New-York tribune., 1875-12-10
cor. FLETCHERS COMMISSIOM


who little while ago was figuring rs Chair
man of Mr.. Deano's Red Cloud Investigating
Commission, and correspondent at the same
time of tho ST. Louis Globe Democrat, the
duties of which positions he hurried through
in order TO take part in the defense OF the
St. Louis Whisky Ring, has been agsrieved
by the publication in The Nation of the follow
ing paragraph
TnE TRIBUNE mado statement that Thomas C.
Fletcher Chairman lof the Red Cloud CommissonI' oc
cupied good deal OF bis time while the investigation
was going on In writing letters under assumed name
10 Western paper defending Delano from the charges
AGAINST him. or In other words, whitcwashng the In
terror Department the Indian administration ana
generally taking tho part OF counsel for the defense
We find on investigation that the charge Is per
fectly true and cannot be denied
He writes to The Nation, saying: Now, you
"will please produce the letters written by me
classifying the charge. Failing to do this, |
"shal demand the Judgment of every decent
land fair-minded man in the United States
"against your paper, for the Endorsement and
propagation of Il very mean and malicious
"slander.n To this he adds a specific denial
and ringing defiance in these words, which
seom to have been carefully chosen: q" assert
chat | never wrote a word OF or concerning
"Mr. Delano, or of the charges against him or
"the Interior Department. or in his defense or
Gin defense of the Interior Department or Of the
"Indian administration, in all my life, except
Gas is written in our report; and defy you
"tO produce the letters cOntradcting tins state
"ment.r twill bo observed that Mr.. Fletcher
does not deny the authorship of the letters in
The Globe Democrat signed "Piute Chief and
those letters were simply, as The Nation says,
Gin substance an attack on the promoter OF
"thc investigation, Prof. Marsh under cover of
ga gross travesty of the evidence against the
"Indan administration Mr.. Fletcher is too
much of lawyer, and too well versed in the
politicians art of reaching his end by methods
of indircction, TO have openly defended the
Interior Department or Secretary Dcano III
this correspondence. That would have been
too bald and barcfaccd. The work was better
done by his humorous treatment of the sub
iect, and by making light OF the investigation
and its promoter.
Mr. Fletcher was never 50 weak as to fully
disclose his relation of quasi attorney for the
defense in the investigation over which he
presided; but he was unfortunate enough to
expose his dnimuS in all the proceedings from
the moment that he described Prof. Marsh'5
charges as insinuations," upon beginning the
inquiry, up to the publication of the white
washing report And now that he pro-
poses to "demand the judgment of every
"dccent and fair-mindcd man in the
Omitted States" upon this "mean and ma
"licious SANDER" we suggest that he mt
the same time set forth the facts that at the
very time he was occupying the position OF
chairman of commission to investigate
frauds in one department of the Government,
and holding il too upon the appointment of
the persons under charges, he was act
ing as attorney for parties engaged in
defrauding another department of Govern
ment, who have since been convicted of
the same that he was at the same time acting
as correspondent of the newspaper or
gan of these parties; and that he hurried
from the vindicatOn of the Indian Ring
to the defense of the Whisky Ring. There
with he might submit also some of the most
humorous" paragraphs of his Pute' cor
rcspondeuce, and upon the whole " demand
"the judgment of every decent and fair
minded man in the United States We have
had a great many investigations, first and last,
but the one which Mr.. Fletcher presided over
was so unique in all respects that 1t would not
be amiss to have the investigation itself inves-
tlgated. IL might disclose something new and
interesting in that line.