 

 white men, half-breeds, or Indians who bad sustained the agent under the former 

 administration were classed as Republicans and bad to go. The progressive chiefs, 

 such as Young Man Afraid, Little Wound, ami White Bird, were ignored, and the 



backing of the el nt of order and progress was alienated from the agenl and the 



government, and in the place of this strong backing that had maintained order for 

 seven years was substituted Red Cloud and other nonprogressive- chiefs, sustained 

 of the ancient tribal system. 



If my successor hid been other than an amateur, or had had any knowledge or 

 experience in the inside Indian polities of an Indian tribe.be would have known 

 thai if the element he was endeavoring to relegate to the rear bad not been the bal- 

 ance of power. I could not for seven years have held out againt the mob elcnieni 

 which be now sought to put in power. In other words, be unwittingly threw the 



