St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-08
DEFENSE OF CUSTER.
From the Criticisms Of One
Who Should Not Have
Disparaged Him.
The Facts Narrated by One
Who Was on the Ground
and Knows Them.
lad Custer Been Less Honest
and Honorable, He Might
Still Live.
Some Inside History That
Touches Various PPomi-
nent individuals.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
BISMARCK, Sept. IA recent COM
munication in the Minneapolis Tribune,
signed C. A. L.-Lounsberry, l pre-
sume-I read with considerable sur
prise, because of statements therein
contained and general unfriendliness
to Gen. Custer. post traders and steam
boat interests that have helped so much
to build up Bismarck, the tlourishing
city that c. A, i. used to think somuch
OF before he lost the pOstOtlce. Z. A. Il.
confines himself to the truth when he
speaks of the abuse of the Indians,
the total disregard of treaty Obll-
cations and receptions practlced on the
poor wards of the nation, but he forgot
to say that the Republican party was re-
SpOnsible for all this
VILE ABUSE OF POWER.
When c. A. l.. held the lucrative posi-
ton of postmaster in Bismarck. and was
the especial pet of the ''tmeving post
traders" as he calls them, as well as
the military officials, he was the lOudeSt-
mOuthed defender of those people whom
he now tries to cast reprOach upon.
This same correspondent asserts that
whole steamboat loads Of Indian
goods were stolen and sold to Indian
traders. who sold them tO,the Indians at
eight times their value. Why is it that
this modern example of the conscience
fund should have
HELD HIS PEACE so LONG?
He had many opportunities while
publishing paper here TO expose these
glaring frauds, but he dared not do it,aS
he held an Office under the Republican
party whom he now, as Republican
sO-called, seeks to eepOoe. There is
one thing morally ceTtain-the Demo-
cratic party had no hand i'll rObbing the
Indians.
The hardest lick, the most glaring evil
dence of c. A. LIS meanneSS, is his
sluTring reference to Custer and the
motives that prompted him to make his
last grand fatal charge.
Gen. Custer was brave and glorious
soldier and a Democrat. He was not
mOney-maker, as charged, for had he
been. there would have been no neces-
sity for the disgrace of Gen. Belknap.
True, Gen. Custer did some writing for
the press and magazines, but it was
simply to record some of his own history
on the frontier. Probably c. A. l.. re-
members the day that Gen. Custer
brought his regiment to Bismarck and
rounded up half of the leading men of
the city for being Implicated
IN THE STEALING
of government oats. Custer didn't do
this to make money. Custer didn't do
many other things while he was on the
Missouri river to make money. There
was probably no other general in the
army, or officer commanding a post, if
you please. whose record for honorable,
fair dealing challenged the admira-
ton of friend and foe so much as Custer.
He
WAS TOO HONEST
for the time, and especially to command
at Fort Lincoln when he did. His man
hood and honesty made him the enc
mics that forced on him the disgrace
that he wiped out with his life. Had
he been a time-serving man like the one
who now at this late day charges him
with being a ''restess money maker"
he might be yet alive and rich and well.
Custer had nothing but his salary to
live on when he so glOriously died,
and there are some of his enemies who
won't have even that much when they
die, unless it be miserable pension for
10 act of bravery.