The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-10-13
THAT STORY"

AnA SASs
The LEADER sometime since published
from II .m"ry au anecdute rs told by
Editor Wood, of the Steele Ozone on a
recent visit to Washburn, coming from
MS friend Murphy rs the prevailing idea
during the Harrison administration of
the status of tho Indians rs wards eff
our great government and the duty Of the
agents in the premises. The Ozone editor
after raking US over the Goals for bring
up that grusome subject up at this par
ticular time, retclls the story with the
horns punched all, but nevertheless in
tsrestins. He puts his "story" forth in a re-
cent issue-carefully worded-in this way.
IAN Office seeker wa in the capital ia
search of aid from his congressman to
get an appointment. The congressman
told him mat there was only al Indian
agency lefn, but he didn't know much
about it--what it paid-where it WIS.
The applicant took some directions, went
away, and came back tine next day in dis
gust-he WAS surprised that his member
should lla 70 had the nerve to offer HIM a
place paying but $1,000 Il year he could
make twice that out of his practice at
homeland not live III the Wilderness, etc.
The congressman was sorry, felt his Obll-
CATION to the tOwnsman, but couldn't do
any more. The applicant babe him good
by, aud was about to depart when the
congressman says, Say did you find what
was the appropriation for those Indians:
No said the seeker after a goyerD..ent
job. What has that to do with "Why,
you blamed fool, just this it is under
stood that the Indians only get 70 per ceht
of the qppropriatioD-the Hgent gets the
rest, better look it up" The man wen to
the Indian Office, and came back. well,
the appropriation Is $45,O00 u year and 1
guess Ill take the place. Bnt, say. don't
you think that 25 per cent is too d--n
much for the Indians!" The secretary or
whoever it was, said that he trusted the
major didn't belong to the class of agents
who believed in that style of dong things"
l. any one will take the trouble to look
over the, various acts concerning the
Indians during the Hayes and Harrison
administrations he viii find that this
story is no story at all, but the attitude
of the government as represented by these
men during their administration of the
Indian Office, and as carried out by their
satrapss..from the commissioners down
along the line, through contractors, in
spectors %or;more properly ."whitewashers'
below to the a gent in charge. Who ever
heard of an Indian inspector find out any
thing.cven though the ..trifty agent got
away with everything in sight.
The inspectors easy-movs"g approch is
heraled ahead, and Lears about the same
line of success rs hunting wild ducks with
a kettle drum. The books are all right.
OF course they: are. What il 1t smart
book keeper hired for? Yet in the history
of the Fort Berthold agency, the more
appropriated the more destitute the
Indians become. But how about the
agents
Treaties after treties are consum atcd-
promises after promises are as regularly
made and as regularly ~broken--sst aside.
Ayents from rewards Of political work;
agents placed though opportunities OF
wealthy relatives, or, from the incessent
%tireless persistence Of powerful churches,
it ends about the same-tAe Indians die
in poverty, neglect and abject want as at
Bertheld, while government agents thrive
and grow rich and insolent. We SOW
the wind, We reap the whirlwinl. We
hail success to Il thiof.if tmken from. others.
We condone dishonesty. IL it thrives and
spreads in multiplied forms. Pick up
your morning paper. See the daily
records Of train robberies; of bank IN
b~ezzlemsnts: of falsitied books; OF dlshon'
esty, treachery and murder throughout this
land of ours. We repeat, we nave
sown the wind, are we reaping the Will
wind:
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