The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-09-03
WASHINGTON LETTER
(FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
Washington, D. c., Aug. 81, 1908

the department of the Interior and that
of Justice, is growing daily and already
the revelations have caused the gravest
concern to the administration which ap-
preciates that the discovery of corrup-
tion in two important departments of
the government, following so closely on
the heels of the Postoffice scandals can
not but have a serious effect on the for
tunes of the republican party at the
polls With a view to offsettng the
damaging effect of recent revelations,
Secretary Hitchcock has announced
that he will Immediately appoint COM
missioner to investigate all of his EN-
ployes involved in the Irregularities and
also the members of the Dawes Com
mission, and the acting Attorney Gen
eral has stated that special commits
sioner will be promptly sent to the In
dian Territory to investigate the al
legged connection of several officials of
the Department of Justice with con
Germs organized for the purpose of max
ing profit at the expense of the Indians.
An example of the condition of affairs
now existing in the Indian Territory is
shown by the situation at Muskogee,
where the Dawes Commission has an
office. The Canadian Valley Trust
Company of which Toms Bixby, chair
man Of the Dawes Commission, is presi-
dent, &. w. Hopkins, formerly law
clerkIo of the Commission, is an employe;
and P. G. Reuter-, clerk in charge of the
land Office of the Commission, is di-
rector, has its Office in the same build
ing as the Dawes Commission and occu-
pies the same apartments, on the ground
floor, as were formerly occupied by the
Commission, the Commission having
removed to the second floor. AS re-
suit of this happy arrangement, the un-
tutored savage walks innocently into
the office of the Trust Company, to the
representatives of which he explains his
business. 1t is alleged that these rep
resentatives are not always scrupulous
to explain that they are not at that par
ticular moment, representing the Dawes
Commission but are members of a pri-
vate institution, and the Indian, who
has valuable lands to lease or sell COM
pletes his business according to their
dictation, makes his mark in the pres
ence Of witnesses and goes his way, all
innocent of the fact that he has not
been dealing with the Dawes commits
sion, 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 con
will permit him to part with his patri
mony.
Some conception Of the gravity of the
situation and the opportunities for
fraud existing, where the very repre-
sentatives of the Government appoint
ed to protect the Indians are officers and
directors of concerns organized to take
of his ignorance, may be
gathered from the fact that the Indian
lands now being allotted in severalty
are estimated rs worth upwards of $3.50
600 900 aggregating over 20, 900 0G0 acres
some of it the finest farm land in the
United States and much of it excellent
ly 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 have organ
ized within the past nine months and
all of which give promise of paying un
usually large dividends, in their pros
pectuses
An official announcement Of the resig
nation of Secretary Of War Root has
come from Oyster Bay together with
the inform ltion that Judge Taft, Gov
ernor Gene -al of the Philippines will be
Mr.. Roots successor and that Vice-gov-
ernor Like E. Wright Of Tennessee will
be Judge Tafts successor as head Of the
Commission. The retire
ment of Secretary Root will prove a
of regret to many besides the
President for all who have come in con
tact with the retiring Secretary have
that, regardless OF their at
titude towards the policy Of the admin
Mr. Root has performed his
duties with exceptional ability and
His accomplishment Of
the general staff policy in the army and
the virtual restoration Of peace in the
Philippines, together with his success
ful administration of the affairs Of
Cuba will remain IA monument to an
exceptionally successful and able ad.
ministration of an important depart
ment under circumstances, at times,