New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-26
THE LETTER.

ing words III condemnation of the Civil Service and
as one who has thus come to be somewhat misrep-
resented, ask You to publish the following state
ment have delayed its presentation in the hope
| that the evidence taken by the Board Of Inquiry
would soon be published, for to that evidence, and
not to the report based upon it, appeal j shall
confine myself to facts and leave those facts to
| speak for themselves.
| Personal EXPLANATION.
entered the Indian Office as It's chief clerk
about two years ago, soon after the appointment Of
the Hon. Jno. Q. Smith as Commissioner, and
| of Mr.. Chandler as Secretary. i hal previously
served over four years under General Francis A.
| Walker of New-Haven, in the Census and Indian
Offices, and his principal assistant on the Stats
tical Atlas of the United States. came to him
stranger. i left him upon the completion of the
atlas with his entire confidence the last three years
| of my service under him being in confidential
capacity His confidence in full measure / still
retain.
then never expected to rcGnter the public
vice, but as the offer Of the chief clerkship made
upon General Walkers recommendation, came to
rne from Mr.. Smith without my solicitation, or even
previous knowledge, and my acceptance of it was
so much desired, both by the Interior Department
and the Indian Office, that General Walker was tel
egraphed by the department to that
ceptance, with some hesitation took the place. l
worked early and late. found the duties and the
responsibilities of the place onerOus beyond my
thought. repeatedly offered my resignation both to
Commissioner Smith and Mr.. Gaylord, who was Sec
rotary Chambers solicitor and confidential adviser,
but at their request did not press it. ! never re-
ceived from any quarter an intimation that my
official record was unsatisfactory that my resig
nation was desired. Had such intimation come to
me- nothing would havepersuadcd me 10 stay.
II Secretary Schurz. in this inquiry aimed only at
charge of officers, he could have secured it much
more promptly and easily. On the other hand, If
he aimed only at pointing out defects of the sys-
TEN, for which officer is properly responsible. he
should not have involved my case in the inquiry.
MY ACCUsERs AND THEIR CHARGES.
In Nav last soon after Mr.. Schln entered the In
terror Department, certain charges against me were
presented TO him. These charges had been some
| two months in preparation, were extrayagant IN
| terms and had been vainly hawked over Newspaper
Row before their presentation. They were formu-
lated by a combination of swindling Indian dele
gates and claim-a gents, of clerks discharged by
Secretary Schurz himself for inelicicncy, and Of
professional office brokers in the city
| The first class of my accusers included James
! Taylor, John b. Wolf, and j. J. Newell. Taylor
had claimed for some years. to represent the North
Carolina Cherokees as their delegate These Indians
had at one time ABOUT Cnitcu
Treasury, of which about 100000 had been spent
in the nine months before entered the Office, under
the Act of March 3. 1875. Claims in excess of the
balance were then pending. Among these claims
was one of Taylor account of his services dele
gate which amounted to over 81 900. Ny atten- .
ton was early invited to suspicious alterations In
the papers on which this claim was based,
and subsequent investigation shows that they
were absolute forgeries. The forgeries are
proved by certified copies. IN the Indian Office,
of records of the County Court of Graham County,
North Carolina. Thereupon Secretary Chandler
promptly Withdrew from Taylor all recognition as
delegate-another reason than these forgeries be-
ing signed by Solicitor Gayloids advice. Never
theess Taylor remained in Washington. and his
sympathzers are still on the rolls of the Interior
Department. Wolf was TaylOr's clerk and gen.
era business manager. His peculiarites Of mind and
temperament do not commend him to entire conf
dence or show absolute balance. Newell was Tay-
lors attorney, working on a contingent fee. These
three were therefore, in fact, rs IN law, but one
person, and that person the representative of the
most mpudent ring that ever infested the Interior
Department.
The discharged clerks, forming the second class
were Josiah Curtis and one Mitchell The former
was discharged for absenteeism, neglect Of his own
duties and interference with the duties of others
Commissioner
while MISUNDERSTANDING Bell and board cOnst-
tuted by Secretary SchurZ himself both advised it,
Mitchell was q subordinate of lower grade. His
discharge advised by the same board when al-
proved that of Curtis
The third class included two men. named Silver
man and Works The former Is not unknown III
Washington and Brooklyn. lie is a professional
Office broker, and passed as " an Intimate and long
tried friend of Secretary Schurz; on which ac-
Secretary. While ON this duty, he showed them TO
me. accompany ing their presentation with what
| deemed q distinct, suggestion at b!ackmail
OF this | immediately advised Secretary
Schurz and demanded a thorough Investigation of
any charge preferred against me. Works, his asso-
ciate, had advertised in Washington paper, IN
March last under the pseudonym of " Capitalist"
inviting the attention of applicants for appoint
meats or Government contracts, To his exceptional
facilities Tor aiding them.
These were the people who had joined forces to
attack me. These were the people whose attack
Secretary Schurz entertained. Their aninus and
character are certainly clear. But although |
early informed Secretary SchuZ Of their mott B
and reputation, IT was only when, after seven
months of secret investigations their charges had,
with insignificant exceptions failed OF proof, and
under sharp public criticism, that he found time 20
disavow his faith III my accusers.
THE BOARD OF INQUIRY.
Secretary Schurz, before giving me an opportu-
nifty to answer these charges-and the merest refer
ence to official records would have brushed most of
them out of sight-organized Board OF Inquiry to
investigate them. Much has been made of the sin
guar importantly Oh tns Doaru' Special stItsS is
laid on the fact that it contained members
from two other departments presumably selected
by the heads of those departments for their fitness
and freedom from such bias as might be ascribed
to common departmental opinion and acquaintance.
As n mattor of fact, this impartial board was
nothing better than packed jury, as bad as any
which has ever disgraced our political history. Mr.
Lockwood, who represented the Interior Depart
ment on it, was outspOken in his hostility to Com
missioner Smith and myself. Lieutenant Bradley,
who renresented the War Department WAS detailed