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Show 78 BEPOI$T OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFBAIBS. has been taken that if it is to intiist that Indians shall abstain abso-lutely from everything of the sort, the Government can not send among them as its quasi representatives persons whose habits and example shall mu counter to rather tban coincide with what is required of the Indians. Although trade among the five civilized tribes is largely under the jurisdiction of those tribes respectively, and they grant permits and exact fees for giving noncitizens the privilege of trading within their borders, yet under the law all such trade must be carried on uuder license from this Bureau and subject to its rules and regulations. The only difference between the legal status of trade among the five civil-ized tribes and among other tribes is that traders among the former are exempted from liability to coufiscation of goods and $600 pen-alty if they trade without license. The recent decision of the United States court for the Eastern dis-trict of Texlts that malt liquors can be introduced into the Indian ctountry and sold to Indians without violating the law has already been referred to on page 74. Among the establishments found by Agent Bennett to be selling beer at Ardmore, in the Chickasaw Nation, were four which held licenses from this oBce to trade at that point. They . . were all under bond of $10,000 each to icfaithfully conform to and ob-serve all the laws and regulations made or which shall be made for the government of trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes." . . Their cases were submitted to the Department in office report of September 3,1891, with recommendation tbat the Attorney.Genera1 be . . requested to cause the proper suits to be brought for the recovery of the penalty which they have forfeited. Also, on the 1.8th of September, t h y were notified, through Agent Bennett, that their lieenses were re-voked and tbat they mu& cease trading forthwith and close their places of business, and the agent was instructed to see that they com- ' plied with these directions. , EXBIBITION OF INDIANS. . , My views regardiog the so.called '6 Wild West as previously expressed have undergone no modification whatever. During the year only one party, and that by special instructions from the Department, has been allowed to take Indians for this purpose; for their care and compensation the proper bonds were required. Five of these Indians have been returned owing to failing health. By reference from the President and from thg Department, t,his ofice has lately rewived petitions from the Women's Indian Association, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and the Wiscon~in Indian Association, each pray-ing that no more permitsbe issued for the Indians to join <'Wild West" shows. Such petitions coming from associations laboring exclusively for the good of the Indians, together with many letters of the same general |