Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-24
INDIAN LANDSCANDALS
ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT HITCH
COCKS ADMINISTRATIO
Views Contained in a Letter From q
Kansan-Gov. Ferguson's
Statement.

Within the past few days there have been
strong Indications in official circles that the
present unstable state Of affairs In the In
terror Department regarding the Indian
land scandals Is. to great extent. the
work of persons who wish to discredit the
administration of Secretary Hitchcock and
bring disgrace on him through his depart
ment. There has never been any effort
made by the officials of the department to
suppress any news connected with the scan
dals, nor has there been the slightest indi-
cation from the Secretary that a full pub
LEGATION Of the facts was not desired. Ger
tain matters that have come to the atten-
ton Of the department have been with
held from publication, but the general
policy has been to admit the existence Of
wrongdoing. with strong assertions as to
the immediate punishment of the offender.
This policy has worked out in no small way
to the benefit of the department. Secretary
Hitchcock has asserted that he will catch
all the rascals in his jurisdiction and turn
them out of the government service, and
the evidence now at hand shows that he is
striving to make good his promise.
Views Of Kansan.
Within the last few days there was shown
to Star reporter a letter from q resident
of Kansas, addressed to friend who is not
connected with the department in any way,
in which the situation in both Indian ter
ritory and Oklahoma is discussed with the
utmost freedom. The writer Of the letter
had no interest In either place, but had
simply had opportunity to see closely the
machinery that is working the government
OF these two places and the condition Of the
governed. He says in no uncertain terms
that more than half Of the charges that
have been filed against land officials and
more than half Of the scandal that has been
developed are on flimsy basis and directed
entirely at the Secretary and his lieuten-
ants He declares that as a whole the
people of both territories are we'll satis-
fled with the administration Of affairs by
Secretary Hitchcock. and that political
"grafters" and land grabbers Of all kinds
nave oeen rrowned upon, and in some cases
forced to leave the country. It is this
class, which finds It's vocation gone and
which Is compelled to take to honest work
to gain livelihood. the writer says, that is
behind the scandals.
He ventures the opinion that some cases
OF maladm1nistratiOn and actual fraud will
be found by the investigat tons of the de-
partment, as there Is no doubt that In the
territories there are dishonest officials and
persons watching for opportunities to take
advantage Of the weak and defenseless But
he asserts emphatically and in the strong
est terms, that the real wrong is not half
that proclaimed from the housetops, nor is
the wrongdotng nearly so widespread nor
30 glartng as has been charged This let
ter will be presented to Secretary Hitch
cock when he returns home from New
Hampshire.
Corroborative Testimony.
The statements contained in the letter
mentioned are borne out by the assertions
made in two letters received at the In
terror Department. One of these comes
from Gov. Thomas B. Ferguson Of Okla
homa and the other from the members Of
the grand jury Of Kiowa county, Oklahoma
Gov. Ferguson declares that the course Of
the secretary in regard to the administra-
ton of affairs in Oklahoma meets with the
approval of all law-abiding citizens. He
and Is spreading, despite the "labored at
tempts on the part of certain grafters to
use the daily press to create a different
opinion" The governor says the stories
that have found their way into the news
papers do not reflect public sentiment in
the territory and that the people of Okla
homa, regardless of political connections
heartily sustain the secretary.
The letter from the members Of the grand
jury Is on similar lines. The Jurors say
that aside from any party feeling they may
have they earnestly desire to express their
appreciation OF the manner in which the
funds Of Kowa county have been guarded
by the Interior Department against plum
der and official corruption at home. In it's
letter the grand Jury also expresses its
appreciation of the services of U. s. District
Attorney Horace Speed. who was instru-
mental in the presentation Of the evidences
OF corruption.
1t will probably be several weeks before
Mr.. Charles j. Bonaparte, who has been
selected to make the investigation of the
affairs of Indian territory for the depart
ment. will be able to proceed with the work.
He is now engaged in reading the charges
and dlgesting the evidence that has been
presented. Each day the department officials
send to his office in Baltimore bundles of
papers. Mr.. Bonaparte has copies made
of these papers and then returns the orig
inals. A letter was received this morning
from him, in which he acknowledged the re-
ceipt Of papers sent yesterday and an
nounced that he was studying the statutes
bearing on the state of affairs in the terri
tory with a view Of making himself entirely
familiar with the laws under which he
will operate He has not finished his work
for the Post Office Department yet and as
the trials of the cases will not come up be-
fore October, 1t is not probable that he will
be able to get at the Indian territory inves-
tigation until after then. In the meantime
he Is possessing himself Of all the informa-
ton that can be obtained bearing on the
subject at hand, SO as to be well prepared
to do battle with the grafters and corrup-
tionists when he does start to work.