New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-31
MR.. HAYT,S REMOVAL.
DOWNFALL OF A REFORM COMMISSIONER.

|
Indian Commissioner. by saying that he had
recently discovered that Mr.. Hayt had withheld
information of an important characterfrom the
Department. 1t appears, however, that during
I he entire time that Mr.. Hayt has held the
office of Commissioner, facts III regard
| to his administration of 0falrs and 10
! his personal character have been laid be-
| fore the Secretary of the Interior, which
render il q matter of regret to friends OF the
Administration that he was permitted to hold
office so long. Mr.. BarstOw, chairman OF the
| Board of Indian Commissioners explains how
he become interested in an Indian contract
from which, he SAYS, he received no pecuniary
benefit He expresses belief in Mr. Hayts in
tegrity. So y ~. 80 sgs gfi
THE sECRETARYs ACTION NOT SUDDEN.
RECENT DISCOVERY THAT He WAS WITHHOLD
IxG IMPORTANT neutrality-suspicious. conf
| PLANTS SUPPRESSED. tes -f
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRTBUNE.l
| WAsHINGToN, JAN 30.--Secrctary Schurz said TO
a correspondent of The TRIBUNE to-day that the
assumption that he had been led to take summary
| ac,lon in the case of Commissioner Hayt by reason
of statements made yesterday byGeneral Ham
mbnd was entirely without foundation. He said
that on day before Yesterday lie became convinced
that Mr. Ilayt had 0ccn Withholding from him in
formation OF an important character which ought
to have been laid before him. aud this was an ull-
pardonabe offence. Mr.. SchuIz was asked What
this information rca ed to. aDd replied that he dld
not think IT proper TO make it public. at least until
| after the committee of Indian Commissioners had
6pished their report He added that. he made
more detailed statement TO Representative of The
Freping star which would appear this evening.
/ OF emf fnl
The letter addressed 10 the Commissioner was in
endsd pr ucp y to emphasize the refusal TO accept
resignation usual form. a. offered ana accepted IN
ordinary casts III was drafted IN lhe presence o 'nc
President FOR tho purpose stated ana also 20 sgnilyto
aiiar- until the confirmation OF his successor was not
d, sired. There no Intention 10 assume ANY olths
bfaffssc' One aet ''''' '''''0 - ''' ~ w 80
Tie Indian Bureau is temporarily in charge of the
! Chief Clerk Of the Bureau Acting Commissioner,
and there is reason to believe that it viii be quite
as difficult 10 find a suitable man to fill the vacant
| Conmissionershp IA it was to find a suitable man
| for the English Russian Mission. A member. of
| the Board of Indian Commissioners recently said to
Il correspondent of THE TRrDUSE:'". would not
recolnmend any friend OF mine to the position. II
the Commissoner does right the -lndian King and
all whom they can Influence abuse him, and work
to secure his removal ;.whils il lie does wrong we
the Board of Indan Commissionersl go for his
scalpP @-tst-, 80 - Ns.
officials in the Interior Department, both among
the late subordlnates- of Commissioner Hayt and
| those IN other Bureaus express the belief that Mr.
Iavts ion was at least honest so far
| as the affairs of the Government were concerned !;
bnt they attribute Mr. Hayts msfortunes in great
measure to his unfortunate manner Of dealing with
lcontractors and with Others who had business with
him-amanner which usually made enemies Of people
whose good will it would have been desirable to re-
tain. Outside the Department. however, there is a
remarkable uDanimty of opinion that Mr. Hayt
| was not in any respect the right man for the post
rion which he held The matter was not referred
10 IN the Cabinet meeting to-day, except informally
by Secretary Schurz, who somewhat facetously
asked his associates to help him to find good man.
| Several of the Cabinet officials thought they knew
OF good men for the place, but expressed doubts as
! TO whether they would accept. or would meet the
| views of ths Secretary OF the Interior
Many of the best friends of the Administration
are q good deal annoyed that discrcdit should have
| been brought upon IL by the retention IN office for
| so long a time of such a man as the late Commits
soner of Indian Affairs. aud by the final necessity
for his summary removal. 1t is no secret IN WASH
| iucton that the President consented with very
| great reluctance TO the removal of MIR.
| Hayts predecessor. Mr.. John O. Smith, and that he
! never was convinced of its wisdom; but Secretary
| Schurz woud not on any condition consent to his
retention. He was determined to reform" the ln-
dian service and must be allowed To choose
his own assistants TO carry out the policy
| te had marked out for himself. When
! the President asked the Secretary OF the
Interior whom he should appoint, tho latter Is re-
ported TO have replied that he had long had man
| m mind and mentioned Mr.. llayt. The President
| then appointed him without questions, and his
friends say that at the time he knew httlc or moth
| iug bout the man. aud was not even aware that
he had been removed from the Board of
Indian commissioners by General Grant at the re-
quest of Secretary Chandler for his meddlesome-
ness
Within three days after Mr. Hayts appoint
| ment tho President began to receive letters
| and personal visits from gentlemen OF the
! highest character and influence, telling him
Of Mr.. Hayt's crooked performances and
of acts that disqualified him for so responsible
position as that of the head of the Indian Bureau
and not week has passed during the last two years
IN which one or more communications have not
| been received on the subject. These did not
come from irresponsible persons who. because
| they had been removed from office or had
had misunderstandi " ith Mr.. Hayt. were preJu-
diced against him. but the majority of them were
from disn.ercsted persons. whose only ODJect was
to put the President on his guard against Il oad
man. prevent the public service from INJURY ana the
| Administration from scandal.
Whenever the President spoke to Secretary
Schurz about these maters the latterafter consult
alton with Mr.. Hayt, always had an excuse ready,
and frcm the first to the last always defended
| the Commissioner against every accusation
| which was brought against him. General
schurZs confidence in Mr.. llayt seems almost
| TO have amounted to an lhiatuaton.
This was somewhat natural, he having insisted on
the removal of Mr.. j. O. Smith, iii spite OF the re-
monstrances of the President and of almost
every one outside of a small ring that sur
ronnded the Secretary of the Interior lie apparently
| oouId md inlnrnfn the inGa OF The HUMILIATION