Weekly Chemawa American., March 12, 1909, Page 2, Image 2

THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
ma, United States District Judge Whit
son decided that that part of the" act of
congress of 1897 prohibiting the intro
duction of liquor upon an Indian allot
ment was also unconstitutional under
the Heff "decision, This case is now on
appeal by the government to the circuit
court. t
Some weeks ago, prosecutions were
brought in the Washington state courts,
at Yakima, under the old territorial act
of 1867, prohibiting sales of liquors to
Indians. 1 In one of these cases (State;
of Washington vs. Jess Harkness) Judge
Preble of the superior court of Yakima,
decided that this old territorial act was
not carried into and made part of the
state laws upon the formation of the
same 'and is, in fact, no longer in exis
tence. ''This leaves the greater part of
the Waahingtpn Indians wholly without
any protection from the whiskey pedler,
either state or national. Inasmuch, as
for the constitutional reasons given
above, the federal government is barred
from extending police protection to
these Indians, it is up to the state to
make such provision.
NEED OF PllOTECTION.
'This period, in which the Indian is
laying aside his tribal associations, to
take up the duties and responsibilities
of citizenship, is a peculiarly dangerous
one. If he is guided and assisted during
this period of transition, the bulk of them
.will become and are becoming useful and
thrifty citizens. If, however, the In
dians are left at this time to the tender
mercies of the whiskey pedler and grafter,
they are sure to become a race of crim
inals and paupers. As such, they will
become a burden upon the state rather
than upon the federal government.
"At this time, therefor, the state has a
more intimate interest in the welfare of
the Indian than has the federal govern
ment. uIt is the desire of the 'government,
through the office of Indian affairs, to
cooperate with state authorities in this
problem, with the humanitarian end in
view of making the Indian a citizen rath
er that a erimnal. If your legislature,
will provide a state law, forbidding
furnishing liquor to Indians within your
borders, our department will cooperate
to the utmost with state authorities in
making such a law effective ''Spokane
Chronicle.
LOCALS
Mr.. Smith has established a new barber
shop in the back room of his office vhi."h
was formerly used for the stock issuing
room. Robert Gregory is the tonsorial
artist and is kept very busy removing the
crops, several of which have had several
months the start of the barber.
Dennis Ilarnden, Thomas McCully
and Philip Moss are doing good service
on the repair work which is being done
on the middle boiler in the power house.
A new front has been put in and the
old brick taken out and repaired with
new. " The furnace will be as good as
new when finished.
Mr. Leaman, Y. M. C. A student
Secretary of the Pacific Coast, stopped
off for a few hours Monday. He was
on his way o. Portland to make an
arrangement for, the Y. M. C. A. con
ference which will be held in the spring.
Mr. Leaman was much pleased with
the work of the local Y. M. C. A.
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