Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-18
UNION AND AMERICAN.
PLAIN Talk.

u
Gazette with Father Gonzague, Director
of the Indian, Mission at White Earth,
Minnesota.
allow have the Indian Commission
ers treated your"
There are grave and serious COM
plants against them"
What ere theYf',
al will tell you a story. In March
last, while travelling from Dayton to
Hamilton with one Of my Indian boys,
found on entering the cars there was
no seat vacant On looking around,
however, l saw two emile en- who
were occupying a double seIt-sittipg
on one and having their feet on that
opposite. Iasked an elderly man, with
gray hair, and mOustache and gOatee,
who was one Of the two, to obhge me
with a seat. He looked at me, but did
not answer. On being requested the
second time he and his companion took
down their feet and the boy and 1
took the seats. I have since found out
that this was Commissioner Smith of
the Indian Board"
what happened after you took your
seat?"
''The gray headed man asked me if
the boy was not an Indian, and l told
him he was. He then wanted to know
what was doing with him, and told
him was lecturing through the cities
of the United States for an Indian
Mission, and had four Indians with me.
He wanted to know what / said In my
lectures, and 1 told him was exposing
the manner In which the Indians were
being swindled, and saying a little
against the Government.
What had he to say to that!"
"He asked me what fault l could
find with the Government, and an
swered that it seemed that Grant was
so intolerant that he did not wish the
Indians 10 enjoy the religion Of their
choice. He stated that no one had
ever done as much for the Indian as
Grant. and that the red man now had
everything he warted. This l denied,
and said that his agents were stealing
all they could from the Indians. The
Board Of Commissioners, too, would
not fulfill their promises TO the Indians,
and were coutenancing the stealing .
from them by the agents"
"What had Saith to say to THAT
"He seemed very indignant, and l
wondered at it; for, you see, l did not
then know lac was Smith. I continued
bv telling him that about two years
ago there was an agent on the Chlppe-
Va Reservation named Smith. This
man, without ever consulting the Gov
eminent or the Indians, cut down
large number Of pine trees, and, after
selling them TO the whites, pOcketed
the money, and never gave either the
Indians or the Government a cent"
THAT must have been an unpleasant
statement"
$50 it seemed. I no8ced he was IN
comfortable but l continued. told
him the Indians complained to the au-
tborities at Washington, but obtained
no redress. A short time after, how
ever the agent lost his place, and was
called on TO Washington and made an
Indian Commissioner. The gentleman
then said. Can you tell me his name"
I said. Yes. l can What was it?'
1t was Smith He said, Mr.. Smith
was TOO much of a gentleman to do
that. and you are liar to say So
.'What did you answer?
81 told him was sorry If he thought
I told lies, but that if l lied there were
two thousand Indians on and around
the Chippewa reservation who would
tel the same I've. He said he was going
to Washington, and wouldtell Smith. l
thanked him and gave him my card.
/ further said that l was going to
Washington, and should tell this story,
and if necessary would bring all the In
dams necessary to prove the statement
true"
Chow did you find out the gentleman
was Commissioner Smith,
about three weeks ago l was IN
New York, and found that the Board
of Indian Commissioners was IN ses-
sion there. l ascertained that Com
missioner Smith was at the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel, and l called to see him.
He was IN his room, and on looking at
my pocket-bOok 1 discovered l had no
cards left. I had, however, a portrait,
and I sent 1t up with my name written
across it. He refused to see. me. L
called at least ten times, but was
ALWAYS refused. In the evening WAS
standing IN the corridor, when my fell
lOw-traveler from Dayton to Hamilton
passed ont, and he was identified by my
chief as Commissioner Smith. l had
told him an unpleasant truth to lis
face without knowing him, and he did
not care to see me again.