New-York tribune., 1874-07-04
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
MR. pELANO AND THE INDIAN C0MMis-
SIONFR9


SIONERS.
TILE LATE CLERK OF THE BOARD RELATES THE MAN
NER or SECRETARY DELAEO's TREATMENT or
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ENDEAVORS TO
SHIELD BEEF AND FLOUR CoNTRACroRs-CNDhH-
HAND ATTACKS on TIE AGENTS OF TILE CoMMis-
SION.
TO me Edffor Of the Trtbuns
SIR: The causes Of the resignation OF the SIX
original members OF the Board Of Indian Commission
er do not seem 10 be generally understood The BoaFu
having had abundant experience Of the hopeleSSnes' Oh
enectng any reform in the Indian Bureau 10
long s that Bnrean is under the control OF the Interior
Department desired first to effect separation vi .Do
former from latter and tnen to tender the ress
nations 10 the President. Their theory was tha INC
Indian Office was Ike the Bureau OF Agriculture i"ue
pendent and in charge OF man Of high character 10
be selected by the President with Inspectors 10 Keep
strict supervision the agents nominated oy Tue re-
giou boles the services OF the Indlan Commissioners
vould no longer be needed Control over the ihuah
Bureau was thing OF all others that they I'll" o
desire and would not assume lt was an NV"
riable rule OF the Board not to nominate any o"e
for Office or to influence appointments, anu
# will be remembered that Mr.. Brunot declined 10 ac
cent the postion of Commissioner OF indian AHairs'
when IL was rendered to him By the President I"o
charges made before Congress against the COmlSSo"
er of Indian Affairs emauated from dlsap9o'htcu W.
tractor and had connection with my report. "n0"
nj deal wit
of McCanns transportation and Dodges corn contracts
OF both OF which frauds there Is overwhelming e'uecc
Therefore my report had nothing TO do with the reSgha
tion of Mr. Brunot and his colleagues Ii Is Iat 10 pre-
sumo that the gentlemen who signed he letter ol reSS
nation knew much better than any one else Wha' ter
reasons WERE and IS but simple justice TO men oi te
highest integrity TO accept their statement OF ther Own
reasons. Had they been disposed they couId nave
published letter much longer than their ahhu"' ie
mort full OF evidences Of their efforts 70 check fraud ana
OF their failure owing to the active hostility OF tue i'e
ror Department; but they were content Simply 10
warn the President that all not well, ana TO point
out the responsibility Of the Secretary OF the interior
for the present condition Of affairs.
As chiefclerk, and at times Acting Secretary nave
been intimately acquainted with all the transactions OF
tue Board with the Interior Department for three
years and know whereof l speak when say that
nothing but true philanthropy aud forgefunesS OF SELF
in their desire to the Indians the President ana
their country, could have induced them to submit
for onehaf that period the official diScouresy tney
encountered, rs well the attempted ASSUMPTIONS OF
authority over them by the Secretary OF the INTERIOR
and his intermeddings with their Organization. His
positive hostility, both Official and personal, were
mantle sted whenever the members felt it to be their
duty to disapprOve iobbing contracts and fraudulent
accounts. They have also been misrepresened 10 me-
bers OF Congress- some OF whom were only TOO WILING 10
hear and repeat tale told TO them in tho Interior De
assl the officers of the Commission as soon as their
exuerence in Indian affairs made them valuable aids
to the Board in carrying out the letter and spirit
OF the various acts OF Congress creatlhS ana
continuing it, Mr Vincent Colyer, than whom no more
singe-minded OF honest public servant ever existed
was driven from his post of Executive Ocer OF the
Board by Secretary Deano because he sconsant and
fearless his attacks the corrupt practices OF tue
Indian Ring. Mr.. Thomas h. Cree, the last Secretary,
was under the ban OF tine Department and his dismissal
asked for because OF his activity in unearthng faudu-
lent accounts for Indian delegations visiting washing
ton and discovering that money was paid for immoral
purposes and also because he had become thoroughly
acquainted with the devices OF the present RDs and
consistently exposed them 1 also assaled, after
my return from Red Cloud and MILESTONE agencies be-
cause discovered the grossest frauds aud reported
to the Board. The Secretary OF the Interior himself
after had exposed the frauds OF his beef contractor
tried prejudice the minds OF the Board against me-
solely with "a view Of destroying tGo '%'He
OF my testimony. This be proved. He
made private statements to members OF the Board
which he dare not put paper. He obtained
surreptitously Of my private letters and had 1t
copied aud distributed to the members OF the Board
hoping to excite feeling that would drive me away
But in this he failed ANONYMOUSLY. All these efforts
could have had only effect, If successful, and that
was to save his friends the beef and flour contract
ors from the effects OF report which directly mpli
Gated them in defraudiug the Indians and the Govern
ment. Mr. Brunot was always under fire, ana do not
think Mr. Delano will unwillingy make public his inter-
estlng correspondence with him and with other members
of the Executive and Purchasing Committees
These evidences OF HIS hostility TO the Board and its
officers lis and purposes, while the ring OF plumber
ing contractors were openly aided and sympathized
WITH disgusted the Board and caused them to resign
they were poweress to render the services which the
country expected OF them. SAMUEL WALKER,
Late Clerk of the Board of Indian Commissioners
Philadeiphid Pa, June &c, 1874.