, 1879-01-19
way OFT Appointing Agents---The Part
Allotted to Religious
Societies.
The Generals Ideas About Turning the
Indians O7cr to the War
Department..
The Frauds Of Dr.. Livingstone and 9th.
ers-~-The Mass Of Evidence
Against Them.

the present unusual interest taken III the In
dian qucstion,-owine to the public attention
having been drawn thereto by the Sheridan
Schurz controversy, the discovery OF frauds q
the Crow-Crcck Agency, and the numerous in
dictncnts resulting therefrom, and lattcrly th
Cheyenne row ut Fort Kobinson,-a reporter TO
| THE TRIBUNE, who met the General yesterday
asked the privilege Of an interview OIL the gen
eral subject OF the Governments relations tt
the rcdsklns,-au interview which should b,
| wide in its range aud thorough In its sweep
| and .ous oi which the public could gather
| some definite mud digestcd ideas OF
this particular subject, SO industriously writer
upon, but, as rule, so little generally under
| stood. The General consented, alter some 1ittlt
urging on the part OF the reporter, but stipulated
that he should not be interviewed upon any
thing connected with the subject that might re-
late to thu Office and what was strictly depart
mcnt business. Having obtained this much, and
having, as it we're, paved the way, the reporter
lost no time in smiling in.
ado you know, Gen. Hammond" said he, a.
a starter, "how Secretary Schurz came to un
| dcrtake
THE REFORM OF TIE ABUSES
! so long alleged to have characterized the ad
ministration Of Indian affairs in the United
Statcss'
every soon after Mr.. Sclurz became Secre-
tary Of the 1nterior,'' replied the General, she
| took steps to make himself familiar with the
| methods by which immense quantities OF 1anu
| were acquired. either By pcrverson or in direct
violation OF law; also to ascertain what method,
| If any, could be- devised BY which he might pre-
vent The destruction Of timber the public do
main. This, md the frauds BY lndiau Agents,
| contractors, anl others, which has caused SO
| many 1ndian wars and the loss Of so many valu~
! able lives, were the abuses which appealed to
him for immediate attention.
'WhaL steps did he take to attain these cnds!'
t'Ilis steps as TO the lands aud timber are al
| ready public property. AS to Indian affairs in
| the month OF June, 1877, he established q Com
! mission, consisting OF Joseph McCannon, Of the
Attorney-Gcneral's Office, Maj. Geor:e Lock-
teriur, aud Maj. Berry, U. s. A., with Mr. Han~
Ia, of thu Indian Bureau, US reporter, This
Commission was for tic purpose OF investigating
the alleged frauds i'll the Indian pu~
Wster 1iu @ nnst5ce had e esen aoe or essr wnesner
real abuses existed which it would he his duty
to punish and prevent"
'sHow did the Commission go to work, and
with
WHAT nEsULrs!"
'-Thc Commission examined persons aud pa
pers during The trrm Of over three months, iu
Washington, in kau$as, aud in the Indian Terri
tory. They had witnesses from every portion
Of the 1ndian d;,, county, r,as nna d'sa drom alt
am',od 1,o .}nrle nf H.. Indian n
rean and 1hc nsnar1uent of the 1ntnr,or ond
examined tic books aud papers, returns,
hIauks. and method, in 1Isc t,r The AGENTS
Sunerintcntl.nts and 1nsncc,t,rs' as vol as tn,
Burca1 itself. The cxa,ninatip1, and rennrt made
were of the most exhaustive charact.r. and
showed conclusivcly not ou1y the necessity for
such Commission and such an Investigation,
bat for the prevention and punishment OF tile
frauds pcrpctrated under previous administra-
tious''
sWhat steps we're taken to obtain these
euds?''
'sThe blanks to be used in making up ac-
counts, and the methods OF making rcturns,
also the vouchers for property and money, were
Immediately changed, and the experience gained
BY and before the Commission was made use Of
IN rev papers in order to prevent the continu--
which nave brought disgrace, not ouiy Oh tie
Department, but on the country.,
s.D1D Mr.. scurnz SEEM RI 17SnrnsrAsn THAT
.n11sps REALLY ry1sTEnW
s4>fost ossnrad1v ha d,d and mt on1r +oo,,
@ s.sps f; ~ .a r.t,ran,a,t ~ ~
put loreeo sne iet'et!Snt " .ue 1o'n1nlss11ncr
- IL thar nntnincd n 1ha annan,,ue,4 ~
6.!i,t ~ Hat IN ppoaa',4 fnI;on ~
1a 81 ;nd;a "o rn,nm;se;ouor. ,ou tI
ov1a 11a ~ ~ $780, f.e,s,,;ss;on, ho"e. - ~.
called Tue Ieace eotllsslon, ,a ncea1se o. ,n n1s
oppoeL;:uha t+ ~ W ,o,o" e1 ;@",no,,o ~ e4
n1e' VIII ,n'aIv nr rerr sn,ar;ns !;
% oe sI ia co'. u he csr,as to ia hichor
of1ircrs. ar did he Interfere with the rank auu
fIc .}sn2,'
All the clerks who we're shown, either by
the investigation already mentioned or BY tile
experience anu observation OF the new Com |
missioner, to be implicated in the previous
frauds, or in any way aiding or abetting fraud |
ulent claims. were discharged, aud the most ]
obnoxious calm-agents were deprived of access |
to the oltice''
ibid this Interference on the part of Secre- |
tary Sclurz aud the new Commissioner have |
ANYTHING to do with the sudden activity dis |
PLAYED in urging the transfer OF tue Indian |
Bureau to the War Department" I"
q That transfer is an old scheme, frequently |
urocd before, and in good faith by |
many persons who believe that 1t |
is inDossible to correct abuses well t
known to exist with ANYTHING less than the |
strong urn Of military power. Undoubtedly /
ii he movement received q great accession, both |
of strength and ACTIVITY, from the 1ncu whose
schemes we're interfcrcd with, and VINO desired
tn he rcrcnocd by dcnriynn Mr, Schnrz OF so
iorne = share ri his department, end Mr. Hayt
T.; lis of]icr as we'll as ycry large class who
5n,r jnrest;ratjou and punishment, Men acting
fro,n thosc ro,nhined motives. added to those
wh, are actinr in rood faith. have givcu the
v ~ 80 a.,9 .,a-;+;,,, ,,.F;oh II r,u,-,.r |