New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-02


head men against the payment Of the sum claimed py
Adair and vsnn portion of which has recently been
paid by order OF Assistant Secretary Coweu Bus ths
not ALL Nineteen chiefs signed the following additional
Reputation;
We the undersigned Chiefs councillors and head mon
Sy sta,e that we signed paper to which the above 10
protest. under eutire Misrepresentation OF the facts
aud now with better understanding OF the NATTER We
do hereby revoke and repudiate that act.
(Atesed by B. x. wetherel J. A. Chase, ]. T. Gibson,
Indian AeentsJ
And yet the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and As
sistant Secretary COweu have paid $4,000 account
to Messrs Adair and vsnn. Still further, Adair and
Vann guilty Of trickery in preparing tho contract
which they here and which very contract Assistant
Secretary Cowen approved to the extent OF paying
$4,000 account, for no one believes that THIS
will be the end It, unless action is taken to pre-
vent further payments. Witness tho following:
present at the time Of council when Coils Vann
and Adair having the petition signed by Usage
mens Of the United states pay them $4,000 Of the
Usage funds for alleged services During the signing OF
names and marks we're axed without their presence,
'o"'o"'' " Signed VIM H. TINKER.
Acknowledged before Isaac 7. Gibson, United STATES
Indian Agent.
Ali the above protests and facts showing the fraudu-
lent nature OF the contract and the fogeres were sent
to the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs May l, 1874 Two
months eight days before Assistant Secretary Cowen
says Department heard Of the matter officially ana
they all before the Assistant Secretary before ne
took action approving of the payment OF 1000 to Adar
ana yanu Besides this, tho contract was not made In
accordance with law. which requires that all contracts
with Indians before being acted upon, be first approved
by the Department(Act approved May H. 1872 section
Stat at Large, p. 1s-and the Indians had no moro
power dispose OF the eeds OF the sale OF their
lands they had to dispose OF the lands thenseVes
Department had right to dispose OF the Usage
money In any way than that provided In the words
OF the Appropriation act II either the Commissioner
Of Indian Affairs or Secretary Delano will admit
approving of contract to give so per cent OF tho prico
received for the Usage lands under the last treaty OF Oh
the $3.50 contract last made knowing that Congress
Land Office alone had the entire control OF such
matters subsequent 10 tho foregoing, then 1t may DC
we'll Bogy TO further inquire what tho IN
ducements which led them to make such approval
But the Osages had power to make such contract
They are wild Indians-wards of the G0verDment-and
under the super vision of agent Of the United States
Agents Gibson and Hoag knew uOthing about soooOo
having paid Adar and Vann and was contrary
to the wishes of Agent Gibson that any money should
be paid
Another remarkable statement appears IN the Assis
taut Secretary's reply. On page he invites atten-
ton 10 following section Of the act Of Congress
making Indian appropriations for the ending June
80 1875:
For interest on s720749 at five per centum per an
to be used for such objects rs the Secretary OF the
Interior direct act OF July 10, 1870 S50O3 90
PrOrided That the secretary OF the Interior be- and ne
hereby authorized to expend from the proceeds OF Tue
sale lands OF Great and Little Usage Indians PR
vided be sold nv ctOn IL of said act OF July To- 1870
the sum OF s2oOo1 per nnnn Ior Two year, OF 90 a on
and agricultural implements, opening iarns erection o
t nTISeS f, d1I 'I govcrnment August g. 1874
requisOn was drawn upon the fund thus provided ~
favor of WD 7. Adar and T. N sdhn, Iol SoJoVo, anu
thn do lat he m
contained III letter from the HOn0raOe Assistant sec
rotary of the Treasury, dated Feb To- 1870 transmitted
herewith.
That letter that the same was paid from appro-
priation fulfilling treaties with Osages proceeds of
trust lands" Mr.. Cowen then goes on 10 say;
cannot conceive what should have rise to the
suspicion that this payment was made from me pro
law unless 1t be from the statement Of the account
fund published III the last report or the Coin
soner OF Iudlan Affairs page AL The foregoing deia
of TINS transaction lis perfectly concusyeas TO It's entire
regularity IN all its details, ana the statement feieIed
10 III the annual report Is erroneous.
Mr.. Cowen ought TO know that this is untrue. The
Treasury Department keeps account of the funds of
the various tribes In bulk while the Indian Oce keeps
statements OF funds in detail and the Osages have
no other than those derived from the proceeds of
the sales OF lands and tho appropriation out of
which the payment IS made by Mr.. Governs order,
declared in his letter of instructions to Commissioner
Smith dated July 80, 1874 is stated by the act 20 be
proceeds the sales of lands Of the Great and Little
Usage Indians"
On July 49, 1874 Com. Smith wrote to the Secretary of
the Interior, and asked:
For your further Instructions whether the amount
named shall Idii from The item OF $4,000. set apart
by tue approved June 1874 page H. Indian appro
prialon ac from the proceeds OF tue sale of lands OF
Inc Great Little OsIge iuGans to bc expended
their Dene unde tho direction OF tho Secretary Of the
Interior.
To this Assistant Secretary COwen replied follows:
WASHINGTON. ID. c., July 80. 1874
SIR: have received ana considered our eomlnunlca-
ton Of the % inst. in which inquire whether the
$50 duo to W. T. Affair aud c. n Vann from the Usage
NauOn OF Inoans can be pad from me item OF 100000
the proceeds OF the OF lands Of the Great ana Little
Usage Indians.
TO my own mind the question Is not free from doubt,
hut concluded direct that the req lisOn be
drawn upon that und and thereby to submit the matter
officers Of the Treasury Department. The papers are
herewith returned. Very re-peclfully, your obedent
servant. H. X. COWES, ACHING secretary.
The Commissioner Of Indian Affairs.
Mr. Cowen and Mr.. Smith may settle between them
selves whether the Commissioners report "is
ous" or whether the statement in the Assistant Secre
tary's reply is fact 1t is plain, therefore, not only
that the labor for which Assistant Secretary Cowen
paid Adar and Yann $4,000 all performed by the
Special Indian Commissioners. and that nothing
due either Adar Vaun but also that at the very time
they here pretending to work for the Oages they
were representing the CherOkees and received from
them the usual pay Of delegates IL the claim OF Adar
and Vann was q just one, why was not the OBJ
ject plainly stated in an appropriation clause and
final settlement made with them instead OF diveriing
the amount from another object. The Secretary and
the Commissioner both know tn L such appropra-
ton could ever have been passed through Congress.
and for this 1t was necessary to cover up the
Adar and Vann cat with the " agricultural imple-
ment meal. Tho whole transaction has its key In
the Usage protest, which says that the Cherokees
(Adar and Vannl had promised large sums to leading
men in Washington" Just 1t would be interest
ing 10 know who these leading Perhaps
the division made OF the $4,000 in the corridor of
the Treasury Department Immediately after the
money was paid would throw some light on the