The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-09-03
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular c ,rrespondent.
Washington, August a.. 100

Washington, August 81, 1893
The scandal affecting the almlnls
tratlon OF Indian affairs, and involving
both the department of the Interior
and that OF Justice, is growing daily
and already the revelations have caus-
ed the gravest concern to the adj
mins,ratlon which appreciates that
the discovery of corruption in two
imporient departments Of the govern
ment, following SO closely on the heels
of the Postoffice scandals cannot but
have a serious effect on the fortunes
Of the republican party at the polls.
With a view 70 offsetting the damag-
ing effect of recent revelations, Secre-
tary Hitchcock has announced that
he will immediately appoint a com.
missioner 10 investigate all of his en-
ployes involved in the irregularities
and also the members of the Dawes
Commission, and the acting Attorney
General has stated that a special
commissioner will be promptly sent to
the Indian Territory to investigate
the alleged connection of several
officials OF the Department of Justice
with concerns organized for the pur-
pose of making profit at the expense
OF the Indians.
XIX
An example of the condition OF
affairs now existing in the Indian
Territory is shown by the situation at
Muskogee, where the Dawes Com.
mission has an office. The Canadian
Valley Trust Company, of which
Tams Blxby, chairman Of the Dawes
Commission, is president. G. w.
Hopkins, formerly law clerk of the
Commission, is an employe; and p. G..
Reuter-, clerk in charge of the land
Office of the Commission, is director.
has its offices in the same buildings
as the Dawes Commission and oc
cupies the same apartments, on the
ground floor, as were formerly oc-
cupied by the Commission, the Com
mission having removed to the second
floor As result of this happy ar.
rangement, the untutored savage
walks innocently into the office of the
Trust Company, to the representatives
Of which he explains his business. 1t
is alleged that these representatives
are not always scrupulous to explain
lanN q ~ IN ~ ~ ION I1r
moment, representing the Dawes
Commission but are members of
private institution, and the Indian,
who has valuable lands to lease or
sell, completes his business according
to their dictatlon, makes his mark in
the presence of witnesses and goes
his way, all innocent of the fact that
he has not been dealing with the
Dawes Commission, the authorized
representative of the Government,
and equally innocent of the fact that
in the lease he has just executed there
is a contract for the sale of his lands
at the expiration of the lease at some
nominal figure, the contract to take
effect as soon as the law will permit
him to part with his patrimony.
XIX
Some conception of the gravity of
the situation and the opportunities
for fraud existing, where the very
representatives OF the Government
appointed to protect the Indians are
officers and directors of concerns or
ganized to take advantage of his
ignorance, may be gathered from the
fact that the Indian lands now being
allowed in severalty are estimated as
worth upwards of $3.50, 100000, ag-
gregatlng over 2o,ooo,ooo acres, some
fit the finest farm land in the United
States and much of it excellently
situated with regard to markets and
railway facilities. Several members
of the Dawes Commission, United
States Attorneys and Indian Agents
are charged with being interested IN
these companies, most of which haye
been organized within the past nine