The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-21


correspondent into the Northwest with in
structions to hire his own interpreters, keep
away from the influences of the Indian store
keepers and agents and find oIt from per-
sonal observation and from conversations
with the Indians themselves what is the real
trouble with the administration of Indian
affairs This mission was performed, not
without much expense to the HERALD and
considerable danger to our correspondent.
He was going among lawless men, whose lives
were devoted to avarice and injustice, and
who, to protect themselves in their monopoly
would be only too glad TO do violence to any
Independent correspondent who proposed to
interfere with their schemes. He was also to
60 among the Indians and trust himself to
their ignorance and passion, which at any
moment might flame into war. No more
thankless and, in some respects, no more
arduous errand was ever assigned to a CORE
spondent, and the manner i'll which tae work
has been done viii receive commentators
from al who wish TO see an odious stain re-
moved from our national honor.
What the discoveries of our correspondent
prove is this. The whole Indian system of
the Northwest is as corrupt as was Tammany
Hall under tie old Ring 1t is even more
disgrace,ul IN its corruption. The Tammany
Ring grew rich by robbing the city treasury.
The Indian Ring grows rich not merely by
robbing tho national Treasury but by plun-
dering poor, helpless Indians. The discover
les Of our correspondent are confirmed by,
Professor Marsh, of New Haven, WHO sends
us an interesting and valuable letter adj
dressed to the President Professor Marsh
found himself III the Sioux country on an
GRAND Of scientific investigation. During
the journey he met Red Cloud, the great chief
of the Sioux, who revealed to him the manner
in which he and his people had been treated.
Professor Marsh was SO much interested in
these statements that he made special inqui-
ries as to their truth. He found that there
had been manifest and outrageous frauds in
the whole Indian management lie reported
that the agent was totally unfit for his place
and guilty of frauds upon the tribes. The
manner in which these frauds became possible
was explained. The agents reported that they
had many more Indians at post tban were in
existence, and exacted pay from the govern
ment for the fraudulent number The food
and clothing distributed to them were very
inferior. The pork was unfit for human food
The -four sugar and coffee were worthless,
the tobacco rotten. In consequence Of the
fraud and Encouragement the Indians actu-
ally suffered for want of food and apparel
More than tLis, as our correspondent shows
with q minuteness and precision that cannot
be controverted, the whole business of Indian
management in the Northwest is simply a
fraud upon the government and its wards.
Orville l.. Grant the brother Of the Pres
ident, who has been a floating member of our
happy and domestic administration, goes into
the Indian country to make his fortune. He
becomes a partner IN an Indian trading store
and brings with him the whole power OF the
administration, the power to threaten and COM
mand, to sell goods at his own prices to the
Indians and to shut up rival storeEeepers who
attempt in exact compliance with the laws to
undersell him or in any way to interfere with
his monopoly. The story OF Orville L. Grants
connection with the Indian trading stores is
in all respects discreditable. We do not mean
by this to deny to Mr.. Grant or to any private
citizen the right to buy and sell in the Indian
or any other country. This would be
hardship We have no evidence that Mr..
Grant is personally involved in any OF the
frauds upon the government or the Indian
tribes. Professor Marsh makes no such
charge, nor do we understand our CORE
spondent as doing SO. But. as he pithily
presents it, from the time that Orville L.
Grant made his appearance il the Indian
country SIS trader the Indians began to
starve In other words, the system of which
the Presidents brother is part and in which
he now amasses large gains is a vicious one.
II depends for profit upon an unjust monopoly,
monopoly sustained by the whole power of
the government, which permits the Indian
trader to sell his goods at his own exorbitant
price to the tribes. This is the monopoly
which underles the Infames of the
Indian Ring. Because of this we have
one of the most powerful combinations that
ever succeeded in defrauding the government
and prosecuting helpless, ignorant savages.
Because Of this our whole Indian system has
become O dishonor to our government and
our civilization. Because of this we are
threatened every spring and summer with In
dian wars, which become wars in earnest at
times leading to cruel massacres bloody bat
ties and great waste of public money
The whole Indian question, its misery and its
shame, turns upon the creation of such sys-
tenn as we have in the Sioux country under
the patronage of the Presidents own brother.
So, following this line of evidence, so sup-
gestive and at the same time so painful, we
find the Interior Department and the Indian
Office at the mercy OF rng.which numbers Mr.
Orville Grant among its members. The only
reform that we can have is the removal of Mr.
Delano and Mr.. Smith aud the withdrawal Of