Morning journal and courier., 1884-12-01
Monday, December I, 1884.
IMPROVING THE RED MEN.
Hints As TO How The Rights Associ-

Hints As TO HOW AAe MASMss AssVcA- atIon Helps Them Forward. An interesting illustration of the practical and active fashion in which the Indian Rights association assists the Indian at home may be gathered from the following extracts of letter by Secretary Welsh, dated Novem- Der 18th:
 called on MT. Teller regarding the cloth ing and blankets for the Chiracahua Indians which were asked for by General Crook These Indians prisoners of war under General Crooks care by the provisions of an agreement between the departments of the Interior and of War. Mr. Teller stated that thing to do with these Indians as the Apaches were prisoners of war; he thought it was clearly within the authority of the War de partment to give them what was necessary and advised us to see Mr. Lincoln on the sub ject. spoke of the terrible condition of the Pegan Indians during the past winter, and he promptly admitted their wretched pover- ty, but said that the fault clearly lay with Congress, which had refused to make the ap- propriation asked for by his department. suggested his requesting that few lines be devoted to this subject in the Presidents
 message, but he did not seem inclined to this course, seeming, I thought, disgusted with the niggardly action of Congress.
 i Leaving his office, we immediately called
 on Secretary Lincoln, stating the case sub
 stantially to him as we had done to Mir. Tel
 Ter. MT. Lincoln expressed the fullest con- idence in Gen. Crooks management of the
 L.T1 -f
 was obliged to make in the positions of other officers in order to keep him in Arizona. He seemed much interested in our accounts of the progress made by the Apaches, but had not heard of any request for clothing for them. He thereupon called Gen. Drum and asked him to find if any such applica- tion had been made. Gen. Drum discovered that it had come in form of reQuisition up- on the War department, which had been re- ferred to the Interior for annuity goods from which to furnish the needed clothing. MT. Lincoln advised us to see when the issue of annuity goods had been or would be made by inquiry from the Indian commissioner, and added his own warm approval of General Crooks request intimating that if it had not already been complied with by the Interior department he would see that the want was relieved.
 We then visited Mr. Price, who told us that Crooks requisition had been received and acted upon and that an order had been issued to the Indian agent at San Carlos directing him to issue the clothing to the Chiracahuas as to other Indians in the next issue Of annuity goods. From the financial department of the Indian office we found that these instruc- tions had been sent to Agent Wilcox under date of Oct 7th.
 We then returned to the Secretary of War and from what MT. Lincoln said I think there can be no doubt now that the subject of our visit is gained. In a call upon the President we had the satisfaction of exciting his attentive interest in the woes of the Piegans, and upon hearing my suggestion that word on the subject might be put in the message, promised to consider this care fully and confer with the Secretary of the Interior upon it.
 The result of these interviews I conclude to be most satisfactory. We have unearthed all the facts and leave with the assurance that our influence has not been unfeIt. We have made statement as to the sufferings of the Piegans based on facts in Professor Painters letter, the truth of which seems to be fully admitted by Commissioner Price and at least partly by Mir. Teller. It is on record that the three highest executive off cers before whom the matter could be put
 have had their attention called to these In
 dian needs and wrongs by our soeietv-