The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-02-15
Washington.

/ Means framed q resOlutlOn 1uf preSenSa-
ton to the House, to the effect that the
sugar tariff bin be taken up to-day. MIR.
Wood, in the chair vice Judge Kelly,
absent, strenuously opposed the resoln-
ton, and, in consequence, MIR. Harrls.
of Georgia, was selected to present the
resolution, but upon Mr.. Woods ne
guesting that duty, aud promising to
act in good faith, the matter was left
with him.
In the Arlington case. the jury has
given verdict in favor of plaintiff,
Gen. Lee. An appeal has been taken
to the T. S. Supreme Court.
| The joint committee to investigate
the Indian Bureau affairs have reported,
four being in favor of transfer to the
War Department. They say:
Year after year large amounts of
money hive been expended with view
to civilizing these people, ami yet, in
the face of the facts, we are compelled
TO admit that failure is written on every
page of the past history of our efforts
in this direction. The inauguration of
the ''peace policy in 1868, by Presi-
dent Grant, in the opinion of the I'M
.aersigned, was q virtual admission that
the Indian Bureau was incapableof the
proper conduct of Indian affairs, and
was compelled therefore, TO delegate
much of its authority to other hands.
'FRONT.' the slow progress which has been
made ncivilizing, educating, andchris-
tianizing the Indiuns, to which your
Committee had their attention called
while among them last fall, it would
seem that there is no room to doubt
that we should try some method of
dealing with this question different
from that now in vogue. We regret
being compelled to state that the glow
ling accounts of the rapid strides of the
Indians in the ways jof,eiyilized life and
their rapid march to the standard Of a
high civil ization IRE not borne out by
the facts. 1t seems hardly necessary
to addnce proof to establish the fact
that shameful irregularities and gross
frauds have crept into every branch of
the service. No one has the hard hood
to deny that the history of such frauds
is visible IN every page Of the Indian
management for the last score or more
of wears. Indeed, SO fragrant ire these
faIuds and so d-finut have their perpe-
/ traitors become Tint it appears TO be II
notorious fact that a ring EXISTS, com
/ posed of contractors. employees Of the
!bnrenu, and wealthy and Influential
persons outside, VIII Sc object il to
swindle and ;lefraud both the Govern
sment and the Indians. We are of
opinion thpt these frauds will forever
exist, even with the most vigilant and
and scrnpn,ous honesty which can be
I brought into the management Of the
i Indian Bureau, because we believe the
method or system of that Department
are inadequate to prevent frand how
ever honest the head of the office may
4 he. and for the reason that the system
of accountability in tue department is
I not close enough to detect corruption.
II As the matter now stands there must
of necessity he too much intrnsted to
the hands vi agents. for whose faithful
discharge Of duty we have no security
save their individual fidelity and hon
or, which, alas! has too nften ftiled
when put into the balance with an
opportunity to make gain for them
selves.
\ Whatever else may be said for our
army officers, they are, is q class, men
of high honor and strict integrity.
Their training has impressed these
high qualities upon them and Their
association requires their tconstapt OBJ.
servanoe. Every officer in the army il
q check upon every other toihcer, lane
such is the system of accountability ~
! the army that it is nearly il not quite
} impossible for an officer 10 act tdishon
estly without ibeing detected; and upon
being detected, punishment follow,
swiftly and surely. Allowing tina
those officers are very much as lothel
men. are not better and no worse as 1
.f.., t.,l II ms, IL, met claim a,