New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-20
THE INDIAN COMMISSION.
COWAN'S NEW BOARD.


HOW SERVING WITHOUT PEcUNIARY CoMpfNsA-
TON" WAS MADE PECUNIARILY PROFITABLE
Cow,N AND TURNEY CHARGING MILEAGE AND
rxpFNsrs To WHICH THEY WERE NOT ENTITLED
THE INDIAN PEACE COMMISSION b"ohLN u
BY THE INDIAN RING.
To the EdffOr Of the Triohhe.
Sin. The original members of the Indian Comms-
sion appointed under the act OF Congress OF Api w.
1859 were Felix r. Brunot of Pittsburgh Chairman
Robert Campbell of St. Louis. Nathan Blshop OF
New-York William +. Dodge of New-1ork, John "
FarweIl of Chicago. George II. Stuart of Philadel-
mia. Edward :. Iobey of Boston, and Henry s. Lane
of Indiana. This act authorized the President to
organize a Board of Commissioners to be
selected by him from men eminent for their lntell
gence and philanthropy, to serve uthom pecHnlary
compeasaiiop" Nearly all of these Commissioners have
served for five year, yet not one of them has ever
received a dollar directly indirectly for his ser
vices which in several instances have required from
two to three months time in year.
But soon after the failing health of ex-senator
Lane of Indiana compelled him to resign, Secretary
Delano induced the President, without word OF
consultation with the Board, to appoint to fill the
vacancy Mr. Delano's political friend Mr. n j. Tur.
ney a defeated regular Republican candidate for
Congress in his district. This gentleman came INTO
the Board as a kind of soldier of fortune always
Secretary of the Interior might appoint him. More
than year pass ed before the original members OF
the Board became fully convinced that Mr.. lurney
was receiving "pecumaTy compensation" for SER
vices rendered TO the Indian Bureau They protested
against this practice but Secretary Delano sustained
his friend. and ordered his bills to be paid
As Mr.. y. J. Turney has recently been elected
President Of the new Board of Indian Commissioners
to be organized under Gen. Cowan 5 management, 1t
is proper 10 let the people see one specimen of the
bills which have been paid to this man who stands
before the public as Commissioner serving without
pecmary compensation. Secretary Delano APP
pointed his friend Mr.. y. J, Turney, Gen. Cowan and
a few others, as Special Commissioners on the dis
graceful affair spoken of at the time by the news
papers as "The Teton-Sioux Swindle." Mr.. Turneys
account as paid for his Teton-SiOuX trip is as fol-
lows Services as Special Commissioner, 50 days at
$40 per day. $3.50 Communication subsistence. IS per
day for IS days SCH, and mileage 10 cents per mile
for 5.o5s miles reported. sos 50, making in ALL
81 800 So How will the new "men eminent for in
tellgeDce and philanthropy like TO come into the
new Commission and serve under this President7
But the numerous dispatches, evidently inspired
10y the Department of the Interior, have intimated
that new Commission will be formed under the
great organizing powers of Gen. Cowan If he is to
be the leader in this new movement in Indian af-
fairs the community have a right TO know what sort
of a captain he is for such a great undertaking. 1t
is generally known that he is the Assistant Secre-
tary of the Interior, drawing n salary of $4,000
year for his services. 1t is also generally known
that the laws of Congress forbid all officers in the
Government service to draw two salaries at the
same time Yet Gen. COwan presented his account
for acting on the Teton-Sioux swinde Commission
The Auditor and the Controller refused TO pass it,
But the Secretary, or the Assistant (Cowanl.
certified that il was done with the approval of Gen
Grant and after consultation with the then Secre-
tary OF the Treasury, it was passed and paid; and
thus Gen. Cowan received the same sum as Mr..
Turney, 1899 80, which was practically receiving
two salaries al the same time-a thing forbidden by
law After this it is plain that Cen COwan has
cheek enough to help him along in emergencies
But how will men eminent for intelligence like
20 come INTO the new Commission at the invitation
of such a leader? One additional fact is important.
There might seem to have been an equitable if not
legal excuse for the charge of mileage and ex-
penses, if these men had actually been compelled to
pay ont money but in reality 1t is known that Oh
the Teton-S trip both COwan and Turney trav
eled free most of the way.
Mr. f. Ii. Smith the present Secretary of the
Commission. which is now supposed to consist of
President Turney and Secretary Smith, and possibly
one more member, is a comparatively member
of the Indian Commission and has not yet done
much in the service of the Department, except IN
aiding to whitewash over certain alleged frauds
said to nave been committed at the Red Cloud and
MILESTONE agencies. The public have read more
about Secretary Smith III connection with the So
called fraudulent contracts in fence-building III the
District of Columbia, with which Mr. Secretary
Smith was represented by the House Investigating
Commission to be connected in not very hOnora-
bic way.
The foregoing statements have been made not TO
nure the reputation of any one OF the persons re-
ferred TO- but for the purpose of showing that the
Indian Commission, once honorable and influential,
has been broken down by the great, rich Indian
Ring which practically controls almost everything
pertaining to Indian affairs. One or two of the less
discreet members OF this Ring intmatcd last Winter.
in confidential WAYS. that the Indian Wigwam
in the Indian Department. and the House
Committee on Indian Affairs. going
TO unite and break down the Peace Commissions, SO
that the great contractors could have things III the
old way. 1t was limited that the Committee on In
dian Affairs were not going TO let the Quaker Peace
Commission tell any of their yarns to damage the
contractors while under examination as witnesses
Under the existing circumstances il is to be hoped
Congress will strike out of the Appropriation bill
the sum for the continuance Of the Commission, for
it must be useless as long as 1t Is under
the control Of the Department of the Interior.
Heio- York June II, 1874.
AN ECHO OF THE PEACE COMMISSION.
rr cr ppU ou TtIr M pm tn sItop