Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-31

Saturday Morning, Jan. 81, 1880.
THE UNMAsK7NG, OF HaYT.

THE UNMASKINGs OF HAYT.
 MT. T. H. Tibbles, who has so heartily and
 judiciously pleaded the cause of the Ponca
 Indians, was, by the course of events, forced
 to be more of reformer than he perhaps
 originally intended. He has been vindictively
 pursued by ex-Indian Commissioner Hayt
 and his agents, and in order to yindicete him.
 self felt compelled to do what he could to
 bring the truth to light, and it is said that it is largely owing to his patient and skillful eff forts that MT. Hayt no longer holds the office
 which he disgraced. MT. Tibbles deserves the thanks of the country both for his humane work in behalf of the Poncas and his efforts
 to unmask the rascality of his enemies in the Indian bureau.
 The reason given by Secretary Schurz for MT. Hayt's removal is that he has withheld important information from him, and thus de- ceived him in regard to certain important af- fairs of the department The Secretary has evidently had great deal of confidence in Mir, Hsyt, for only two weeks ago, when the Now York Times criticised his (Hayt's) con- duct, Secretary Schurz came to his defense, and among other things explained that Mir. Hayt's course could not be otherwise than honorable, ssas he was @ man of means to whom the salary attached to the office of In dian Commissioner was no object" The Sec retary has reason to feel the modification which is reported to have disturbed him since he discovered how he has been deceived Dur ing the period he has been trusting MT. Hayt, that gentleman and his agents have apparent ly been industriously engaged in proving themselves unworthy of trust. Hammond, late Indian Inspector, has confessed that he was accessory to the schemes of Mir. Hayt, not driving from the Indian service honest agents by false accusations. It is known that MT. Eayt publicly announced that legal proceed ings had been instituted against an employe Of the Indian bureau in Arizona, when, in fact, no such proceedings were begun until after this declaration was made public, and after the charges against the man had been openly preferred by Commissioner Fisk. In other words, Mir. Hayt, referring to the allegations against Agent Hart, said that he had already considered the matter and had set on foot legal process against him. Not only was this not true, but the charges referred to had not been brought to the no tice of the Secretary of the Interior These and other revelations lend point to a letter said to have been received by Congressman from a prominent Friend, in which, after source for evidence that he thinks will put MT. Hayt in Ca very tight place, he concludes very dryly: ''Thse is a personal friend of the President, and if he knew one-half of Hayt's corruption he would have him bounced at once"
 It is perhaps fortunate that somebody out side the Board of Indian Commissioners has been interested in exposing Mir. Hayt, for with the exception of General 0. B. Fisk, the of the Board did not seem much in clined to push matters. When General Fisk first announced that he would press charges the Board begged him not to create ''anoth- er Indian scandal" and an article in the Providence Journal, supposed to have been inspired by A. c. Barstow, president of the Board, contained the following: "We are at liberty to say upon the best authority, that the Board of Indian Commissioners feel deep- ly to regret that any one of their number has committed them through the public press to any such extra official labor or responsibility. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs is the head of the bureau in the Interior department. He is not an appointee of the Board of Indian Commissioners, nor in any sense accountable to it or subject to it's control. Neither the laws under which the Board of Indian Com nissioners is organized, nor it's rules of or der, nor its past practice authorize or would justify it in entering upon any such examina- tion." MT. Barstow's reluctance to have an investigation seems to have had good foun- dation, for he wrote Thursday to General Fisk acknowledging that he had himself, un- der the name of Anthony Hotchkiss, held contract for supplying stores to the Indians, and this although it is part of his duty to supervise contracts for Indian supplies. Mir. Barstow, it is said, excuses the transaction by saying that the stores are manufactured by a corporation, of which he is only one member
 Now that Secretary Schurz has been con- vinced that MT. Hayt has grossly deceived him, lis probable that he will not be easily taken in again, and that he will do all he can to repair the wrong done to the Indians by him. Meanwhile it is to be hoped that all those connected with Hayt in his schemes will be exposed and condemned.