Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-02
THE CONTROL OF THE 1NDI.4Ns.

THE CONTROL OF THE INDIANS.
Our public service has come to a pretty
pass when two departments of the govern
ment descend to the level of blackguards
and indulge in charges of the gravest charac-
ter against each other, as do the war and in
terror departments at the present time. The
turbances on the frontier are but the begin
ming of general Indian war which is de-
signed to involve the Bannocks, Plutes, kla-
maths, Shoshones, and other hitherto friend
ly tribes, and charge that the disaffectlon IS
due to the gross mismanagenent of the M
terror department and the dishonesty of the
Indian agents who have systematically
robbed the wards of the nation OF the
annuities and rations to which they are en-
titled. The interior department retort by
charging the military with magnifying few
local disturbances of no special Importance
into menace of the peace of the entire
frontier with view of influencing the COM
mission now having charge of the matter to
transfer the management Of the Indians to
the war department. They further allege
that the Indian bureau is at present econom-
ically managed, but that under the war de-
partment its cost would be more than
doubled, and that the real incentive of the
proposed transfer is to enable superannuated
army officers to remain in the service at full
pay as Indian agents after their usefulness
as soldiers has ceased. It charges the
| agents of the army with falsehood as to the
allegations of theft on the part of Indian
agents, and claims that they are as honest,
as class, as any other public officers.
| AS to the truth OF falsity of these charges
or countercharges the GLOBE will not under
take to decide. It is evident to the most OBJ
fuse, however, that there is something
radically wrong in the management OF
Indian affairs. Complaints of extortion and
dishonesty would not be SO frequent and
general if the Indian agents were uniformly
faithful to their trusts. The savages do not
go upon the war path and court death with
out some adequate cause. We have had
abundant proof that some Indian agents
have grown fabulousy rich by the plumber
they have accumulated by dishonest means,
and that other abus es exist is evident from
the constant complaints of the Indians
themse Ives, and of the settlers who are
II lations with them.
Then, as long as Indian outbreaks occur
and the services of the soldiery al required
to suppress them, it is manifestly Injurious
to the public interests that there should be a
division of authority in dealing with them
The army is simply the agent Of the interior
department when operating against the In
dams, and subject to the orders of the secre-
tary of the interior, who is generally untitled
by education or ability for dealing with such
questions. Conflicts of authority continually
arise with the war department, and are in
evitable in the nature of things. If the
war department is to be held responsible fol
the peace of the border-as it is in fact
though net in theory it should have absolute
control of the whole subject. The army
should not suffer blame for the mlsdeeds o.
officials who are not subject to its regula
tons, but who are frequently, on account o
their isolation, responsible to nobody.
There is no reason apparent to the GLoBl
why the conduct of Indian affairs should no
be governed by strict business principles. l
the army is to be held responsible for tn
good conduct of the savages, it should hay
full control Of all that relates to them. Tn
army regulations are ample to insure hon
esty in the administration of affairs, and tn
punishment of dishonesty is speedy and ex
emplary. Army officers are more jealous Q
their reputation for integrity than civilians
for to be convicted of dishonor in the arm
; involves not only the loss of position, bu
rigid and perpetual social ostracisnl. Thi
s addition to the duties of the army would nc
! necessarily involve an increase of its force
There are now enough army officers unat
tached or on half pay to fill the positions c
!. Indian agents, and if they administer thei
: duties honestly and faithfully, as we hav
+ every reason to believe they will, there woul
: be cessation of hostilities along the frontie
which would relieve the soldiery from man
j. of their most arduous duties. The chic
advantage to be gained by transfer, how
ever, would be the fact that the Indian agent
would be directly responsible for their ac
!, to the commanders of the several depar
= ments, or to their superior officers on I'll
ground, who would hold them to rigid a
), countability for the proper discharge of the
= trusts. Such change from the presel
: system, under which an Indian agent
practically Independent of control, wou
certainly rebound to the credit of the go
eminent, and contribute toward establishi1
tho rooca If tho fropfiar