National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-31
THE HAYT COMPLICATIONS.
A General Stirring Up of the Indian
Service.
Chairman Barstow Makes an Explanation
His Efforts TO Befriend the Indians I'm
Rppreciated-Oniy Ono of Four
Tenders Accepted - Further
OF Mr.. Hayts Dismissal
The Ute Outbreak.
An Explanation from Chairman Barstow.

PROVIDENCE, IL. L., Jan. oU-nOn. n, ".
Barstow, chairman of the Indian Commission,
having been questioned concerning certain
dispatches from Washington declaring that he
had obtained Government contracts for sup
plies undor an assumed name in an Irregular
manner, &c. explains to the Journal the in
variable mode of making contracts through
sealed bids, publicly opened, the award boing
made by board of ten men or purchasing
committee Of five men acting with the Secre.
tary OF the Interior, Commissioner of Indian
Affairs or representatives OF those officers. hIr.
Barstow says: II nm q stakeholder in at least
seven corporations most Of which sell their
wares In every part of the land. l saw the
wares Of at least -four Of these corporations Of
fcred by their customers In cOmpUtitiontlast
April, but only one of the offerings was ac-
Cepted, and that one because, In the judgment
OF the professional inspector of this class of
wares (whom l do not know and never saw,
as well as of the purchasing committee of the
Board of Indian Commissioners and Of the
Department, the wares were best and cheapest.
never sat as judge in any case in which |
bad the most remote personal interest, nor
had l any real pccuniary interest in this
small contract thus obtained by the selling
agent of the corporation. When the SELL
ing agent in New York and others of this
corporation decided to put in bid for stores
objected on the ground that wanted nothing
TO do with Government contracts. When the
matter was further pressed, l finally con-
sented, providing the wares were offered at
cost by tho last inventory. tho object being to
furnish employment to mon during Il period
oflabor depression"
Mr.. Barstow desires II understood, First
That this thing was not done in q corner. 1t
was open and square and manly. All the in-
terest bo had In the matter was known 10 the
committeo-the slightest interest possible.
Second-That the wares stood upon their
own merit; that the award was made on tho
recommendation of an expert inspector whom
ho never knew, saw or conferred with. di-
rGctly or indirectly, and by tho purchasing
committee, of which General Fisk was ono,
and with which he did not act in this award
or this class of awards.
Third-That the Government got wares
nice enough for the White House at less prices
than very much inferior goods were ever
bought BY 1t or offered to it.
Fourth-That whic tho Government has
been well served ho has not received any
pccunary advantage from any contract
with 1t.
Fiftli-That if he erred in consenting to a
bid being made by the selling agent of cor.
poration in which he Is n stockholder, it was
from patriotic feeling rather than from dc.
sire or expectation of the pecuniary gain.
Concerning Mr.. Hayt, Mr.. Barstow says
81 havo shared with the Secretary of the In.
torior and other men who have known him
louges than the Secretary, full confidence in
Mr.. Hayt's honesty. Whatever faults ho had
i had seen nothing to lead NE to doubt his
integrity. l was not willing to hang him on
suspicion, but l am willing to judge and con.
denim any man OH proof of guilt. If there
has boon any proof of that laid before the
committee, 1t has boon done since / left
Washington. OF this have no information
except what see in the newspapers"
Commissioning Hayrs Dismissal.
The removal of Commissioner Hayt and
the story of the dishonest mismanagement OF
Indian affairs, as told by THE NATIONAL RE.
PUBLICAN yesterday morning, was the prin.
Opal topic of conversation throughout the
city yesterday. At the Interior Department
there was u great deal Of gossip, and Sccre-
tary Schurz gave out without denying the
truth of the article, that he had removed
Commissioner Hayt before General Ham
mond's confession had been made known to
him, and that the action of the committee
investigating the conduct of the Indian Office
had nothing to do with the Commissioner
removal. There was no attempt to dony
that Mr. Hnyt had been engaged in the
crooked transactions charged. Indeed, it was
said that there was already evidence in the
hands of the committee affecting the official
character of other officers of the Interior De-
partment, and that the report Of the commit
tee would be followed by number of dis
missals
1t was denied yesterday, with something
like show of feeling, that Major Lockwood
the chief clerk, had been placed in charge OF
the ludan Bureau. Whether he has been in
any way connected with the crook edness OF
his friend, Mr.. lIayt, has not transpred, but
his name has been connected more or less
prominently with the Indian management OF
mismanagemcnt, probably for the reason that
he and the disgraccd Commissioner were upon
such Intimate terms.
Some mistakes occurred in the article in
THR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN of yesterday
nOruing, of which the Secretary complains
They were OCCasioned by the statement of the
gentleman who furnished the information that
The Secretary was present when General Ham.
mond made his confession. He explains that
he meant the secretary of the Indian Commits
soner, and not the Secretary of the Interior
The mistake about Major Lockwood being
placed in charge of tho ludian Office arose by
misunderstanding the statement of the in
Gormaut that the chief clerk had been placed
In charge, meaning the chief clerk Of the In.
dian Office
The haste of Secretary schurz to declare
that the charges preferred by General Fisk
aud the action of the committee had nothing
TO do with Commissioner HayGs removal, Is
regarded as an effort on his part to rob Gen
erl Fisk of the credit which is duo him for
having pushed tho prosecution of his charges
to a successful conclusion, Notwithstanding the
constant and persistent efforts of the Interior
Department officials 70 throw cold water upon
the inquiry. Secretary Schurz is said to have
declared yesterday that virtually General
Fisk Was entitled to no credit for what had
boen accomplished. General Fisk, however
takes a different view OF it, and said last night
that he regarded the removal of the Commits
siouer as personal triumph General Ham,
mond was still very i'll last night, but reiter.
Rted the main points of his Oniession, aud said
that as soon as he was able he would make q
statement giving in detail the inside opera
Ations Of Commissioner Hayt, himself and
other Department officials. What the tenure
Of these revelations are to be, could not bo oh.
lained, but IL is intimated that they will make
very interesting reading when they are
printed. 1t Is more than probable that the
present Developments will result in tho trans.
for of the Indian Bureau to the War Depart
ment
The present investigation Of the Indian
Bureau cannot, of course, amount to much, as
tho committee have no authority to admins,
lei oaths OF compel the production of papers
or tho attendance of witnesses. resolution
will, therefore, bo offered in the House early
neXt week providing for an Investigation ol
the Indian management during Commissioner
Hayt's term OF Office by committee of Con
gress.
A coNGREssAIAN's VIEW or THE AFFAIR,
These new developments Ia our Indian man
Rgement having created so much interest, rHE
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, commissioner sought