Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-08
A FOOL OR a KNAnE.

= OF example, the OpOJue0 Ial ana LED
Cloud bands of Indians were, much against
their will, located on the Missouri river with
the express promise that they should be re-
moved this year to their new reservations
on the Rosebud and Wounded
Knee creeks in Dakota. Instead of
providing for their removal at the proper
time, Hayt, the Commissioner, waited until
the third of September, when he adver-
tised for proposals for transportation from
the present temporary reservation to the
permanent location. The lowest bid was
$1.4O per 100 tons per 100 miles. This the
Commissioner, in his superior wisdom, de-
cided was too high, and he accordingly re
.jected all bids and ordered the purchase of
wagons and teams at government expense
to do the work. Of course he cannot buy
teams ard wagons and do the work
for anything approximating to this bid. In
the meantime the Indians become FESTIVE,
they see % sign that the long delayed prom
Use ID to be fulfilled, and they start on an indie
pendent trip across the country, where they
are likely to be Joined by hostile Indians,
and all unite in a raid on the Black Hills. It
matters very little, of course, how serious
complications may arise, how many settlers
or soldiers may be sacrificed, how
much property destroyed - Commits
sioner Hayt will have been en-
abled to give some friend or
friends handsome Job in wagons and
will rbov II,
party of the first part. This is one speci-
men of the administration Indian policy un-
der Schurz and Hayt.
Another specimen appears in the letting
of Indian supply contracts last week. Among
other things the advertisement of this bril-
liant and honest commissioner calls for 600
two-year-old heifers at Red Cloud agency,
500 two-year-old heifers at Spotted Tail
agency and one hundred mich COWS between
the ages of three and five years. The
advertisement then adds-ssthe cattle will be
required to be delivered at the respective
agencies between March LIST and May LIST,
1879" While it might be charitable to
suppose that a man who would put in such q
proviso was fool, it is much more reasona-
bic to set him down as knave. Every one
knows that it would be impossible to deliver
cattle in that climate in March and
April and the idea of driving
mich COWS through that country
at that season Of the year, is simply an i'm
possibility. It of necessity follows that
some one who has the cattle on hand, IN tile
proper place, is to have the contract. Com
petition is out of the question. The Com
missioner is careful to omit close details,
and he does not specify whether the cattle
are to be Texan or native. If, perchance,
there should be a bidder who is not the man
for whom the contract is intended, the Com
missioner can then specify the kind of cattle
which he (the bidder) does not have, and the
plum will still fall into the hands of the
contractor for whom it was intended, and
who has undoubtedly endeared himself to
the department by his clear understanding
Of addition, division and silence.''
The bids for these supplies we've to be
opened at Washington last Thursday, the Sd
inst. 1t will be interesting to notice who
the contractor is who can furnish cattle. in
Guiding mich COWS, during the season when
even men with supply trains cannot move.
It might be well for Congress to invite this
lucky contractor before them next winter
and ascertain the basis of the division upon
which he does business.