The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-24
How Bill Jones Was Made the
Indian Commissioner.
HE HAD NO ENDORSEMENT FOR
THE JOB SAVE A RECEIPT FROM
THE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN
COMMITTEE FOR "A LARGE DO.
NATION TOWARD M'KINLEY's
CAMPAIGN EXPENSES, BUT THIS
TRICK TOOK THE POSITION.

Der of President McKinley's official fam.
lily are governed by any rules otherwise
than those prompted by strict integrity,
| wish to state that Mt least ono Of it's
appointees is an honest man. In his ex.
cessive honesty and candor he is unique.
He Tejoices in the mellifluous cognomen
of Jones-plain Bill Jones-who comes
from the wids of Wisconsin, lie has
accepted the commissionership of Indian
affairs; he is IL member of the Wisconsin
Lumber Trust, that has made all of its
members very wealthy, and as II side is
sue he runs bank. 1t was difficult to
find the right place for Jones; he did not
want to take foreign appointments; he
did not want to be assistant secretary of
war, auditor of the Treasury Department.
or assistant secretary of the Treasury,
because that required n routine knowl.
edge which he frankly confessed he did
not possess. The Indian commissioners
ship had already been traded off to Judge
X. r.. Doan, an eN representative from
Ohio, who had in exchange for the ap-
pointment to that Office delivered eighty
speeches throughout the West. Judge
Doan has been counsel for the Sioux In
dams for the past ten years--he has visi-
ten every Indian tribe. He was, however,
all of the Senators and representatives
from his own State of Ohio and the Sem
ators and representatives of fifteen States
west of the Mississippi river. So zeal
GUS were his friends thaS, fearing TINT
this was not enough, they secured the
endorsements of the chief men of the
leading tribes of Indians and the women
interested i'll Indian work, and dozen
of them waited upon President McKin.
ley in body TO petition for the appoint
ment of Judge Doan.
Mr.. Jones, of Wisconsin,, arrived in
Washington without any of these en-
dorsements, hut he came with receipt in
his pocket from campaign committee
for considerable donation to the cam.
paign fund. He did not know what he
wanted; and when Representative Bah
cock, Of Wisconsin, suggested to him
that he wanted the commissonership he
claimed, most emphatically, that he
knew nothing about Indian affairs and
had no desire to learn He must have
some good position in Washington be-
cause he wanted Mrs. Jones to have n
good position in Washington society
that was the only reason he was here.
He had Plenty of business of his ownqin
Wisconsin, he did not need salary. It
was the social amenities of life that he
was after; those he could not get unless
he was at the head of an important de.
partment. 1T was explained to him
that knowledge of Indians was not nee
essary to enable man to discharge sat.
isfactorily the duties of Indian commits.
sioner, neither was II knowledge of law
required TO pass upon the various treaties
or other legal questions arising in that
department.; his experience as IL bank and
lumber man was sufficient to entitle
him to the right to control the red man.
Hence Mr.. Jones is Indian commissioner.
Those who know HIM say that notwith-
standing his ignorance on the subject of
Indians he will make good one; but the
people OF the West are greatly disap.
pointed ut not having man conversant
with Indian affairs in that position.
1t has been claimed that the last elec-
tion settled the silver question. If the
silver question is settled those who be-
lieve in free coinage of silver at the ratio
OF IL to have as vet to learn that fact:
they have straight majority of two in
the United States Senate and control che
Senate finance committee. The action
OF President Mckinley in appointing the
three commissioners to attend the BIZ
metallic conference of tine different mn.
lions when there is no bimetallie con.
ference and not likely to be one, ami the
| announcement that the commissioners
will go to Europe about the middle of
May for the purpose OF trying to hunt up
bimctallic conference which they can
attend, is creating large amount CT
amusement among the friends of free
silver If President Mckinley supposes
that he would thus prevent the silver
question from being brought up in this
extra session of Congress he is mistaken.
The friends of silver had agreed not tc
bring the question up for the reason that
iu would he useless. The Senate is already
on record; the House went en- record on
the stump last fall. There is u majority
opposed TO silver in the House and II Pres
ident who will favor it is bound by party
pledges vetoing any bill looking to It's
restoration. The fact is as gathered from
petitions and Communications from all
parts of the country that the septiment ia
favor OF the free coinage OF silver has
grown steadily and even rapidly since
! the election last November Campaign
work will be continued by lectures and
printed matter throughout the United
States. 1t will again he the leading issue
in lPU0. Ii the reign of prosperity
brought about by the election of prcsi
| dent Mckinley CONTINUES TO be marked
only by strikes. the reduction Of wages
and the failure of commercial and man
utacturlng concerns, the people will not
be easily induced to follow the dictates
of the hated industrial plutocrats.
| The Republican members of the com
mittee are getting great deal of whole
some tart Il reform literature in letters
and petitions, which are promptly pigeon
| hoed. Ono nf tha rnoot rocont ,>a,;.;one