The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-09-02
STEALING FROM The INDIANS.
Still Another Scandal Unearthed
in Nashington---lt Seems That
There are no Honest Office
Holders.

Washington, Aug. 3l.-The gravity
and magnitude of the Indian Territory
land scandals Become more and more
apparent as time goes on and it is free
ly predicted that they will far over
shadow the postal frauds when the
facts are finally dragged to light. Prac-
tically all the members of the Dawes
Commission now appear to have been
involved in schemes to defraud the
Indians, or at least profit at their ex-
pense, and have accomplished this end
by becoming members of land and in
vestment syndicates. Several employees
of the Department Of the Interior have
also been found to have itching and
smutty fingers, notably j. George
Wright, an Indian inspector, and
Secretary Bitchcock's most trusted
advisor, also United States attorney,
his assistant and other subordinates
of the Attorney General. Secretary
Hitchcock, whose personal honesty no
one doubts, appears to have been
hopelessly hoodwinked and he even
now seems to be grossly incompetent
and at a loss to know how to deal with
the rascallity in his own department.
Charges that the Secretary deposited
fund of s7oo, 900 acruing from the
sale Of lots in the towns of Hobart.
Lawton and Anadarko, Oklahoma, in
st. Louis trust company in which ne
was interested have been entirely dis
proven, but it has been discovered
that the Secretary did not pursue the
usual method Of handling these funds,
but deposited them with the Treasurer
of the United States, where they are
subject to his personal check, and that
he detailed the auditing Of the accounts
to the General Land Office, subor-
dinate bureau of his department.
which, it is claimed by Treasury De-
parsment officials is in clear violation
of the law. It is further claimed that
while the disbursements made from
this fund have been audited by the
Land Office, the receipts have not been
audited at all and the appearances are
that the Secretary has permitted a
personal antipathy to the Auditor for
the Interior Department to seriously
influence his Judgment and to lead him
into violation Of the law.
The president has ordered an inquiry
and the Secretary has, at the sugges-
tion of Mr.. Roosevelt, requested
man who is in no way connected with
the Interior Department to undertake
thorough Investigation, but so
arduous and thankless does the under
taking promise to be, and SO difficult
is it to get along with the irrascible
Secretary that considerable difficulty
is being experienced in getting the
desired investigator to undertake the
task The acting Attorney General is
also trying to secure some one to make
special investigation Of the employees
of the Department Of Justice who are
charged with malfeasance, but thus far
has been unsuccessful.
There is the greatest relief in official
circles in Washington over the news
that Vice Consul W. G. Magelssen at
Peirut, Syria, has not been murdered
but merely fired at, the shots failing
to take effect. When the news was first
received that Magelssen, had been
shot, the President ordered the Euro
pean squadron to Turkish waters, and
that order will not be revoked as it is
deemed essential to the safety of the
American citizens in Turkey that
there take place a demonstration Of
naval force in the vicinity. The Euro
pean squadron, which is under the
command of Admiral Cotton, consists
Of the protected cruiser Brooklyn which
carries crew of SIT officers and men,
the protected cruiser San Francisco,
which carries crew of 383 officers and
men, and the gunboat Machias, which
carries crew of Isl officers and men.
It is the belief of the President and
Secretary Hay that the presence of the
American feet will act as moral de-
terrent against the violence of fanatics
toward the Americans, and will i'm
press on the Sultan the necessity Of
protecting American citizens
The President has executed what is
regarded as very clever coup in deal
ing with union labor in the Govern
ment Printing Office. He has instruct
ed Public Printer Palmer to administer
to every employe the oath Of allegi-
ance, always exacted from employees
of the Government other than laborers.
When the bookbinders first talked of
going on strike because of the rein
statement in the Government bindery,
of their expelled member, William
Miller, it was announced that under
the law any man who had taken the
oath OF Office and then conspired by
striking would never be able to get his
place back. Then it was discovered
that the printers, binders, etc. had
never taken an oath. The decision in
the Miller case is still being delayed
and meanwhile the employees of the
Office are being sworn in, so that it is
believed that the President has found
no ground in the charges preferred
against him by the bookbinders'
union for dismissing Miller, and there
fore the union men will be obliged to
violate their constitution, or revise it,
as they will be forced to work under
a nonunion foreman. The investiga-
tfon of the methods prevailing in the
Printing Office, ordered by the Presi-
dent, has been completed but nothing
is yet known of the results.
President Roosevelt has from time to
time been subjected to considerable
criticism because it was alleged that
he had permitted the railroad com
naries to furnish him with the special