National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-19
THE RED CLOUD REPORT.

InI nEV 6LUuU nLTVhI'
saw at the Red Cloud agency was dark in color
adhesive to the touch, although II had not Deen
wet, and inferior in quality. That he should have
met with an article of this discreditable quality
Al the time ne was f T " that there
were q sacks of flour which had been condemned
both by Mr.. French and Major Long, when,
distribution by some mistake, as is alleged; and
Major Long, an army ot1cer, who Was.-deputeuiAs
an Inspector of -four at Cheyenne, In Septemoet,
1S74, states that a portion of the Hour when ne
was ordered to ins pect slipped through without
inspection, in q manner that he could neither e4-
The nT sa%pie of this article which Red Cloud
nlaeed in the hands of Prof. Marsh seems to have
been something below the quality Of the yilest
etherwise That willy chief is as distinguished
for low artce as he is for brute courage, and the
opportunity which the Professor had for learning
his true character should have made him
cautious in accepting too implicitly his state
ments, especially as he awaited himself OF no OPP
portunity when he was at the agency to compare
that sample with even the worst specimens OF
the -four he saw there. The fact that Red
Cloud had made up.his sample of another article,
hereafter to be noticed in a way to make it serve
his own purpose naturally suggests the suspicion
that he may have prepared a sample of -four by a
similar exercise of his cunning. This suspicion
was strengthened by the appearance OF the
sample received by Prof Marsh, a portion of
which. at their request, he was kind enough to
furnish TO the Commission. 1t was OF peculiar
touch as TO give at once the impression that 1t
probably had been adulterated by Red Cloud
eomposes the soil around the agency. This i'm
precision is confirmed by a chemical analysis
which we procured, and which revealed besides
the usual ingredients of wheat flour, sand, iron
asoxide and sulphurie acid-the sand amounting
TO per cent. Of the whole sample. The presence
OF so large percentage of foreign substances
seems conclusively to prove adulteratiOn, and, in
the absence of ali evidence of any other flour at
the agency containing such substances, we are
forced to the conclusion that Red Cloud is re-
spOnsible for this imposture practieed upon the
Apart from specimens of flour of the character
first above referred to- it is rot to be doubted that
the entire supplies of that article furnished to the
Indian agencies are of a quality that may be
called inferior. The contracts for supplies are
given TO the lowest bidder, and the prices at
which these contracts are awarded show that the
Government expects that an article Of inferior
quality, but at the same time sound, wholesome
and nutritious, shall be delivered. There is no
10 supply the Sioux Indians with -four or any
other kind of food. Considerations of humanity
and Of policy alone dictate appropriations for that
purpose. The Indians are incapable of discrimi-
mating, either from their taste style of cooking,
between the different grades of flour. All that
they can reasonably expect is to be furnished
with sound, wholesome and nutritious article
and if it possesses these qualities they should be
satisfied. We have, therefore, no fault 10 find
with the Indian Once that it seeks, by its system
Of proposals, to get an article of inferior manu-
faeture, provided it is sweet free from all adul-
iteration and the contractor is required to furnish
the precise article which he has stipulated to de-
liver, and for which he expects payment from the
Government.
In reviewing the testimony on this point, we
have no hesitation in saying that the Indian
Bureau, in advertising for Xxx -four, has selected
. grade proper for Indian supplies. 1t is grade
of well ascertained manufacture, recognized by
all dealers and consumers of flour. In case of
good, sound wheat, IL is made by regrinding with
The wheat the middlings that come therefrom. 1t
thus increases the quantity of -four one eighth or
q hplipVn a IA Of
-four furnished to the Indians during that year.
with the exception of the twenty-seven sacks
above referred to, and that which surreptitiously
escaped inspection were fair and sound articles Of
this low and inferior grade of -four.
We think the bureau erred in awarding the
contract of flour to J. H. Martin. He was nero
speculative bidder, not the owner of mill and not
having the means Of filling his contract. He had
been the year before the lowest bidder for flour,
and had failed to comply with his contract. He
complied but partially with it in the year 1874,
and the award Of the contract to him and his sub
sequent failure to meet his engagements under 1t
have led to several irregularities disclosed by the
evidence. and which feel constrained to notice.
First. 1t was irregular and unbusinesslke for
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to instruct the
superintendent, Barclay White, to accept from o.
p. HurfOrd 2 500 sacks of -four upon sample to be
furnished to the said superintendent by the ven
der himself
Secondly. 1t was improper in that superntend-
ent subsequently TO permit Mr.. HurfOrd TO sub
stitute lower sample and TO accept flour upon
that substitute sample.
Thirdly. 1t was improper in the Commissioner
Of Indian Affairs to sanction the act of ID. J. Nc
Cam. by which he ordered of O. p. Hurford 202--
GOO pounds Of -four in sacks weighing IS pounds TO
the sack, as the contract expressly provided that
il should be delivered in 1O0pound sacks and this
departure from the contract might have led to
fraudulent results if they had not been frustrated
as hereafter mentioned.
FOurfhIy 1t exhibited want of due diligence
upOn the part Of the Commissioner of Indian AZ
fairs to allow the carloads Of -four to arrive at
Cheyenne without making provision in advance to
have proper inspector there TO test its quality
before il was sent 10 the Red Cloud agency.
Eifhiy. In seeking by private contract to re-
pair the omission Of Martin 10 supply the neces
sary flour for the Red Cloud agency. David ].
McCann addressed the following letter TO .. b.
CHEYExNE, W. T. August %, 1874.
DEAR SIR: Since writing you have been au-
thOriZed TO purchase 220 600 pounds Of -four for the
Indian service, in double sacks weighing IS
pounds to the sack including sacks, or say 2, 295
sacks of IS pounds each. If You see your way
clear to furnish II at the price 50 per 100 pounds
shipping two to three cars per week, after next
week. please sign and return the enclosed memo
randun. KOenig desires the order, but in view of
our correspondence you are entitled to the refusal
Yours truly, ID. ]. MCCAIN.
o. p. HURFoRD. $50, Omaha.
The fact that the practice has uniformly and
universally prevailed of having -four delivered
in 100 pound packages. the flour netting 9s
pounds. precisely half barrel. and the sack
pounds. and that it was prescribed by the con-
tract caused the commission to inquire, with some
particularly, what was the explanation of the
very singular order here given, that this flour
should be put in Ss-pOund sacks? Mr.. Mccain
was summoned before this commissioner for ex-
animation at Cheyenne. His testimony will be
seen on page 53S. His explanation was not salts
factory. He denied having directed HurfOrd to
put the -four in SS-pOund sacks. Denied that ii
was done at his particular request and barely
conceded that he thought he had made the re-
quest. and thought the request was made after
being informed that these were the only sacks on
hand. Mr.. HurfOrd denies that he had any s.
pound sacks on hand. but says he had sacks for
Bne hundred pounds; that he was compelled TO
they were shipped to him only after the date Of
Mr.. McCann's letter. He further states that
when he saw Mr.. Mccain subsequently to the re-
ceipt of his letter, he asked him about the SS-
pound sacks; why it was to be put up in that way;
that it was unusual, and might lead to trouble
reply was: For the convenience of
issue together with the other ratiOns." When we
refer TO the testimony of Major Long, and learn
from him that his first instructions were simply TO
test the quality Of the -four and not TO tretgh q,
and that after so testing its quality he should de-
liver the -four over to the Government, possibly
an adequate explanation may be found for this
order. The following extract from
the testimony Of Mr.. Saville the agent. may, per-
haps, throw further light upon this subject:
Q. Had you any idea that -four was coming in
short weight, designed to pass for full weight
A. Yes, sir. ] ascertained that -four was coming
10 the agency in short weight. / know no reason
for it.
nnder the Martin contract? A. Yes, sir.
q. Did you ever know Of any -four coming in
short weight TO the agency, except that OF the
Martin cOntractE A. NO, sir: i Inlnk not.
Q. Has ever any -four Of short weight been re
ceived at your agency and counted one hundred
pound sacks? A. No, sir; 1 think not
@. Who first made known to you or where did
you first get the information that -four was COM
ing under the contract in eighty-eight-pound
sack? A. Mr.. Palmer, the storekeeper her, at
CHEYENNE first called my attention TO the fact.
don't know whether he first detected it by weigh
ing It or not.
q. Then, 50 far as you know, was not that -four
designed to pass for 100-pound sacks A. Yes,
sir; SO far as know.
q. Did the contractor or any of the employees
give you TO understand that he was shipping -four
Of short weight? 4. No, sir
q. When you hTst learned OF TINS short weight,
what did you do? A gave orders to the store
keeper to receive no -four in less than one hun
dred- pound bags without orders from the Commis
EiOner Of Indian Affairs 10 do and directed the
to communicate with the Commits
sioner Of Indian Affairs, which he did. and the
wrote him q letter which stated
that il made no difference, provided the weight of
the -four was certified to be the inspector.
q. Was that at the time that Maj. Long was
hrst appointed inspector? A. Yes, sir; Major
Long was the inspector then.
Upon receiving this information, Commissioner
Smith ordered Major Long to weigh the -four as
to defraud the Government and the Indians, 1t
was frustrated by the vigilance Of the store
Keeper, Palmer; and so I may be here said that,
the failure Of Martin to fill his
contract, and the fact that the Government was
compelled to repair his failure by private pur-
chases, the Government lost nothing by the oper
alton.
The practice has prevailed of letting contracts
for the supply of -four TO the Indians at the city
Of New York This may at one time have been
expediept: but We do not think il is so now. Its
effect Is to foster the business OF the