Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-07-04

senSelesS gossip or Vlndlctlve platitudc
charactcrizing the policy" in gener:
!. terms, as a failure. the agents all a set {
llnmitigatcd fools or scoundrels or boil
the churches as stupid. mercenary institt
tons, and urging the transfer of the India
Bureau to the War Department us the onl
infallible remedy for all the legion OF evil
e complained of. Now, there is an apparen
injustice and inconsistency to such whole
re sale charges. in connection with the sus
gestiOns which usually follow, which rem
If der them somewhat effete and, in our wa,
of thinking. decidedly absurd for so f
IS as the receiving of annuity goods and sup
}. plies and the issuing of annuity goods t.
the Indians is concerned, it is usually done
, in the presence and under the immediate
). supervision of a military officer of high
standing, and this has been an imperative
rule of the Indian Bureau for years and
so far as the service in Montana is concern
ed. We believe. it has been generally Observ-
ed. In view of this fact, it can be clearly seen
that the wholesale charges of dishonesty
and systematic theft against Indian agents
is not by any means complimentary to the
proverbial honesty of the Military Depart
mcnt, for it is next to impossible for an
Indian agent to defraud either the Govern
ment or the Indians to any serious extent
without the cOnnivancc or consent of the
military officer designated to inspect the
supplies and witness and certify to the
faithful distribution of the annuity goods.
Bat there is another fact that serves to
render such flippant charges doubly alb
surd. 1t is this: Indian agents are usually
selected from the very best citizans in a
community and generally with the most
careful regard rs to their reputation for
honesty, business ability and other requis-
lite qualifications for the position. so that
in these respects they are the peers, at
least, of those who SO severely criticise
their acts, or without the least foundation
denounce them indiscriminately as imbe-
Giles and thieves. An Indian. agent may
be no berter-no more honest or capable
than the average citizen; certainly, the
present system OF appointment would pre-
clude the idea that they are morally worse.
And yet, who ever knew of an Indian
agent who was not, in the popular estima-
ton, either dishonest or incompetent. or
both? The charge has been made so often
and gone uncontradicted SO long, that,
perhaps, majority of people have come
to believe it as truth. Then comes to b.
iterated the old threadbare and questiona-
bic adage. 'What everybody says must be
true" until one gets disguised with hear
ing it and begins to think the very opposite
to be the truth, and finally we have arrived
at the firm conviction that, what every
body says, in regard to this subject, must
be false, because it is unreasonable. i'm
probable, absurd. and impossible.
No doubt some dishonest and incompe-
tent persons have received appointments
as agents, but, probably, not more proper {
tionately than have filed other Federal {
positions. It occurs to us that most OF the
troubles we have reason to complain of. {
and the principal causes of complaint OF
the Indians, can be traced directly. in a
large majority Of instances, up to WASH s
ngton. Congress. in the matter Of keep S
ng treaties. making the necessary appro- Q
Driations. provisions and laws. does not t
always deal justly or magnanimously with t
he Indian tribes. The Government has n
rot yet adopted any well-lefined policy S
oward the Indian tribes, although in some s.
'exed form or another the Indian problem d
las been pressing itself upon the attention b
II the American people ever since the
doptiOn of the Federal Constitution. The n
consequence is, the head of the Indian Blu v
eau, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. II
) kind Of big Chiefs sort of auto
rat. without the necessary laws, rules and
equations either for his own guidance or
ne government OF those wards placed in 4,
is charge. True, there are a few general :. :.
lws or statutory enactments in regard to y
he rights. privileges and protection OF In :
Ian tribes. without any provision or ma :,
hinery for their enforcement. The entire =,
vstem Is so loose. uncertain and indefinite y,
nat Commissioner naturally concludes \,
lat his will Is the only law, and that his :"
fficial conduct is hardly open to criticism.
From the extreme East man will be ap- E
ointed to an agency in the far West, and "
D sooner is he initiated into the subtle W
ysteries Of managing a tribe or band Of hi
lid Indians, than he finds himself tram at
elied Oh every side-bound hand and foot CO
: the most arbitrary, End often the most er
instructions from the Hon. st
who regards all the agents
his own subordimtes, and insists on
anaging all the Indians through official -,
tiers from Washington City. Thus, with -
1t the least practical experience in regard ~
the nature, life or habits OF an Indian, -
ID without any practical knowledge OF L.
. workings or requirements Of an agency, Il.
e Commissioner Of Indian Affairs, gov -
ned wholly by his utter ignorance, pre- .h
nccived opinions or pssjudices, assumes tn,
E responsibility of managing and con- vic