Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-06

-
We have no desire to intrude In an OBJ
noxious manner Dur notions of an important
subject uron the notice of so distinguished
a gentleman as the Episcopal bishop for the
Sioux Indians in Dakota. A few sugses-
tons, however, are due in behalf Of few
injured men aud in behalf of q church which
rests under a cloud because of the wrong
perpetrated against these few men. The
cases of Livingston, Gregory, Cravens and
Gasmann, ex-Indian agents, are familiar
enough to all our readers. These men were
appointed upon the recommendation of
Bishop Hare, of the Episcopal church, who
has held religious control of the several
agencies under their management. The
raid of last March came, government agents
swooped down upon the agencies and drove
the agents from their official places coupling
their names with the blacklist crimes known
to the misunderstanding everything and
proving nothing-and not even attempting
to sustain their damaging statements when
once the men were out of office. This is
the situation to-day: No trials, no ~investi-
cations, but charges without end. In this
emergency we hold it to be the sacred duty
of Bishop Hare to stand by the men whom
he placed in office, and against whom the
vile tongue ofslander has been set in motion
ut the instance Of government agents-to
stand by them at least until they are proven
guilty of that which is charged. In aban-
donlng them, through a fear that he and his
church will be weakened in power by any
opposition to the Vaccinations. of Ham
mond and his followers, Bishop Hare con-
veys to the world his tacit admission of their
guilt-an admission which comes, too, Nth
out any inquiry into the merits of the cases,
but accepts the dictum Of those whose hos
Utility to his church is too we'll known to
admit Of any denial. The case can be reason.
ably viewed in this light: If every man ap-
pointed to an Indian agency under the rec
o%mmendation of the head ofthe Sioux Epie-
copal church turns out TO be a rascal, is it
for the best interests of the Indian service
to accept any more recommendations from
the same source? We do not look upon 1t
thus, because We do not believe Bishop
Hare's appointees have committed any
wrong. But we Judge from the attitude of
the bishop. that he is not quite prepared TO
stand where we stand-to insist upon an
Investigate, N, q fair trial, to take no steps
towards filling these vacancies until he has
cleared up the doubts which darkcn the
name and fame of men in whom he trusted
to the extent Of placing them 10 responsible
positions. He may. fear that opposition to
the operations of Hammond will take from
his church the opportunity to save red mems
souls and place It IN the hands of some
other church. This would not be so great
a calamity. for 10 no other church (accept-
ing the bishops Interpretation of the silua-
tion) would 1t be possible to choose 90
many men devoid of honor and of honesty.
Bishop Hare has been asked to recommend
men for the positions rendered vacant by
Hammond's arbitrary work. II be be guild
ed by a strict sense OF justice, and permits
not policy to enter into his calculations, lie
will send 10 the president, for appointment
as Indian agents. the name Of all those men
who have been removed without cause. He
will thus sustain himself and his church 10
the position assumed when these men were