, 1874-06-09

ber cannot bo safely predicted carly in June.
Aftor tho Conventions hayo mot, tlero may bo
some good in guessing,
l. -.z..-...
10. THE POOR NAT10Ni
It is time to change tho stock phraeo, "Lo, tho
poor 1udian!" Nowadays, when anything ia dono
about the rod man, tt Ia not ho, but tho nation,
that Ia Bwintllod and malo to suffor. Tho realg-
nation Of tho ak Indinn Commissioners who bo-
longcd to tho original Board is tho last scono In
amoBt evontful drama Of raacality,-a drama that
Ia full OF plot and countorplot, and ono TINT dif
fors from tho stage play In TINT the scoundrels
haye not met with their righteous punishment
at Its closo. Inatoad thoy hayo forced the honest
mon out OF their way. '.
Since tho control Of Iudian affairn was trans-
ferfcd from tho War to tho Interior Department,
tho friends Of Mr.. Columbus Dolano have stolon
to thor pockots' content. 4 Board Of ton civil
ianB was appointed by tho President In accord
anco with tho law Of April, 1869, which provided
for tho establishment Of an Indian Commission
which should 1lavo concurrent Jurisdiction 1itl
tho Secretary Of tho interior on Indian oxpeudi-
! turas. 1t Sas especially charged With ths duty
Of passing upon vouchers. This was intruated
to tho Executive Committee, A1oasrs George H.
| Stuart, Robert Campbell. John v Fnrwell, and
| William i. Dodge. None Of tho Commissioners
rocclyod any salary. -Four OF thom resigned
| Their places wcro filed with persons whom Do
lano has sent from time to time on Hpooial SER
vico,"-a phrase that covers /. variety of
| sns,-anl whom ho has paid by tho day willie
| so employed. Thoy nro naturally Bubsoryiont to
| afr. Dolano. Flo and the original Commissioners
have been, at variance for some time :uo has
always oppoHod their: passing upon Vouchers.
After July 1, 1874, he deniod them tho oppor-
t1lnity Of doing 60, on the ground TINT tho act Of
May 20. 1872, made it unnooeasary. In January,
| 1873. the question was referred to Assistant
Attorney y-uoncral Smith, who reported TINT the
Board had tho power 1t claimed. What followed2 ?
From March !, 1873, to jan. i, 1874. tho Doard
rejected, as fraudulent vouchers for e428, 900 0a
Ono Of them was for sss,962.90 in favor Of
Con. Granville II. Dodge, who seoms to havo
got out .of Credit Mobiler to got into
the Indian hing. Do1ano had this paid An
other was for 923, ,20535 In favor Of tho notori-
ous A. Il. Wilder. Do1ano had this paid. Still
another was for s23,415.30 In behalf Of D. J.
McCann. Delano had this paid. 4 fourth was
for $3.50, 847.68 for P. E. Kelley, who had doliv-
orod corn instead OF tho flour for which his coz
tract called. Delano had this paid. He kindly
ratified tho Committee's disapproval Of Vouchers
for S6,697. Az for tho vouchers which repro
aont the difference botween the aggregate Of
tloso sums and tue s42o, ,o0o.oG, 1le las declined
to inform tho Board whether thoy have boon
paid or not! Thus, while tho law and tho
| public hold tho Commissioners responsible for
the money paid on Indian contraats their efforts
to prevent raacality aro systematically foilcd by
Senator Camoron's friend and business-partnor
tho Secretary Of tho interior. Mr. Delano has
holpod his knaysll friends to got not only their
pay but their contracts. Tho 1ottors OF Indian
Commissioner Wo'eh, upon which wo have COM
mented from timo to time, showed conclusively
TINT the law requiring advertising for supplies
had boon stoadlly violated, despite tho constant
romonstrancea OF tho Board, nnd that tho mon
WHO hayo been benefited by auch violation are
notorious roguos, whose knayory In connection
with Indian contracts has been exposed again
and amin. Thu ]aet moro or tha nino vaa r.
aocrro tho ,,,uor+,on in thu Arnro,,i.+io, hi; =,
q nrov,eo think nj, 1na;on vorohora should ia A..
aminc7 in Washington This wo,1a nava mazda u
ncoeasary for tim 0onm;asione,s to atav in thor
city all the time. Astwas naturally impossible for
thom to do 10, they havo been forced to resign.
Tho atmosphere Of tho Interior Department is
bad for men WHO try to do their duty, Secretary