The evening times., 1899-06-05
ARMY OFFICERS IN
TEE INDIAN SERVICE
Proposed Revival of the Sys-
TEN Arouses Opposition.
The Governments Former Expert.
ences With Agents.
surpri"ing Financial Statements Re.
Observation-Disclosures to Dis
cuss the. Matter.

When the President took advantage o
the Spanish war to relieve practically all
Of the regular army officers as Indian
Of making such appointments was at ar
end. Recently, however The Secretary Of
the Interior has decided upon a partial re-
turn to the system and has recommended
the appointment of Col. James F. Rand
lett, retired army officer, as agent at
| the Kio agency at knadarko Okla. This
action OF the Secretary has met with great
opposition from prominent Western Sena-
tors and Members Of Congress, who urge
that the civilian versed in commercial af-
fairs and familiar with Indian character, is
! better equipped as an agent than a military
officer, who, as rule, is claimed to be
merely disciplinarian.
| The investigation into the administrative
conduct Of military officers detached from
their commands will shortly be transferred
from the War Department to the Indian
Bureau.
The reason given for the assignment of
| army officers to duty as Indian agents has
been that they were not SO susceptible to
corrupt influences as civilians; that the
strict discipline of the military service,
high pay, and life tenure precluded the
possibility of their connivance or partici-
patton in fraudulent transactions. Conf
dence in their integrity has been SO strong
that no officer assigned to duty as an In
dian agent has been required to give bond
for the proper discharge of duty. This
confidence has been misplaced as an in
yestigation of the records OF army officers
acting as Indian agents during the past six
years viii show.
On April !, 1897, there were in the In
dian service seventeen army officers who
had been assigned TO duty as Indian agents.
At the outbreak of the war with Spain all
but three of these officers had been trans
fefred back to their commands.
The accounts OF nine of the fourteen ar
my officers at the time OF their transfer
showed unsettled balances in favor OF the
Government ranging from Sle0 to 1000.
Six of these officers have offered such
excuses for the shortages as TO induce the
department to close their accounts. The
accounts Of the remainder are still un-
settled, the balances against the offlcers
running as high in one case as S2l0oO- AS
no bonds were required, the Government
has no redress. aside from criminal prose-
cution. Under similar circumstances. II Is
claimed, civilian defaulter would have
criminally prosecuted. These army Off
GERS have suffered no Inconvenience from
their shortages. They still retain their
commissions and draw their pay as army
officers.
In the case of the agent whose shortage
amounted 10 s2i2, 900, his account was ar
bitrarily closed upon his statement that
the method of bookkeeping in vogue was
crude and fully accounted for this enor-
nous discrepancy. 1t has been charged,
however that this procedure was secured
through the influence OF a relative, an Off
cial of the bureau who passed upon such
accounts in the absence OF the Commits
sioner of Indian Affairs. The reason as
signed by the officers who have thus far
failed to close the accounts is that their
time has been fully occupied since they
were relieved from duty. This occurred
over year ago.
One reason given for the appointment
of military officers is that they were given
no additional salary. and it thus made a
saving for the Government. In the case
of retired officer, however, he not only
receives the pay Of an Indian agent, but
is therefore claimed thatSecretary Hitch
cocks plan does not carry with it any
saving TO the Governnnenti
When seen today regarding the case
all OF the interested officials declined to
discuss the subject. It is thought that the
agitation against the appointment, of ar
my officers to civil positions. particularly
in the Indian service. will doubtless result
in the repeal of the law how in force. al
lowing the assignment Of army officers to
6ufy Indian