New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-26
THE REruRNIyG INVESTIGA TORS.

The Investigating Committee appointed by
the President for the yindcation of Secretary
Dcano and the Indian Ring have finished
their labo,s and are now on their return.
Their repOr; is not yet completed or presented !;
but there is some reason to believe that they
have thus far done the work which was ex-
pected of them, and will make such report
as they imagine will be acceptable to the
power which appointed them. From Fort
Laramie, Cheyenne, and Omaha We hear
nothing but concurrent rumOrs that the Com
m;ttee were taken III hand promptly by the
Indian Ring and were systematically sur
rounded from beginning to end by lnftu-
ences which were too strong for ordinary
men, such a. they were, to resist. The
Indian traders, contractors, and agents are
unouestionably the brightest and most
active minds on the frontier. They are
thoroughly acquainted with the business under
consideration they arc usually keen and bold
politicians in small way; they have OF he
cessity a considerable knowledge of human
nature; and what is equally important they
are pretty nearly the only men on the frontier
who have any money or any means OF enter
tanning and making themselves agreeable to
the sort of Committee which has been sent to
them. As a matter of fact the constant COM
panions and cOunse!Ors of the present Com
mittee we might almost say, have been the
cattle dealer Bosler and the Agent Sayille.
They pretended, of course, to desire nothing
but the truth, but their investigation took Its
tendency Obcdiently from the suggestions OF
these interested parties. Luckily, Gov. Fletcher,
in one ungl,arded phrase in his letter to The
TRIBUNE before starting, put upon record the
unfair and prejudiced intention with which he
went into the matter. He said it was the par
nose of the Committee to examine thoroughly
:" the charges and insinuations" of Mr. Marsh.
Setting ont in this spirit it would not be sur
prising that they should consider their duty 10
lie in Jealous attempt to prove Prof. Marsh
slandcrer aud Mr.. Delano an injured public
servant.
1t may be asked, Why is not the evidence
OF the army OificeIs sufficient 10 dispr0Ye that
of the Rng7 In the first place, the strong argyll
ment of Boslcr and his friends is that there is
q conspiracy of regular officers to have the
distribution of supplies transferred from the
Interior Department to the Army, fiction IN
vented to discrcdit in advance the testimony
of such soldiers as may be brought before the
Committee. Besides, every one knows the
characteristic reserve and discretion which il
like a second nature to army officers They
will not volunteer evidence, and before Com
mittee which j. not sympathetic, thcy will not
waste time in attacking a powerful and in.lu
entail Ring which they have reason to believe
is supported by tie Government. II is in the
nature of the case, ALSO that the Information
Il. of Il tshn ~ nT IA
and contractors is imperfect and limited, val
liable rather for its indications than for its
nositiye volume. We have seen letter
from one Of the most intelligent officers
now in the West in which, willie agree
ing heartily with every word OF Prof
Narsh's pamphlet, he expresses very little
hope of successful attack upon the Ring
He SAYS, 1--WE regard the Indian Ring with
"mingled suspicion, hatred, and respect. II
" is composed of shrewd, intelligent, and UNI
"scrllpulous men. II wiclds an influence
"whose motive power is IA unfailing as gold.
"No committee appointed under its auspices
"can gather and digest evidence OF lis NAL
"practices with q mind unbiased OF vision
unblinded. / have but little hope of the
"resnlt. The Department, with admirable
"skill and hypocrisy, has yoked religion to
"ayarice and intrigue. Whoever, as an army
"oiiicer, opposes 40 strong system Of fraud
"and deceit must kick against the pricks.''
With all these disadvantages against them,
several officers have come boldly forward and
told enough to convict the Ring of shameful
dishonesty; but the Committee have treated
their evidence as if it were no better than
that of the agents and dependents of the
thieves whose living depends upon con-
tinuance of the system of plumber.
Il is greatly to be regretted that men like