Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-05-07

through. Bul IN tne presence Oh WhutI
bid, the price must be raised. SO this ring
concocsed new scheme, by which the
term of the contract was extended from ten
to fifteen years, and 5000 additional was
to DO paid, in installments OF $4,000 each
year. Even at this rate of $4,000 for the
pine, the contract was still short $4,000 of
WiIder's offer and $500, 900 of the real value.
The fact that Rust consented to add one
hundred and fifty per cent to an agreement,
which the department had consummated
and approved, exhibits of itself the corrupt
character of the whole affair, in which the
Indians were defrauded of halfn million of
dollars.
To finish this business, the consent of the
Indians was still wanting. and fit agent
was selected in the person of one f.. T..
Henderson. The band was called together,
and he made them presents, which, rs APP
pears, were charged to their account.
When the contract was explained by an
interpreter, the Indians denied its correct
ness, and produced a copy furnished to
them, interlined with the condition that the
money was TO be paid to them in band on
the reservation, aud not to their agent, as by
the contract on file. Instead of denouncing
and exposing this shameful fraud on he
spot, Henderson proposed TO send n petition
to Delano and Smith, who, of course, would
give them redress. In this way the Indians
were induced to sign away their rights for
from his mission triumphant.
The foregoing statement Of the case is
from the New York Sun. John Delano
is the son of the secretary Of the interior,
and for the entire performance the latter is
responsible. The revelations duplicating
the secretary's son in these frauds at first
had the effect to make the president inform
Mr.. Delano that his resignation would be
acceptable, but the presidents letter went
to Ohio, to where Mr.. Delano was at the
time, just as ho was returning to Washing
ton, and so missed him. Delano then went
to the Concord and Lexington celebration
with the president, being all the time igno-
rant of the invitation to resign which had
been sent to him. During this long delay
the newspapers had not been idle but had
had good deal to say about the matter,
demanding Mr.. Delauo's immediate with
drawal from his Office. Grant was afraid
then, if Delano stepped down and out, that
people would say he had yielded to the
clamor Of the hated independent press" SO
the request for the resignation Of the secre-
tary was withdrawn, and thus ends that war,
at least for the present. But if people i'm
agine the robbing and stealing at the ex-
pense of the Indians have been checked
they make mistake.
And this spirit of stealing from the pub
lie is manifested in the smallest town, as
well as the national, administration. What
do people think of the village of st. Johns
bury paying about $50 for the rent of land
to frame bridge on2 Would any private
individual have been willing to pay like
remit
1t is a fact which every American should
blush to own that to discover fraud is by
no means to remove the evil, in public af.
fairs. Look, for instance, at the New York
canal frauds. They were glaringly appar'
ent. No one disputed the charges, except
the parties implicated, yet those parties laid
every possible obstacle in the way of inves
tigation.
Look at the civil service REFORM" inau
gurated with such flourish of trumpets. Il
was found that private corns were likely Il
be hurt by the reform it was not according
to our American system of liberty-in plum
dering the people-and SO it is recorded as
failure.
The present administration came in will
Reform and Retrenchment as its motto
but these were only words. They mean
nothing and when the election was owe
there was no further use for them. As WI
see the wanton expenditures Of the publi
moneys, the enormous sums paid to publ
officials for slight services, as we see take
growing no less burdensome, and the nation
al credit depreciating, (gcld is about tire
per cent higher than a year ago. VIC fee
not fear for the republic, but the expectatio
that when the people get fully aroused to
knowledge Of the facts there will be rat
Ting among the dry bones to which the pc
litica earthquake of last fall shall be as
the June zephyr to the tornado. The pee
pie have the power, and it only remains I
be determined how long it shall be befor
they shall use it. Parties have been locke
to for the reformation of these evils, and on
party has been deposed and another exalte
in the hope that good would result, but o
first one party and then the other has hel
the reins of government they have apparent
> ly only striven each to outrival its predC
cessor in public stealing and in the boldnei
-audacity-with which it perpetrates an
then defends each succeeding act of plundeI
There is but one remedy, and, than
Heaven, that is in the hands Of those VIII
bear the burdens the tax-paying people, an
they knoio IT, They are beginning to Sc
that votes are what count in elections, an
that those who cast the votes are primaril
: responsible for the acts of public men. Go
Q speed the day when party lines, party pref
d dices, and party rivalries shall be Ignored
; elections to such an extent that the pol
: may give expression to the will of the PEI
+ pie, instead of to the voice of party caucus'
# controlled by the money which public roI
o bsrs have already legally stolen from Il
d hard earnings Of honest toll. Our faith
n God and in popular government bids us hOE
IS for all this, and we are sure that foremost
d this struggle, as it was in the fierce cOnaic
= on southern soil few years ago, will alway
" be seen the banner of the Green MOunta
IS state, backed by the true hearts and fir
y. n hands of the children of the state which is
1. nnnrnnrintelu nnllad GO the mother of men