Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-25
aAmnoNp sLoPs OVER.
The Cemments Of a N~evvspaper Which
Takes y Reasonable View
OF The Case.

The Comments Of y Newspaper Which
Takes y Keasonahie View
OF The Case.
st. Paul Dispatch.
The recent trial of DR.. Livingston, late
agent for the lower Yanktonias lndians at
Chow creek, on charge Of using afictitious
OrfforEed voucher, and go defraudinR the
government, having resulted in q verdict Of
not guilty, the friends Of the doctor at Yank-
ton are jubilant. The Press and Dakotaian
which all along has declared its full faith in
DR.. Livingston, makes his acquittal the text
for sharp censure of Gen. Hammond and
Capt. Dougherty. The former is accused of
beginning his work on the Missouri river
as superintendent of Indian affairs for Da-
kota, upon the presumption that every man
appointed tora position in the Indian service
fromlths iEpiacopal church was dishonest.
His hatred of the representatives of thislre-
litious organization moved him to pursue
them with relentless and unceasing vigor. to
the end that they might not only be remov
cd from the service but overwhelmed with
the odium of complete disgrace" Capt.
Dougherty, who succeeded Livingston at
Grow creek agency and is, We suppose, Lieut..
Dougherty Of the first regiment of infantry,
is BY the Press and Dakotaian associated
with Hammond as a chief m%anipulator of
the charges against Dr.. Livingston.
Peshaps our Yankton contemporary, hav.
ing strong and personal sympathies in the
case, may do injustice to Hammond and
DeuRherty. As to the latter We have no
knowledge except that his reputation in the
army is good. But Gen. Hammond's con-
duct of the affair, now that his first prosecu-
tion-presumably his strongest case-of
Livingston has failed, does seem to need ex-
PLANTATION: Bishop Hare complains thai
with DR.. Livingston) four Of the Missouri
river agents nominated by the Episcopal In
dian committee, all Of whom enjoyed his con
idence, were sammarily removed and theil
places given to military officers, while the
accusations against them by Hammond were
widely disseminated through the press, but
no notice of the matter was given to thu
bishop or to the committee of his church
OF course, when once appointed the AGENT
are nc longer under directions of the churcl
committee or the bishop, and neither cal
reasonably be held responsible for thei
conduct, but-their interests in the agents a
men of their selection deserves respectful
consideration. Four agents were remove,
and a newspaper correspondent, having ape
c:al facilities afforded him by Gen Hammond
Commissioner Hayt and others, publishes
in newspapers of St. Paul, Chicago an,
New York, extravagant versions of the dis
coveries said to have been made by Han
mond. Frauds and thefts to a great aggre
gate were alleged. The four agents wer
declared to be parts of Yankton ring, g
which DR.. Livingston was head center, an
it was asserted that Hammond had go clea,
q case against all concerned that all woulc
be indicted, found guilty and properly pun.
ished. Nevertheless, three of the agents
were not indicted, Hammond
having apparently no charges t.
bring against them-though they were re
moved-and the trial of DR.. Livingston ha
not sustained the evidence on which hi
indictment was procured.
Two thoughts are suggested by this jud;
cial reversal of a years busy slandering 9
DR.. Livingston. One is, that Gen. Han
mond is not exactly the man for the place.h
holds. He seems to be liable to slop owe
occasionally, to be careless as to the reputs
ton Of the service to which he formerly b.
longed. The other is that the Indian b,
reau would gain in reputation and strengt
if it would stand by its suberdinates, as d
other bureaus of the government, until it
proved they are unworthy of confidence.