Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-12-22
Fl GAZETTE.
The Indian Pensions.

In proof of the statement made 10y
US a few weeks since, that the anti
Harlan men believe everything hon
orable in politics, they have reviv-
ed the old charges against Mr.. Har~
Ian on the alleged Indian Pension
frauds. "H. V. B." notorious black
mailer, as correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Gazette, is being used as the
instrument in the hands of the rail-
road ring" to destroy the confidence
of the people in the honesty and in
tegrity Of Mr.. Harlan. 1t is the
last death struggle of the "forlorn
hope" Mr.. Harlan's con nection
with the Indian pension agency and
over which so much is now being
said, has been twice explained by him
The facts briefly stated are these a:
At the close of the war the govern
ment was feeding nearly all the In
dams in the South West. Several
regiments Of Indians were in the
Union armies and suffered the usual
casualties. The disabled, and wid>
ows and children of these who were
held, were entitled under the laws
to pensions. They employed attorn-
eys to prepare their applications and
file proofs. From the evidence filed,
and recorded evidence in the War
Department, many Of them were
justly entitled to go on the pension
rolls and receive certificates. Know
ing how easily evidence could be
manufactured ia the Indian country
and the INSCRIPTIONS character of
some attorneys, it was deemed un-
safe by Mr.. Harlan to rely on such
evidence and issue certificates to go
into the hands of their attorneys for
collection. He therefore directed
that their names should be enrolled
pro .forma, the certificates withheld
until the cores could be re-eXamin-
ed in the Indian country by a com.
petent officer. He appointed Hon.
G.. G. Whiting, the appeal pension
clerk i'm the Secretary's office, and
ex>commissioner of pensions. special
pension agent, who was thought to
be thoroughly convelsant with the
laws and modes ofproof; and a man of
integrity. After giving bonds with
approved security, Mr.. Whiting went
TO the Indian country under instruc-
tons from Mr.. Harlan to see each
applicant, re-examine each case, take
down the substance of the evidence
in writing, pay those in person whom
he found entitled to pensions and
take their receipts reporting, at the
same time, those who were found
not entitled to pensions, and strik e
their names from the rolls. The
commissioner of pensions supposlng
it would take about $4,000 to make
the final payment, placed that
amount to the credit of Mr.. Whiting.
It seems that he used but S27 900 of
the amount and returned $4S,0 900 to
the ITreasury. Whiting returned
about the same time that Mr.. Har~
Ian went out of the Indian Depart
ment I'm Sept. 1861 but made
his report to his successor
1t was a measure of extra eau
ton and saved thousands OF
dollars to the treasury. This is the
whole case over which the enemies
of Mr.. Harlan have been attempting
to make their final assault. Does it
not deserve praise rather than CEN
sure? 1t seems that q man by the
name of Wright was attorney for
most ofthe claimants, but Mr.. Har-
Ian, as we above stated, did not deem
it safe to issue certificates and per-
NIT the money to be paid to him, or
any other attorney, nor to rely on
the testimony which they furnish-
ed and hence sent an officer to the
Indian country as above explained.
If Wright was a rascal we cannot
see,why Mr.. Harlan should he blam-
ed for it..
Hon. Joseph r. Barrett, Ex.COm-
missioner of Pensions, and now ed
itor of the Cincinnati Times and
Chronicle, replying to the assaults
upon Mr.. Harlan by III. V. B." of
the Cincinnati Gazette. says:
We do not suppose at the time, nor
do we suppose now, that Mr.. Harlan
had any wrong intention in overrul-
ing what. as Commissioner OF Pen
sions, seemed to us the more sppro.
pirate action. We have never for a
moment thought that either the Sec
rotary or any Of his immediate friends
derived any dishonest benefit-or, In
fact, any advantage of any kind
from the course he saw fit to pursue.
We do not suppose III. V. B." real
ly believes anything of the kind. oil
that he expects anything more from
his present revival of the subject
than to direct some votes from Mr..
Harlan, in his pending contest for
reelection as United States Senator.
The course pursued seems to us well
calculated to react in Dir. Harlan's
favor, and such will probably result.
MI. Barrett, in the above para
graph, shows up in few words the
iniquity of the base s%eOumdrels who
are attempting TO cast discredit upon
the reputation of Mr.. Harlan Far
be it from US to uphold a man for u.
S. Senator, if he were shown to he
tration, but thus far, while the rail
road ring" have been at work with
such notorious libeIers as H. V. b."
of the Cincinnati Guzette, and
Gath" of the Chicago Tribune, as
their willing instruments, they have
utterly failed. The people with the
facts before them are not to be misled
by the underground political wire.
pulling of the ring" This last
desperate assault to destroy the con
fidence of the people in their tried
public servant will be as powerless
as those in the past, and cannot fail,
as expressed by Mr.. Barrett, to react
In Mr.. Hsrlan's favor. His enemies
could have taken no more certain
way to secure his election.
Rapid Reduction.
The Report of the Secretary Of war,
Belknap, which is before us shows
a gradual and great reduction in