Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-31
SENATOR MANpERsoN.s ACCUSATION.
Did the Indian Bureau Insist Upon Feed
ing to the Indians Rancid Measf


ing to the Indians Rancid Meass
An ARMy OFFICER ACTING A. An AGENT DR.
cLrNEs TO ACCEPT BACON WHICH HE CONSIDERS
rSFrT FOR USE, ALTHouoH ORDERED TO DO 80 1
III THE INDIAN ooxxIssioSkR-As INTKRrsr-
mo DEBArE.
An accusation was made In the Senate
yesterday, which cannot fail to attract \
national attention Senator Henderson charged |
the Indian Office with trying 10 compel 4
the agent at Pine Ridge to accept and issue |
to Indians 10000 pounds Of bacon which |
the agent insisted was UNFIT for food
The Indian appropriation bill was under con- |
sideration aud the proviso which directs the
President to appoint army officers as Indian
agents whenever vacancies in the civil force
should occur was being discussed.
AGAINST MILITARY AGENTS
Senator Pettigrew argued at some length In
opposition to the military agents. claiming
that their training was not such as 10 make
them desirable for the positions in which an
Ell Tort was now being made TO place them.
The Sioux did not need to be taught the art
of war, for they possessed higher knowledge
of that than did the army; the Sioux had never
been defeated. Said the Senator: The battle
of Wounded Knee, year ago last winter, was a
and 1 firmly believe that If Gen. Miles. with his
5000 men. had engaged the Sioux without gatling
guns the Sioux would have defeated him. There
was no The Sioux Indians passed by
settler after settler. telling them not 10 be dis
turbed; they would not attack or murder them
take their property; they were going to
fight the soldiers; that they had always whipped
them, and that they were going to do it again.
and when they came in they came in
in battle array and retained their arms. Gen.
raA Ia. .lsArs
murdered i40 of the Indians at Wounded Knee.
That is the only victory that can be recorded
in favor of the army over the Sioux. There
fore l say you do not need TO teach the Indians
the art of war"
Senator Pettigrew then put in evidence a
letter from Commissioner Morgan, in which
that official laid stress the increased cost of
the service should army officers be appointed
agents. Officers would insist upon better
quarters. better equipments, better clothing
and increased ratIons. Attention was also
directed TO the fact that military agents would
not be under a bond.
In concluding his speech Senator Pettigrew
said he had come to believe that the movement
In favor OF army officers for agents was the last
effort to maintain the tribal and reservation
system.
THE ARMY DEFENDED.
Senstor Proctor defended the army and in
sisted that had there been military instead Of
have been a Sioux campaign in the winter Of
lS90'3l. After reading extracts from
the departmental correspondence of the
| agent referred TO DIR. Royer) Senator
Proctor said it very evident
| that the agent needed a reinforcement Of ex-
every army officer has. The change proposed
| would certainly be beneficial to the indian
| service.
Senator Hawley eulogized the business ca
pacity OF the army oitcer, and SAID When
ever the civilian agents of the government,
whether mere Indian agents or others of a
higher class, Numbered about it. cheated
| the Indian, or. not understanding him,
| did him injustice in any Of hundred
ways, and there was row In conse-
| quence, a little fight and bigger one coming
on, the army officer and tine army are sent
forth to crush this down, and then the army
officer who saw the folly that led to the war Ii
put to one side and an incompetent agent,
perhaps from Connecticut, or Massachusetts,
or somewhere, who never saw An Indian be-
fore, is put in charge of the agency.
Il believe that the Indian agent was largely
responsible for the Pine Ridge disturban
The Indians were stricken by panic, by what
| in my judgment, Il treated by wise old fellow
in the army, wonid have been nothing Of any
consequence. The officials saw Indians engag
! ing in wild dance without having their
arctics upon their feet and Immediately they
| They exhibited timidity in the face of the In.
dams. and that is enough for the Indian; be
likes then to tri1e with timid man, and make
fun OF him, and scare him. So there grew up 9
mutual evaporation"
An illustrious example of the ability Of the
army officer to deal with the Indian question
was afforded by the action of Gen. Grant, who
while President, called upon the religious
bodies of the country to assist in improving
the condition of the Indian.
Then Senator Henderson had something {,
say, and after stating that many Indian agents
inspectors and contractors had amassed for
tunes upon meager salaries, he went on: 9Th,
| army officer occupies a very different position
from the civilian appoirtee. The man appointed
from civil life. whether by politica. interest or
| influence or by the action of some relig
ious denomination, goes to the performance o
his duty realizing that there is a hmis. ant
sometimes very brief limit, to his tin fol-
1 filling the place. He is subject to the order Of
| the commissioner Of Indian affairs and ID,
period of his official life depends largely upoy
| him. If he mal0s himself in the least degree
| uupalatable to his chief, if he runs counter Il
his wishes. he is very apt to be displaced, anc
some one else who, perhaps. may be more fiex
ible, more easily controlled, is sent to ia,
| agency in his stead. His occupation is g.ne
The army officer realizes that with him there Il
a very different and a much bettef condi
| tlon. he goes to the Indian ageAcy Tor thu
performance of duty to which he is regularly
detailed. If he makes himself objectionabl,
to the powers that be it is true that IA,
can be relieved from tie Performance,
| of that duty, bu. ne simply goe
! to the performance of some Other
perhaps far more palatable to hin
| and in the line Of his profession. The result
| of this is that he becomes a more independent.
a more self-reliant agent of the government
and is a more careful guardian Of the rights o.
| the Indians themselves"
| DIRECT CHARGE.
Senator Henderson said that when Senator
Pettigrew and he visited Pine Ridge agenc,
last fall they found Capt Chas. q. Penney o.
the army in charge. The Indians were en-
| thusiastic in their praise Of him.
'Iu the performance of his duty" said the
Senator, lit became necessary for him in the
month Of October, 1891, to make an inspection
of the bacon supply for that agency for the
year ls9l-92 j. o. Armour Of the city Of
Chicago had the contract to furnish 100 O0(
| pounds of bacon for the use of the Indians al
Pine Ridge agency.
1.-The advertisement and the contract described
| excellent marketable bacon. / think, perhaps
| if one could read the advertisement or the
contract under which the pork was to be de-
livered ones mouth would water for taste
| of the delicious meats hat we're 10 be fur
| nished to these Indians. The l20, 900 pounds
| Of bacon. came TO the-agencv, and on Novem-
Der z. 1891. Capt Penney. the acting United
States Indian agent, wrote to the commissioner
| of Indian affairs:
| ".I have the honor to inform Won that there