The sun., 1878-12-22


Feeble and corrupt as the Indian service
for many years has been, its evils are not
proved to he inseparnble from civilian con-
troll, nor is there any warrant for assuming
that military management is the proper
remedy. What is wanted Is not some new
kind of law on the statute book but ntelli-
gent obedience to the law already there.
Army officers, arguing for the transfer Of
the Indian Onicc TO their own department,
declare that the reason why there is SO
much stealing in the Indian service Is that
agents are not held. under n civilian sys-
TEN. to any accountability; or, as Gen. GGB-
EoS put3 il, "undcr the total lack Of system
in the Indian department, the responsibility
Is so loGac and fraud so easy, that the Won
der Is not that rccuation should some
times OF cur, but that it does not happen in
all caseR"
Let US look little at this system. The
law Of flly 3. 1862, prescribes that no goods
shall be bought by the Indian Ofllce, or any
OF its agents, for any tribe, except upon
public bids, and on the written requisition
Of the superintendent OF the tribe The law
Of July 15 1870, declares that no claims for
Indian supplies, purchased without author
ity Of law, shall be paid. The laws Of June
b., 1884, and March 3, 1857, prescribe the most
stringent regulations for watching and GER
tiiying TO the delivery OF both goods and
money. and providing for the presence Of
not only civilian agents and interpreters,
but "such military officer as the President
may direct" OF course, it may be easy to
show how all these provisions Of law have
been in different instances deficd or neglect
ell, ia the interest Of fraud; but that does
not prove that the law is not there
Again, the law Of 1884 prescrlbes that
"all persons whatsoever, charged or trusted
with the disbursement OF application OF
money, goods, or effects Of any kind for the
benefit Of the Indians" shall settle their ac-
counts annually on the first day of October,
Rnd that complete details Of all these ac-
counts shall be furnished to Congress at tho
December session. But Mr.. CARL ScHURz's
own board Of inquiry reported last winter a
case in which an agent had sjo2,20G ad.
yanccd to him from Aug. Is, 1872, to Oct. A.
1875, and made no settlement Of account uT
10 July 2j, 1871. Now compare this fact with
the express mandate OF the law of June 27
iSl6, when reads thus:
"No superintendent of Indian AFFAIRS or Indian agent
oor li-hursu- officer 10 such service shall have al
Vanccd 90 him, Indian public account. any money
% be DISTURBED future until such supcrinte ndcnt
lgcmt officer such service has settled his account
OF the preceding year and has satisfactorily shown tia
all balances in favor OF TIE Government which may ap
pear be in his hands ready paid over th
order Of the Secretary Of the Interior"
1t may be added, by the way, as to thu
particular instance just quoted that n,
bond ever taken OF an Indian agent coyer
$500, 2O6, and that the board reported tina
"this sum has never been satisfactorily ac
counted for"
Once more by the law OF July &C. 1866, th
application Of Indian treaty appropriation
10 any other purposes Is strictly prohibited
Under the law Of March 3, 1871, no none,
can be paid 10 any contractor for lndial
supplies, goods, transportation, buildings
or machinery, above fifty per cent of tn
amount due, until his accounts and voucher
have been submitted to the Indian Commits
sioncrs, and by them revised and approved
But last winters board Of inquiry foun,
that IN the Office where the great bulk o
Indian supplies was bought, where bid
were opened awards were made, and sup
plies inspected and sent out. not only wa
the chief official totally incompetent for thi
puIposci bOlH by lUluIe ana euuchllOui bu
there was a cool Ignoring Of tho preroga
tives Of the Board Of Indian Commissioners,
established by law. II was further declare
that " seldom if ever was a request for
concession made by a contractor or agen
refused by the Indian Bureau"
In short there is now enough responsibilit
provided by statute 10 hold in check t.
times the existing number OF Indian col
tractors, agents, and traders. The root
the trouble is the all-pcryading poltlc1
corruption Of the past dozen years, aided
the special advantages which fraud enjoy
when dealing with a race governed b
special laws. But we are not TO jump to Il
conclusion that honest civilian managemeI
of the Indians Is impossible. Turning u
Indians over to the army would be exchani
Ing ono class of'cvis for another. Were Il
HAYES Administration, with all its inheri
Sacos aud belongings, swept away, al