The Saline County journal., 1878-10-10
THE INDIAN COMMISSION.


l,apSsSs L. RSSGe SsSGesss . Sssssiss
or sS~ EsASss PssSSes.
rst Louis Times, Oct 2d-l
The Indian Commission met at 10 o'clock
Yesterday morning In parlor p, L;ndell
Hotel. Captain Joseph LaBarge Of this
CITY was the first witness called. He had
been among the Indians large portion Of
his time during the last fifty years and
was particularly well acquainted with the
tribes along the Upper Missouri River.
The transfer Of the Indian Bureau to the
War Department would result beneflcially
In some respects, he thought, both to the
Government and to the Indians, but not
in all respects. The Indians would GER
tainly GET more and better supplies IL fed
under military orders than they do now,
and at less cost to the Government.
In reply to question OF Senator Saun-
ders, Captain LaBarge said that the civil
agents might give as much satisfaction In
the issuing Of supplies, II they were the
right kind Of men, but, he said. the trouble
Is to get the right kind OF men. II the
civilian agents Fad the same kind OF au-
thority over them that the military agents
would have, and should have the same
rules and be as able to carry them out as
the military would be, then they might
succeed even better than the military
agents could. Indians don't ike soldiers,
and for that reason soldiers might not be
able to do as much with them except in
matters where something Like military au-
thority is necessary, as civilians would.
The Indians would probably prefer to have
their supplies furnished by civilians II they
were not swindled so outrageOusly.
In reply to question OF Representative
Boone, witness stated that there could be
no comparison between the respective ia
cilities offered by the War Department and
the Interior Department for the transport
tation Of supplies. The War Department
has the best Of systems and the Interior
Department the worst Of systems.
Captain LaBarXe stated further that he
considered 1t necessary to have some SOL
dlers at the agencies, but not too many.
not SO many as are around some Of the
agencies. There should DO enough to ex.
ercise restraining influence over the ie-
vengeful feelings and bitter prOpensities
Of the Indians who cannot be governed
by love and moral suasion alone.
Senator McCreery asked IL the late In
dian troubles were not caused in part by
the mismanagcment Of the civil agencies,
by the frauds practiced upon them by the
Indian agents and other white men about
the agencies.
Captain LaBarge answered In the af-
frmative. There are lots OF white men
around the agencies, he said, that ought to
be driven away. They are As unprinci-
pied as they can be, and go there solely
to make make money Of the Indians.
In response to q question Of Senator
Saunders. witness said that he believed
lat Ako ..,ost,,allvr 1.a 10
self sustaining. Is long as there is much
game on the prairies and in the woods.
they will do nothing but hunt, but In the
last few years they have found, some Of
them at least, that there Is more work
and less enjoyment In hunting where game
Is scarce than than there is in raising cat
tie or corn, and they are now more willing
to farm than they formerly were.
Capt. John Sibille. OF st. Louis. next
appeared before :he Commission. He was
Is years old, he said, was born In England.
raised In France. and had had five years
experience among the Indians as an Indian
trader He knew from conversations with
the Indians, for no could talk the
dialects Of several tribes, that they were
very dissatisfied with the way their sup
plies are at present furnished them. He
hardly knew whether the Indians could be
made to support themselves or not. The
Sioux and most Of the tribes made their
wives do all the hard work and it would
probably be long time before their ideas
In this matter would undergo change.
The members OF the Commission will
leave st. Louis this morning on a trip TO
the Indian Territory, where they expect
to make some personal observations and
take further testimony. They will also
stop at several points In Southern Kansas
and Northern Texas. After their return
to st. Louis, in time to see the parade Of
the Yelled Prophets" il possible, they
will take more testimony and then make
another trip west.