Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-02-25
A aOYERNMENT nIenWAYMAN.


with this paper to offer, as occasion
appeared to demand, such criti-
cisms Of the acts of public officials
as at any time were Indicated or
seemed just A newspaper owes
the public higher and a greater
duty that il does any mere individ-
ual, and whenever an official is
guilty of conduct out of keeping
with the dignity of his position,
and where tn public at large is
made to suffer then il is not only
the privilege, but the bounden
duty of the press to expose him.
The higher the official position Of
the offender, the more necessary
il becomes that the masses under
stand and know all about his
movements. Whenever a news.
paper fails TO rise to the occasion
and exercise this prerogative un-
awed by the pomp o. power and
official prestage, then it sinks to
the level of syoophantcy This
was the feeling that actuated THE
CHIEFTAIN last November when il
become so palpably evident that
Agent Dickson in disbursing the
Shawnee per capita money was
abusing his official position and
prostituling the public service for
his own selfish ends, as well as
imposing upon the business in
terests of this country.
Col. Dickson was guilty of every
single charge brought against him,
and the halt was never told. His
conduct was that of a buccaneer,
rather than that of a trusted EN-.
ployee Of the great interior depart
ment of the American government.
When he came down into this
country last fall to make the Shaw
nee payment his actions were sus.
picious and strange from the start.
A series of systematic and planned
delays resulted in the shameful
negotiations between some of our
citizens and himself, which ended
in his being rewarded for his
treachery, and branded before all
the world as a bribe taker and
picaroon. At Alton he sneaked
around like burglar, and issued
checks at the dead hours of night,
while honest men slept and thus
become party to the scheme that
placed his partners in the same
category with the Cooks, the Dalt.
ons and the Cherokee Bills, the
only difference being the former
went out in the glare of sunlight as
outlaws, and Dickson went out as
the trusted employee of the gov
ernment wearing the badge Of of.
fee, the end to be accomplished
being the same.
On the sabbath day we see this
man Dickson hieing himself away
to the White Oak hills, with gun
and dog and accompanied by fa-
vorite collector, who perhaps had
agreed to divide up the spoils Of
the trip with him, unawed by the
tolling of church bells on silent
sabbath morn, disrespectful alike
to the laws of his own country and
to the people among whom he So
journed. In the businesses of the
hills per chance some poor Indian
is found, who in his poverty and
his rags, overloaded by debt. pre-.
fers to stay at home rather than
meet the army of omniverous cred
itors that throng the pay house.
But the agent can find him and
make him settle with at least one
creditor.
This is only little Of the meth
ods OF the man who represents a
department Of the greatest govern
ment on earth, and is intrusted
with the per capita disbursement
Of nearly a million dollars, the
property of a helpless race Of in
offensive people.