Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-02


has to contend with H. the system of doing
agent is At the mercy Of the
and owing to the irregularity Of
supplying the agency, is often compelled 10
receive supplies that are not up TO the re-
quirements of the contract. He then pro-
ceeds 70 show .that 10 opposition to his rec
the beef contractor, TO- save
taking care Of the herds, had succeeded in
a supplemental contract at WASH
ington to deliver all the beef by the middle
Of December, 1877, on the Missouri river,
and the agent was to slaughter snd freeze it.
Lee protested thh he had
40 facilities for preserving the beef
that it the winter happened to be an open /
one, it w.,uid be a total loss. .ssnd finally |
was authorized to hold the herd during the
winter. lie then proceeds to view the sys. |
TEN Of management nt, and shows that while |
the head Of the bureau may do his best, the |
corruptions that have occurred will uD-
Quest!"oablv Occd, again, and can only be
rem died Oy more business like system
In this connection, Gen. Sheridan calls
attention to the correspondence from Lieut..
Dougherty. acting agent at Brule, relative
to the attempt to force npon taat officer etn-
ployes Of bad character, and to the loose and
criminal manner in which Indian goods are
shipped without bills Of lading or invoices.
He then expressly invites the atte, tion Of
Gen. Sherman to the reports from Standing
Rock agency while under the management
Of Agents Burke and Hughes. Then asks
him to look at the reports from the Man
dams, Arickarees, Gros Ventrea, Assina-
boines. Piegans and Crows, in Montana.
At The latter agency fraud has been rampant.
Then asks him to look at the reports from
the Shoshones, Bannacks, Northern and
Sou,h.ra Cheyennnes, Arapahoes, Kiowas
and Commanches, Utes and Southern
Apaches-asks who they have gone to war
or been hostile and turbulent for the last six
or seven years, and saws, because Of insufi-
cheney of food, irregularity in its supply, and
broken promises. and encloses mass Of
brief .eports from officers of the amy and
others, that substantia,e tins view.
Gen. Sheridan says the present commits.
sioner is doubtless honest, as others we're be
fore him. but, with all precautions Of hon
esty, that the system and manner of accoun-
liability are too loose for the government Of
people Of such primitive habits as the Ia-
dians, and in this view is sustained by ex-
tracts which he gives from reports to the
board Of Indian commissioners, as we'll to
the commissioner Of Indian affairs.
Then, with all these facts in possession Of
the Indian bureau, what could have been
the object of Secretary Schurz in challeng
ing tile conclusions in hi, annual report,
aud giving his letter to the public before it
had been sent to the secretary Of war, to
whom it was addressed? Surely the officers
who guard the agencies, and who are held
reponaible for lives and property on the
frontier, should have right to report the
causes Of trouble without the danger Of be-
ing lectured into silence by the secretary Of
the interior. &
Gen. Sherman then proceeds to give q
history of the removal Of Red Cloud and
Spotted Tail agencies from the Missouri riv-
er, and says that tn, secretary again puts
words in his mouth. The treaty Of the Black
Hills, which was ratified by congress,r ,requir-
ed these Indians to 60 (and the commits
sioners who made it, say they were willing
to go) to the Missouri river. where land 9
we're better and supplies cheaper, and quotes
from Indian Inspector Hammond, to show
the lands are good, and gives telegram
from Gen. Crook, who Was 30 freely referred
to BY the secretary, to show that he was the
officer who originally proposed to send them
to the Missouri river, and that afterwards, in
conversation with Crook, it was arranged
with him how they were to be moved; thai
subsequently change Of front occurred Or
the part Of the Indians, and then Crooh
changed his mind. Now, how did this oc
cur? II, say $4,000 Indians went to the
Missouri river, their supplies would take q
new line Of direction, the Union Pacific rail
road wonld cease to be the base, all the con
tractors for hauling from Sidney and Chey
enue would lose their business, the Indian
traders would lose heavily in expenses ii
moving and building new quarters, and thu
profitable trade arising from the nomadic
life ofthe Indians would c. ase, and that los
would he disag.eeable. and the removal,
permanent, would do away with Camps sher
idan auA Z ,binson, and forts L,rAime an,
Feterman, and consequently even the mill
tary post traders would be disturbed. Blu
the law required the removal, and no re
course was left but to work up dissati,
} faction among thedudians, and the delega
ton Of Indians 10 Washington resulted fror
that dissatisfaction. Gen. Sheridan says hi
annual report expressed regret at what ha
happened in reference to these Indians, an
he utterly disclaims having criticised tht
, action ef the president. saying the latte
vi L.