The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-24
PROF. MARSH IND THE indian
RURE4T

better known that most scientific mer
not in the direct employ of the govern
ment This is because, at one time CT
another, he has figured c5nspicuouslJ
in public affairs. His first notable ap.
pearance was in 1875, when he returned
from a fossil-hunting expedition in the
far west, and attacked the Indian
Bureau for the frauds practised upon
certain Indians with whom he had come
into personal contact His circumstan-
tial charges were refreshing in compar-
1son with the vagueness of most of the
accusations levelled against public Of
fcers by citizens at large. He was
backed by no society or board: he was
not acting as the agent of any one who
as principal would have to shoulder the
responsibility for his misstatements;
hence the boldness of his language
when asked to lay his discoveries before
committee of investigation appointed
by the administration startled the coun-
try. In a letter to President Grant he
thus explained his refusal to make a
statement to the Interior Department
alone:
CD I have no confidence whatever
in the sincerely of the secretary Of the
interior or the commissioner of Indian
affairs when they publicly announce
their wish and determination to correct
the present abuses in Indian manage
ment, because 1 have reason to know
that they have long been aware of
these abuses, and have made no sincere
effort to reform them.
(2.) In all my intercourse with these
two officials their object has manifestly
been to find out not so much what the
frauds actually were as to prevent by
every means in their power, all public
ity or exposure of them.
go The evidence now in my possess
sion reflects unfavorably on both Secre-
tary Delano and Commissioner Smith.
The Red Cloud Agency, which was
the one upon which Professor Marsh
turned the fullest glare of light, came
in for this series of charges of misman-
agement and fraud which has no rival
for candor in the annals of our Indian
administrations:
a. The agent, ]. j. Saville, is who'll
ly unfit for his position, and guilty of
gross frauds upon the Indians in his
charge.
(2) The number of Indians at this
agency has been Systematically over
stated, for purposes which can only re-
suit in fraud.
(3) The last issue of annuity goods
which l witnessed, was a suspicious
and, in part at least, fraud
ulent.
a. The beef cattle given to the In
dams have been very inferior, owing to
systematic frauds practised by the
agent and beef contractors.
co. The pork issued to the Indians
during my visit was not suitable for hui
man food.
co. The flour was very inferior, and
the evidence of fraud in this article is
G) The sugar and coffee issued were
not good although better than the 9TH
ar supplies.
60 The tobacco served was rotten,
and of little or no use to the Indians.
90 In consequence of fraud and
Encouragement, the Indians suffered
greatly during the past winter for want
If food and clothing.
Q0) The contract for freight from
Cheyenne to Red Cloud Agency was
as the true distance is one
hundred and forty-fve miles, while the
contractor was paid for two hundred
md twelve miles.
The story of the Investigations which
ollowed, and in which Professor Marsh
anne out with flying colors-his victory
the compulsory resignation of
q nf In Mt
ong for recital here. There was a COM
cal side to it, however, in the attempt of
undry politicians, led by the Secretary
# the Interior, Columbus Delano, to
brow discredit inferentially upon
Marsh by referring to him publicly as
a Mr.. Marsh" the sole effect of which
vas to amuse the distinguished
and make the authors
f the fling appear ridiculous by their
Exhibition of seeming ignorance.
This was not the last occasion on
which Mr.. Marsh came before the
american people as the moral creditor
f their government. AS lately as 1892.
n one of those cheese-paring spasms
which occasionally attack congress,
representative Herbert of Alabama,
u
ate on the sundry civil bill, assaied
he scientific publications of the geolog-
al survey, including in his speech this
assage:
When investigating this subject years
go l happened to discover two books,
9th of which were published at the ex-
ense of the government of the Unit
d States, one called "Odontornitfae,"
ord composed of two Greek words,
dons- odontos a tooth, and ornithos, a
ird, which in plain English means
irds with teeth That was published
18th very expensive and extensive il
lstrations A year or two afterwards
lat same book, with very few changes,
as published again by this same gov
With Teeth
These thrusts were aimed at Professor
[arsh, the author of the work described.
ANY men in such circumstances would
ave kept quiet and allowed the state
tent to stand, on the theory that it
0uld do no one any harm, especial
as names were not called. But
arsh, as the leader of campaign
sainst fraud, felt that there was some
ling more at stake, and promptly sent
Representative Cultivate of Ohio,
no was one of the stanch friends of the
'ientific branches of the government, a
tier In which he set forth all the facts
I'D showed that the volume to which
r. Herbert had referred was written