The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-19

| olohiNJ' an uttcilipl NJ 'Iduu WIS ALSO uls-
covered on the part of d. J. Mccain, by
putting only lightweight pounds of flour
in each sack which was required to con
tain 100 pounds.
The sugar, coffee and tobacco furnished
to the Indians by the government were of
low grades, but desigpedly so, and no abuse
whatever was discovered In the matter of
their supply. Red Cloud evidently adul-
terated the flour and picked out bad grains
in making up the samples he gave to Prof.
| Marsh. Whatever suffering there may
have been among the Indians was trace
able to their own imprudence and thu Sc
verify of the winter, instead of to any de-
| linqueDcY on the part of the government.
| The suffering was believed not to have
been extreme except in the case of come re-
mote bands, who resorted to killing their
ponies for subsistence.
Extensive frauds were discovered which
had grown out of transportation. d. G.
Mccain, heavy freight contractor, had
| oVerestimated the distance from Cheyenne
| to Red Cloud as well as misstatcd the num-.
Der of teams and days employed by him in
removing the property of the Red Cloud
agency from the old to It's new location.
They recommend that legal proceedings DO
| he instituted against him for the restora-
| ton TO the government Of money thus
| frauduenlly obtained. The commissioner
of Indian affairs Inexperienced the legal
force of the arrangement by which he al
lowed the settlement with Mccain while
the question of distance was pending. The
commission call attention TO the impo'icy
of the government in allowing the Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies to remain
so far away from every point of railroad
and river transportation. The single item
of transportation to those agencies amounts
to nearly Sl3o,000, a sum about equal to
the entire cost in western markets of pro-
visions transported. They suggest that
the time is past when the government
should purchase peace from Indians.
Prof Marsh's charges against the secretary
Of the interior and commissioner of Indian
affairs, the commission say il proven, ought
to subject both officials to impeachment.
They found, however, that the secretary of
the interior has but little connection with
any of the contracts made for the Indian
service or with the adjustment and pay
ment of accounts returnable to the Indian
Office, aud they found but three occa.
sions upon which has attention was called
TO the existence OF any abuses at the Red
Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies. 1t does
not appear in the evidence that this officer
had been long aware, at the time of Prof.
Marsh's interview, of abuses at the Indian
agencies without making sincere efforts to
investigate and perform them.
With reference tn the commissioner of
Indian affairs the commission say they
have seen nothing in the course of their in
vestigaton that would lead to any other
conclusion than that he earnestly and sin
cerely desired to perform his duty faithful
ly 10 the country. They have encountered
no transaction which casts the least shad-
ow upon his personal or official integrity,
but the commission report that they met
with many transactions marked by want
of that vigilance, astuteness and decision
of character which should belong to the
bead of the Indian bureau.
The commission offer some general OBJ
ecrvatons on the result of their reflections
upon Indian aifairs. They believe the
time has come when the policy foreshad-
dowed in the recent act of congress against
further treaties with Indians should be Wig
orousy enforced The Indians
should be treated as individual inhabitants
of the republic, and that absurd action of
tribal sovereignty be abolished The COM
mission express great satisfaction at the
successful operation of schools and mis-.
sions among the Indians, recognizing the
first great necessities to civilization, intelli-
gence and individual responsibility. The
community of property now existing in
tribes is a serious check on their efforts to
better their condition. The commission
| recommends the establishment OF courts
for the administration of justice among the
Indians in places where their numbers war
rant it. They criticise the existing treaty
stipulation which excludes white people
from the reservations, thus preventing
| much contact of the Indians with influen-
ces OF civilization as would tend to impress
them favorably with it as an additional
stimuous toward the desired end. 1t is
recommended that clothing take the place
| of blankets in tho government supplies to
| them.
| y holder policy in the treatment of the
Indians is specially recommended because
the Indians believe the present conduct of
the government toward them is dictated
by cowardice. With all our muniicence
in their behalf, extending to an annual ex-
penditure of eight millions of dollars, no
sentiment of gratitude ever touches their
hearts. The commission look, however,
with dsfavor upon the proposition that
management of the Indian affairs be trans
ferred to the war depart, through the
presence of military officers at the inspec-
ton and delivery of supplies would be de-
sirable. The suggestion is thrown out that
young men of friendly tribes might be
utilized as soldiers in regions occupied by
Indians.
In conclusion, the commission summa-
rize their recommendations that j. j.
South and L. II. Threlkeld be removed
that j. w. l.. SloveIs, j. II. Martin and
ID. j. Mccain be excluded from further
connection with the department as contrac-
tors; that McCann's accounts be presented
to the department of justice that freight
ers routes be measured Without further de-
lay thni a now censns be taken of the