Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23

fying trade mark on any articles or packages
This fact. in connection with the exceeding
low grade of all the contents Of this ware
mouse, was to us strong evidence that
these goods were made upon special contracts
and were products with which the respective
manufacturers did not care to be identified
Assuming that the government contracted and
paid Tor reasonable quality, the responsibility
| OF these grievous frauds upon the Indians
should be fixed with certainty and their recur-
renee made impossible. The Indians are prac-
tically remediless. and it is difficult to see how
the work Of civilization can progress in the
! face Of wrongs which among our own people
| would be intolerabie.
| Commissioner-The above are grave charges
against all officially connected with the Indian
bureau for n number of years, and should not
| have been made without positive evidence. This
| matter is under investigation and will be the
| subject OF future communication. | desire,
| however. to say that cannot understand what
clothing or other annuity goods the commits
sion examined while at Pine Ridge. The au-
| nual issue was made last winter. and the
| Indians. as usual complained that the quantity
. issued was not sufficient. / therefore do not
understand what footgear, blankets. piece
goods, &c, the commission examined in the
ware house. However, i may state positively
| that while some of the articles purchased were
OF poor quality, owing to the insufficient APP
preparation made by Congress for the purchase
OF clothing, no fraud, such is
charged by the commission, was prac-
tced, SO far as | know, i'll the delivery OF the
goods. They were thoroughly inspected by
competent inspectors appointed by this office,
whose integrity il, as far this office knows,
unquestIonable. 1t is well known in New York,
where the majority of the clothing. dry goods,
de-. are delivered. and can be substantiated by
competent evidence. that the Indian bureau
makes its purchases of the above articles at
lower prices than the Wholesale merchants.
Charges of fraud. such as are made by the
commission. should not be made except upon
the best evidence.
WOODEN CLOTHING.
Commission-Every male over fourteen
years is entitledannually to lone suit of good
substantial wooden clothing &c. After dill
gent inquiry we were unable to ascertain that
any such clothing had been issued to the Sioux
lndiansduring the last ten years The outfit
givenin lieu thereof is n suit of ten-ounce brown
cotton duck, worth on expert opinion not
more than Sl.50 by the thousand suits, devoid
of appearance, warmth and durability, and
unfit for the use contemplated. At times this
material seems to have been changed to a poor
quality of jeans. The hat Is hardly more than
an apology, while the flannel shirt is tiimsy
and unsubstantial, both in material and make
up. The hosiery is rough and coarse and nom
protective against the driving storms of sharp
slllclc sand SO common In South Dakota. We
saw no annuity hose in use except by few
school children. The Indians generally as
matter of comfort clothe their limbs with
closely woven fabrics when the same is obtain
able.
Commissioner commission, instead OF
stating that every male over fourteen years Is
entitled annually to one suit of good, substantial
wooden clothing, should have given the Ian
guage of the treaty. which provides: 'For each
male person over fourteen years Of age, a suit of
good. substantial wooden clothing, consisting of
coat, pantaoons. flannel shirt, hat and pair
of homemade socks. For each female person
over fourteen wears of age n flannel sEirt or
the goods necessary to make it, pair of wooden
hose, twelve yards OF calico and twelve yards of
cotton domestics. For the boys and girls I'M
der the ages named, such flannel and cotton
goods as may be needed to make each a suit as
aforesaid, together with pair of wooden hose
for each
To provide the above Congress appropriated
annually from the fiscal year 1850 10 and in
GLIDING the fiscal year 1890 the sum Of $3.50 600:
since then. Sl25,O0 As there are about Il, $50
Sioux Indians, this gives about So for each per-
son for the clothing provided for above 1t is
evident that this sum must be expended with
the utmost regard to economy, and that only
clothing of a very moderate grade or quality
can be purchased.
In 1850 complaints as to the poor quality of
wooden clothing furnished became SO frequent
that the board OF Indian commissioners ap-
pointed by the President (Which board had at
that time entire control OF tine purchase of In
dian goods and supplies and without whose APP
prosai no Soutract couiu DC naue nor purchase
PAID decided to call for bids. IN addition TO
satlnet or wool clothing. for jeans and brown
duck suits In the annual report OF the pur-
chasing committee of said board for the fiscal
year loeO the following Is said about this:
Your committee think they have remedied
this EVIL (poor wooden ciothlng) by securing
very superior quality OF Kentucky jeans or
brown duck SUITS which We are confident will
give good satisfac ton
In the report of the same committee for the
fscal year 1881 1t Is stated: The quantity Of
duck and kentucky jean clothing was consid-
erably increased this year, and your committee
hope In the future 1t Will be largely increased,
as 1t Is decidedly more durable than the ordi-
nary satinet clothing usually purchased"
In their report for 1882 the following Ian
guage Is used: Your committee are pleased to
report that after persistently urging tor several
from worthless satinet and shoddy to heavy
Drown duck and kentucky jeans has, to great
extent Deen mauSi ihey MINK they are safe IN
Sayv'cs 20 ,ba I'd;ans 'e"'' 'en 'iines 'ne
1t is understood in this Office that the tbeorv
on which the different agents were estimating