New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-26
4 IHRIFTY COMMISSION.

When Secretary Delano wrote to Cen. Gin
ton b. Fisk. Chairman OF the Board OF Indian
Commissioners, requesting him to appoint a
committee to investigate affairs at Red Cloud
Agency, he knew his man. And when Gen.
FisI, reached ont toward Missouri and took ex-
Gov. Thomas c. Fletcher of that State for
Chairman of the Investigating Commission, he
knew his man too. Knew hint Well, rather
Had Mt Fletcher and Fisk-charning allitcra-
tion-in the oden and the golden days when
Fletcher was Governor come to perfect un-
Outstanding with each other, and hadn't Fisk
"receivedr railroads under that adminis;ra
ton, and shown great ability as a re-
ceivers OF course Fisk knew Fletcher. And
when Fisk told Fletcher what was expected
of him, the latter did not hesitate 10 do it.
Very few appointments have been literally
paid for in favO;s. Why, just the letters
which Fletcher wrote to The 81. LOuis Giobc-
Democrat while the investigation was in
propress which abused Prof Marsh and de-
Tended Delano and the Interior Department,
over the signature of "Pi Ute Chief" were
worth to the Department all Flctchcrs mile
age and per diem. You rarely find chair
man of a committee, especially of a Commit
tee Of Investigation, who is willing to act as
correspondent of IL newspaper and use his cor
respondence in the interest OF tie parties he
is investigating The letters were not much
| in point OF literary merit, but they came from
the inside and were decidedly i'll favor OF
the accused parties that, whether they did any
good or not they showed an Obliging DISPOSE
ton.
There be those, We presume, who will say
it was not becoming or proper Iii the Char
man OF the Commission To be writing letters
of the sort published in The Globe Democrat
during the pendcncy of the inquiry. But, bless
you, why be prudish about little matter like
that This was Il Commission that did not
stand on ceremony or hamper itself with con-
ventonalites. Going up TO investigate charges
against Indian Agent Savllle, they accepted
the Inequalities of that much-abuscd official
and were his guests while they inquired
whether or not he had been cheating the Gov
eminent. While sleeping under his roof they
calmly pursued the inquiry whether or not hewas
a thief. They did not bring him i'll thief or dis
honest they could not 80 wrong his hospitality
They only said he was stupid and incompetent
And he-simple soul-was satisfied with that
A commission we say, which gets IT'S appoint
mrnt from the authority whose misdeeds it is
charged 10 inquire lnlO-NIIcH IcctlN'S III
structions at the outset from the parties ac-
cused, as to how the investigation should be
prosecuted which accepts the llospitalities OF
one of the parties it Is charged to try, and
which depends for its pay and allowances rs
well as its appointment upon the official whose
administration is in questiOn-need not feel
squeamish about having it, chairman acting
as a newspaper correspondent aud showing in
his letters decided bias in the ease.
The Commission earned lis money. II not
only did its best for the Secretary of the
Interior, the Indian Commissioner, Agent
Sayile, and ContracteI Bosler, but that hay
ing been done, put in little stroke of work
gratuitolsiJ for Gen. Clinton j. Fisk who is
Secyc, ary and Treasurer of the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad Company, az well ms Chairman
of the Board of Indian Commissioners This
Company has a very rich and profitable land
grant through the Indian Territory, which il
can only come in possession of by the extln-
punishment of the Indian title. The title cam
not be extinguislicd except by destroying the
tribal relation The establishment of II Terri
torial government of the United States over