Tombstone weekly epitaph., 1882-12-02
A NEW DEAL.


 The Exchange, under the editor ship of Dan O'Connell, is one of the brightest papers on the coast; but there is much that is good in it, be- sides its wit. In late issue it deals with the Indian question in Arizona, in the following sensible style:
 At last the War Department has recog- nized the fact that there is none in the service so we'll qualified to deal with the Apaches as General Crook. Under his administration, Indian affairs will proceed evenly, and those oit-recurring outbreaks be thing of the past. General Crook understands the management of those Indians. He has proved to the satisfaction of the people in this country that he did. He divided the Apaches into three sections, and encouraged them to industry. They planted corn, hay and vegetables, and the troops purchased all they could raise, to the intense satisfaction of these savage asriculturiss. At the same time the General kept one section watching the other with jealous eyes, and induced them to believe that If one tribe misbehaved they would bring the other to chastise them. They were mustered twice q week, and ifthere was man missing he had to be accounted for, or the whole tribe suffered. Then rations were issued under | military supervision, and the Indian Agents had no chance to steal dollar This was the condition of Fort Apache, in "A and '75. But the vast ring of corruption and swindling in the Indian department could not long endure this. Indian agencies ceased to be bonanzas in the Apache coun- try so long as the military controlled the issuance of rations Therefore the mlll- tary ceased to control the agencies, and the Apaches were massed together at San Carlos, while the troops moved 40 miles away. Once together, those tribes aftili- ated, saw they had common cause against the whites, and planned, and carried out the instructions that have since taken place.
 There is lot of money to be made out of these Indian agencies. It is the biggest thing in the gift of the government for making a pile in short time. The method in which Uncle Sam is swlndled is so simple that mere child could go into the business and make as large a profit as veteran agent. The Indian agent carries passes 10 the men to hunt, and lets them off for weeks together. But their rations are issued, on paper, however, just the same, and the money goes into the agents pocket. And this when beef is about five cents on the hoof, and flour from six to seven cents per pound with coffee and sugar proporti )n. ately high An Indians daily al | lowance is twenty two ounces of beef, one poInd of flour, sugar, etc., and when Uncle Sam pays for this, whether the Indian eats it or not, no wonder the agent is happy. When band of lean So- nora steers are driven into the agency they are corraled and the averaging system is d. This means that a decayed, con- sumptive- looking beast, which may weigh about 300 pounds, will be charged to the government at GOO pounds, and the differ ence of couse goes into the agents pocket. | This is how an agent on salary of Sl3O a month can wear large solitaire diamonds and drive a four.in-hand through the streets of Tucson. Once every few months an inspector arrives at the agency, and | then everything IS nice and smooth and business-like. Nothing i, too good for the visiting officer. He is shown 3 tex good Indians, as d, ssfn1piie lot, and the agent l -risfkes -rfiisakes it so pleasant for him that he pre- sents d tlatering report to the department of the satisfactory condition of the agency. The Arizona agent can always afford to have d newspaper at his back to abuse the troops, so the Apachcs may not again be placed under military jurisdiction. But it is to the Indian agents that all the Apache trouble can be traced, ana until they are rooted out of the country, or the Apaches disappear, the territory can hope for no cessation to iHsurrection and mas Sacrc,