The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-16
AN OLD SCANDAL REVIVED
The Pocketing ofS7O0, 900 of Choc-
taw Indian Money by a Ring.
A Robbery Which Could Have Been Pre-
vented if President HarrisOn's Sug-
gestions Had Been Needed.


tioD of inquiry relative 10 the part of the
Choctaw and Chickasaw appropriation of
March 3. 1891, that went TO the lobby.
Secretary Carlisle showed that 38g2. e5G.5o
OF tho g.. 206. 931. 80 went directly TO the lob
by, and that the Indians received 81.
5li.031. and the account is closed.
1t appears. from the papers sent
the Senate by Secretary Carlisle
that this large sum of money was paid 90
James S. Standley. ex-State Treasurer Sal
mon. of Missouri. ID. NJ. Ross. John c. Or
rick and others. of Missouri. Washing
ton dispatch says: Not since the days OF
Pacific Mail has there been such greasing
of legislative machinery. Senator Platt is
determined to get to the bottom of the
scandal snd find W ho were the benotioisries
and what services they rendered in get
ting the claim through Congress"
The revelation of the frand perpetrated
in the Choctaw and ChIckasaw claim re-
calls the controversy which took place on
the insertion of the appropriation in the
Indian appropriation bill. which was passed
during the last days of the Flfty-first Con-
gress. When 1t was proposed by an Ar
kansas member IN the House. Mr.. Cannon.
the chairman of the committee on appro-
pratons, denounced the proposition as q
steal and read a letter from the
Secretary of the Interior to sus-
tain his statement. Nevertheless,
in light house 1t secured enough votes To
incorporate 1t in the bill, and IL W as passed
by both branches the last day but one CT
the session. When the bill became law
the lobby pressed for payment, but there
was n provision in the clause appropri.
ating the money which warranted Presi-
don't Harrison In refusing paymeDt-thst
Is. tho provision requiring that the releases
and conveyAnces shall be satisfactory 10
the President. They were DoS satisfactory,
for the reason that lt was not at that time
possible TO give the number OF acres to be
transferred TO the United States, because.
at that time. all the Indians had not re-
ceived their allorments of land in sever
atty, as provided.
Feb. Il. 1892. while the next Congress
session, President Harrison sent
Congress an exhaustive message upon the
subject. which. after quoting the clause
making the appropriation. continues as
follows
II this section had been submitted 70 me
separate measure. especially during the closing
hours OF the session. / should have disapprOved
il, but the Congress then IN its last
hours a disapproval OF the general Indian
appropriation bill, OF which ii was n part, would
have resulted In consequences 40 far reaching
and disastrous that felt It my duty to approve
the bill But tas duty has tevOlved upon me-
by the section quoted, VIZ. the acceptance and
approval of the conveyances provided for,
have felt bound to look into the whole matter,
and In view OF the facts which 4 shall presently
mention. 10 postpone any executive action until
these facts could be submitted TO Congress.
President Harrison then proceeded to
state that it had come TO his knowledge
that tho Choctaw Legislature had entered
into en agreement with three citizens of
that tribe to pay 25 per cent. of what
ever appropriation Congress should
curing It, The President submitted with
this message the affidavit of one of these
agents, by which IL appeared that thls
agreement was secured from the ChOctaw
IegIslaturo by bribibg its members. The
other two agents" deny knowledge of
this. bat the fact OF corrupt methods ap-
peered In the contract TO give % per cent.
of the APPROPRIATION 70 the agents 10 that
connection President Harrison ex pressed
the opinion that Congress should not 80
legislate as to give effect TO such a con-
tract.
After ex posing the nature of this lobby
ing contract. PIesident Harrison went on
to snow that 1t was question of grave
doubt whether the Chootaws and Chicks-
saws had any legal claim for compensation.
as it seemed more than prob;
compensation for the lands years
before. If the claim was q just one he
showed'that the sums of money already
paid under other treaties pertaining TO
appropriation made. Another objection
made was that none of the money would
60 To whites and Negroes who. as citizens
of the ChoctAw and ChIckassw nations
were permitted to share the appropriation.
which was violation of treaty
with the United States. The best
point which the then President made
was that il was not even known at that
time how much land would be left for con-
veyaBce to the United States after the
Indian allotmehts had been made conse-
QueBtly the sum to be appropriated could
not be accurately stated. The message
would fill four columns of the Journal and
give the most conclusive reasons why the
Congress should repeal the CLAUSE appro-
priating the money.
The Senate referred the matter to COM
mittee. which subsequently reported that
the appropriation should stand. In spite of
the argument of the President That set
tied the matter; still President Harrison
was not fully satisfied about tho title and
gave no order for the payment of tho
money. leaving the matter to President
Cleveland After n brief delay. to
satisfy himself. President Cleveland
approved the titles and the money was paid
over. lt should be added that Mr.. Clsve-
land had no choice in the matter after the
titles and transfers were found TO be salts
factory.
General Harrison was bitterly denounced
for the course he pursued In this matter,
hut if needs not be said that he was right.
and the credit of Congress would have
been saved If it had accepted bis sugges-
tions. The investigation will now be inter-
esting since lt will probably bring to light
the names of the members who were so
persistent in pushing this job through Con-
gress.
What Coioasi Orrick Knows.
United Press Dispatch.
St Louis Sept 15-Col John C. Orriok