Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-05-29
McQillicuddy's Removal.

very pointed, not to say cutting remarks
in his letter to the Indian Commits.
sioner, which we clip from the Omaha
Bee of the Goth:
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, Oak, April q,
1SS6.-Hon. j. ID. G. Atkins, Commits
sioner Of Indian Affairs-Sir: ] have
the honor to address the following in
connection with your letter of the 2lst
inst. and my telegram Of the 9th inst.
in relation to the appointment of a clerk
by your Office for this agency.
The present incumbent, Mr.. Brown,
has been in this agency's employ for
five years in different grades, and is ex-
perieuced in every branch of the serv-
ice, and has in addition what so many
clerks lack. excellent executive and adj
ministrative ability. much more in fact
than many Of your Indian agents, and
could to-day discount many of them in
handling an agency, and in addition has
always been a consistent democrat, and
not Of the stripe of many who held posi-
tions under the old administration and
have at a late day, rs a question of bread
and butter, discovered the error of their
ways and turned democrat.
If to displace such a man without
charges is in the line Of the much
Wanted civil service reform, then such
reform is truly a farce and l would
protest against being a party to it.
If, as / understand it, the avowed in
tention of your Office in appointing
agents clerks is to have them act as
spies over the agents, then l must con
graduate the Indian service on its agents
and clerks in the future, for an agent
that will suffer such an imposition will
be either a man 80 incapable of making
a living as to fear to trust himself in or
binary business on his own account, or
n who is making enough money irreg-
ularly out of his position to compensate
for his loss and self-respect, and com
ment on a clerk who would accept such
a position is entirely Unnecessary.
/ would invite your attention to the
fact that none of the agents, superiors,
commissioner or secretary, are bonded,
neither are the agents subordinates,
clerk appointed by you, etc.
The agent alone is bonded for the
faithful performance Of his duty, and
the proper care, issue of the property,
and disbursement of the funds that come
into his hands by virtue of his position,
and under no circumstances can it be
otherwise than unbusiness-li like and un-
official for your office to attempt to ap-
point the clerk for that agent and force
the agent to turn the care Of the prop
erty and funds for which he is response
BILE over to an unbonded clerk, a stranger
to the agent.
Under no office or department. Of the
government is such a policy known of,
and justice to my bondsmen and self
will not permit in my case my bonds
men vouch for me, and not for an un-
: known and irresponsible clerk of some
one else's selection. Regretting that
after twenty years continuous service
under the government it became nee
essary for me to act in a seemingly i'm
subordinate manner and requesting the
department to decide what action they
will take in the matter. l am,
Very respectfully,
V. II. McGuLICUDDY,
United States Indian Agent.
The above was accompanied by the
following letter of transmittal to the
Bee:
UNITED STATES INDIAN SERVICE, PINE
RIDGE AGENCY, Oak, May 20, lSS6.-[To
the Editor.]- il notice the Hon. Com
missioner Atkins does not give to the
press my detail letter Of reason of April
u, and as the same may prove interest
ing to people who believe "a public
Office is a public trust" ETC., l inclose it
for publication.
1 presume that it stirred the Indian
Office up.
A short time ago they sent Captain
Lee, U. S. A., in charge Of Cheyenne
and Arapahoe agency, Indian territory,
a new clerk. Lee wired General Sheri.
dan at once that if they insisted on
placing the clerk on duty he would re-
quest to be relieved and sent back to his
regiment. The Indian office backed
down. Why did they not insist?
l see your special Of the 18th stated
that Atkins says Clerk Brown was dis.
charged for the reason that he applied
for alicense to trade. That statement is
false. Clerk Brown has never applied
for license to trade, directly or Indirect
ly, and the statement is a very lame at
tempt at justification for the arbitrary
act of the Indian office in causing INV
suspension.
In the same special they state that
Senator Dawes wired me advice to &C. !
cept the clerk. l have received no ad-
vice whatever from Senator Dawes.
Now for consistency. Clerk Brown is
still clerk and on duty. He was urged
to remain by Inspector Bannister and
Captain He'll on the grounds of his un.
questioned ability and record. Mr..