Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-09-10
1.-THE INDIAN LANDS.
Correspondence Regarding Them
Made Public by Mr.. HitchcOck.
aLLECEDFRAUDSH BRIDGE BUILDING
andictments Found By Grand jury Against
. Contractor and Three County Com
nissioners In Kiowa County.Ok., for
Making False Vouchers.

ubAAhB 1eADo NgeSsoA"
Washington, Sept. 7.-Secretary
Hitchcock yesterday made public the
correspondence between him and PHILIP
q. Garrett. president Of the Indian
Rights association. Secretary Hitch
cock says:
II note with pleasure your desire not
TO wish to exaggerato any Of the evils
IN the administration Of the Indian bu-
reau and beg to state that the grave
irregularities on the part Of officials
appointed by the government with
which you seem to have been impressed
by the report made to you BY Mr..
Brosius have, for months past, had my
personal attention, thus anticipating
your courteous request that the sub
feet may be oficially investigated.
This investigation was made by me
while ON q visit to the Indian territory
in May, as the result Of which certain
removals from office by dismissal and
enforced resignation resulted and, upon
my return here, amended rules and
regulations were prepared and issued
ON July 10, the purpose Of which was
to more fully protect the Creek In
dams in the matter Of sales Of their
land by q proper notice and the re-
quirement Of sealed bids by which such
satisfactory results have been accom-
plished In the matter Of the sale OF In
herited land in other reservations
throughout the country, none Of the
original deeds for the sale Of lands
under the inherited act, nor Of land In
the Creek nation, having been, up TO
that time, nor since. approved. On
the contrary, In the matter Of the sale
of inherited land under the sealed bid
order, we are receiving, in many cases,
from 10 per cent. to 1875 per cent ad-
vance over the original price rendered
by the same parties for the same land,
while the Creek deeds under the old
system have all been disapproved to
the number of 1873 deeds and returned
with their accompanying checks,
amounting to more than $3.50, 900. thus
showing that, In the matter Of Official
irregularities and the adoption OF said
regulations, the interests Of the In
dams have not been neglected by the
department, as is indirectly charged BY
Mr.. Brosius, whose report ! do not
care to further discuss, because the
accusations therein contained are to
seceive full and rigid investigation.
They have been promptly denied and
such investigation demanded by the
members Of the Dawes commission and
inspector Wright, who are. Of course,
entitled to be presumed innocent In
&he meantime.
"There are, however, proper and i'm
proper methods Of procedure and
think that is was not justifable, but
discourteous to me and unfair to them,
10 publish broadcast to the world the
material gathered by Mr.. Brosius,
without further verihcation and with
out his having afforded to the off,
cials, whose reputation he attacked.
any opportunity to explain what
seemed to him Objectionable"
Mr.. CARROTS reply was as follows:
ITO enter upon the question Of per-
aonal discourtesy, which you raise,
would, I think, involve q long discus
sion. must therefore content myself
with utterly disclaimlng the least in
saention of discourtesy to you. The
publication OF the Brosius report was
An connection with the custom Of the
association to give to the press mat
-Efers Of Importance In which the pub
nc are supposed to be interested That
n created great deal Of public In
saerest Is quite evident.
1--WE make no charge, up to this time,
against any members Of the Dawes
nDmmission, nor, l believe, does our
anformant, Mr.. Brosius, whose allega-
lions you will observe are general In
ssheir character and invite attention
- q certain class Of institutions with
Mhlch some Of them are connected. az
aAey ought not to be II they wish To
'asep above suspicion: because there
A. TOO much reason to believe the COM
Danies are, some Of them at least, or
Ranized In part for the express purpose
a preying upon the Indians. Nor do
4 think that Mr.. Broslus casts any i'm
putation upon persons in higher posi-
1lona