The sun., 1893-06-19
hnMr ort1cEns as INDIAN AeEN1s.
A Score of Them In One Bntch-now They
Have Served In Past Years.

WASHINGTON, Juno 1S In appointing twenty
officers Of the army to act as Indian agents at
ns many different reservations the President
has taken n very noteworthy stop toward car
rying out :he views OF Congress on this sub
ject. All the officers thus selected are from
the line Of the army: all nre from the cav
airy and infantry. and all are CAPTAINS with
the exception OF Major Patterson. Third In
fantry. Tho agencies to which they are ap-
pointed are tho Blackfeet. tho Cheyenne aud
Arapahoe, tho Colville. the Forest City. tho
Fort Bcrthold. the Fort Beknap. the Fort
Hall. the Fort Peck. the Hoopn Valley tho
Kiown. the Mescalsro. tho Omaha and Win
nebaRo, the Usage, the Pueblo and ,ticarilla.
the Southern Uto. the Shoshone. tho Tongue
River. the Uintah and Ouray. the Warm
Springs. and tho Pine Ridge.
The law authorizing such appointments Is
contained in tho Indian Appropriation act
passed last July. 1t required tho President to
detail army officers to act as Indian agents
under the orders and direction OF tho Secretary
OF the Interior at all agencies where vacancies
might thereafter occur, except whore In tho
Presidents opinion tho public service would be
better promoted by the appointment OF
civilian. In spite Of the passage OF this net
Commissioner Morgan in his last report took
ground against tho new system. declaring that
he regarded 1t with grave apprehension" 1t
may be presumed that the present Commits
sioncr has entered upon ofllce with different
views. since so largo body of army ap-
pointments has now been made.
Tho establishment OF Indian agents By Con-
gress dates back nearly n century. since in
1896 they were appointed to act as tho factors
OF trading houses. BY degrees they came to
be invested with the charge OF the bands and
tribos among whom they were placed, for
moro general purposes. such az those of in
struct!on and civilization. In 1924 the SEQ
retary Of War organized tho Bureau of Indian
Affairs. whose functions were greatly enlarged
ten years later; and tho law Of 1884 expressly
perform the duties OF Indian agents. When
TIE Interior bepartment was created in lSin
coming naturally within its scope But even
now twill be observed that. as the Secretary
Of the Interior has full charge Of Indian af-
agents will he undor the direct charge of the
Commssioner of Indian Affairs. u civilian.
nfty-seven aGencies. SO that it is clear that
henCetorth we may expect the appointment OF
rather than the rule and this was undoubt-
edly tho intention of Congress in passing the
that with 50 few | agents en- '', to be selected there
ior tho Dnrrose ri and mirht be %e H addSd That;
there are not enough oflcors present with
their companies to do duty. It seems strange
ina I'LL IuItieT De
for Indian service. However the force of this
last consideration may be somewhat lessened
number Of other details from tho line
But 1t Is quite evident that this sort OF ser;
vSS wcSa sn esvt es t the ns Sd h ss %
ttaiy authorities regard the ounce Of preven;
tion as all important in Indian, affairs and
charge Of agencies trouble could be nipped in
the bud. and adequate precautions taken
much to Suppress This used to be one ren-
son ION urged for the the plan Of transferrns IN Indian
happy sesn ~ the pan ns
q the Indian bureau. But while there
Of less consequence now in these days Of a
more peaceful attitude of the red men and
there is the certain loss to the service of large
number Of officers from the care of their com
may derive little variety, Of experience from
tho change Of duties but 1t is not in the strict
s Of hry Es y ars IN 6ese nd thoTS hard
and dsaGreeable tasks. or Of unjust judgment
by those who do not sSympathize, with military
tent to take charge Of agencies the required
Mr. Morgan apprehended on the part Of army
officers serving as agents some degree OF
ssrs Of sy s95o sn
pleasant consequences both to themselves and |
to the officers CHARGE, @ With the administration
pleasant relations between the War and In
terror Departments; and become AN occasion
Cleveland, however. evidently does not share |
those apprehensions; nor probably does Mr.
since army officers are accustomed to. obey
orders. II those orders are to follow the in
structions OF tho Commissioner OF Indian Az |
fairs. these latter will be carried out.
Besides, this is not a matter OF pure expert |
ment For many years army officers have
agencies. and repeatedly have discharged |
their duties to the, com plets. satisfaction OF
nr 5Rn bu
Infantry assigned ty the president's IS order Of
oSor was Fa at sa
agency. year before last, and although it was
done his duty most faithfully" and had been
When from sr at tho
the Interior that the Department. regrets
as9 afS1 tapt bqurherty First 1niantry.. na
at gov Hr
among the Sioux. for more than three and q
half years. and at the end Of that time received
his valuable services. rendered the depart |
ment under peculiar circumstances. and for
orders from the department.
ltpay further b be uad added & that army officers
not aaite ali the time % since is7 II The ea prases
accorded to Capt. Schwan at Cheyenne River
and to Lieut.. j. NJ. Leo would further illustrate
Interior Department. At Red Cloud. Standing
Rock, Spotted Tail. Pine Ridge. Tongue River, |
the Navajo, and other agencies. army officers
have had charge more or less for tho last
seventeen years. There is no reason why they
should not make q success under the now as |
signments prescribed by the law OF Congress-
The Jews to BE Permitted to Buy Land In
Palestine
From he American hrdtie
corresnondent In Jerusnlem Informs us