New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-05
THE RED CLOUD COMMISSION.


The members of the Commission appointed
to investigate the alleged frauds in the man
agement of affairs at the Red Cloud Agency,
or as Secretary DelanO happily phrased
it, "to investigate certain reports put
Gin circulation by a Mr.. Marsh or as the
Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Fletcher,
put it, to " examine the charges and lnsnua-
"tions of Prof Marsh"-are to meet at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel in this city this week to
agree upon report. The testimony, we
are informed. is all printed and the Com
mission has nothing further to do ex-
cept agree upon report to accompany
the printed testimony. And that re-
port we may be permitted to say to
the gentlemen of the Commission, has already
been discounted. 1t was announced some time
ago that the majority of the Commission
would exonerate the officials of the In
terror Department, from Secretary Delano
down, of any completely in or knowledge
of the Irregularities which were dis
covered in the issues of supplies and other
details of administration at Red Cloud
Agency. Indeed it was pretty well understood
when Secretary Dclano promulgated his letter
to Gen. Clinton b. Fisk, President OF the
Board of Indian Commissioners, requesting him
in magnificent way to give him the
names of gentlemen to be appointed to
make these inquiries, and Gen. Fisk after
weeks of dilly -dallying gave among Others the
name of ex-Gov. Fletcher of Missouri, with
whom Gen. Fisk's relations had been uncom-
monty intimate and cordial, and when after
ward Mr.. Fletcher disclosed his bias i'll a
letter to The TRIBUNE, i'll which he
smoke of the "charges and insnua-
cations of Prof. Marsh'-it was generally I'M
derstood we say even 50 early as that, that the
report would be very consderate and friendly
toward the Department. The course which
has been taken in the examination has con-
firmed that impression.
And vet it is entirely proper that they
should submit some sort of report. For these
Commissioners, appointed by Secretary pelano,
to investigate his own adminlstration-and OF
course to vindicatc him-instructed 10y him
as to their duties, and directed by him in
their inquiries, are paid by the Government at
the rate of eight dollars per day and all their
travelling expenses while engaged IN the pros
ecution of their labOrs. What with the ex-
penses of the Commission and the cost of
printing the bulky volume of testimony, the
proceeding ias been a somewhat costly
one to the Government. And 1t was under
taken upon the authority of Mr.. Dclano simply
to yindicate himself. He ought to have a re-
port from the Commission, and the Govern
ment is entitled to something for its money
besides the volume of testimony which only
half covers ground which Congress next year
will go over much more thoroughly.
ID LaNr
started on their mission. The Secretary has
gone out. He has, if we may be allowed the
expression, committed suicide in his cell while
the jury were getting ready to acquit him.
He has in a certain sense confessed Judgment
without waiting to hear from his Commission.
This leaves the gentlemen i'll something of a
mandary. They went out to whitewash, and
when they came back there was nobody
to whitewash, unless it be Commissioner Smith,
and that hardly seems worth while. Did the
Commissioners ever hear of the Respondent
miner in very early days i'll California, who, in
the midst of good digginSs, astonished every
body by committing suicide! His fellow
miners were too busy to waste much
time; but the propriety of holding a
"crowncr's quest" was too obvious to be
overlooked 50 they got together very sudden
ly and passed this resolutions " Resolved,
'that the deceased was an internal fool" and
went back to work. 1t was an improper YER
dict, it must be confessed but it was a very
terse and compact expression of their views
upon the subject.
Something lke-well, no not precisely like
but something-and still perhaps we had better
not advise-doubtless the Commission knows
its business. There certainly ought to be a
report, and we wait for it with interest.