The Washington herald., 1911-08-04

uly II states that I misunderstood your
letter Of May 10. you still do not state
positively what your meaning was in
that letter in the particular in which
you say that I misunderstood you, and
l respectfully submit that you should
have done this.
Charges Made In self-defense.
In my answer, and as a part of my
defense. il was necessary for me to make
charges against Commissioner Valentine,
which 1 not only offered to prove, but
of which I submitted evidence in NV
answer and gave references to other evil
dence contained in the files Of your de-
partment. In my letter Of May %,
referred to these charges and pointed out
that they were Of such q nature that IL
they were proved true Mr.. Valentine
could not consistently be retained in the
position of Commissioner Of Indian At
fairs. and that If upon opportunity duly
given me I should fail to prove them. II
would be your duty to summarily dis
miss me from the public service for
bringing them. Although these charges
are now of public record, you have not
in any of your communications to me
referred to them or called upon me for
the proofs thereof, which I have offered
to present.
In my letter to you Of July II again
made against Commissioner Valentine
and submitted additional evidence in
support of one Of them.
l now beg to advise you that, in view
of the assurances and promises which
you have given me, 1 consider that you
are under obligations either to clear me
absolutely of the charges made againsf
me by Commissioner Valentine. or to
grant me such formal hearing thereon as
uilI IA fn
them fairly and to bring out all the
facts connected Herewith prior to final
action thereon. In view of the apparent
uncertainty which your letter, dated
July H. would seem to indicate as to
your present intention to grant me such
hearing, even in the event that your
conclusion upon the record now before
you be adverse TO me, I respectfully re-
quest that you advise me positively, in
reply to my letter Of July 18 and to this
letter, whether you will in fact grant
me such a hearing in the event that
you do not completely clear me Of the
said charges without a hearing. And
in view OF the fact that I have already,
in reliance upon your promise Of such
a hearing, awaited your pleasure in re-
lation thereto for more than two months,
I feel that I may reasonably request,
and therefore do request, that you give
me your answer on this point at once.
Very respectfully, J. R FAIR.
Arranged for the Hearing.
The above letter was delivered at your
Office by special messenger at about 2:1a-
p. m. July 20. and the following letter
was mailed (as indicated by post mark
at p. m, July 20:
Department Of the Interior,
Washington, July 20, 1911.
YOIir latter Julv Is has heen
received. The matters to which you re-
fer in II have been given careful consid
Grafton and as promptly as has been pos
sible under the pressure Of work in this
office and in the Indian Once. You are
aware of the fact that Commissioner
Valentine has been Ill, and that his ab-
sence from the office has necessarily in
creased the pressure of work upon his
immediate subordinates.
After consideration Of the entire mat
ter, have concluded to send you copy
(Which Is herewith inclosed) of q report
made to me on July 3, 1911, by Mr.. c.
F. Hauke, second assistant commissioner
in the Office OF Indian Affairs. in which
certain Of your previous statements are
discussed.
On Monday, July "a at 1870 a. m.
shall hear what you have to say further
in this matter at my office, at which time
I shall request the Commissioner OK In
dian Affairs to be present. and you can
bring with you your attorney II you SO
desire. Yours truly.
Mr.. ]. r. Farr. Apartment 2, The
Brunswick, Washington, D C.
1nclosure0
Information wns Not Sought.
You did not make any reply to my
letter Of July %; and the hearing
which you gave me on July % Calling
II. however, a conference or dis
cussion"), nearly three months after you
had suspended me on charges penolng
the hearing requested" by me, has al
ready been described
In my letter Of July 10 ! gave you,
without consultation with them, the
names Of a number Of men now available
who had had personal knowledge OF my
work in the past, assuming that you
would naturally wish to have the in
formation and views of some disinterest-
ed persons familiar with my record, as
we'll as OF Mr. Valentine and his sub
ordinates, In considering the very gen.
eral questions involved in some Of Mr.
Valentines charges. So far as am IN,
formed, however, you have not called
upon any of these persons for any in
formation whatever.
Nor have you. so far as am aware
seen fit to take the matter up in any
way with Assistant Commissioner Abb
bott and at the conference" in your
office on July "a at which Messrs. VAL
entine, Hauke, Merritt, and Kinney, OF
the Indian Office. We're all present, when
I suggested that Mr.. Abbott should also
be present and testify. you peremptorily
refused to call him (though he was at
that moment in the Indian Office and
Immediately available). saying that you
did not consider II necessary to call him.
And yet the record itself shows that he
is the man in the Indian Office who Is
presumably most thoroughly familiar
with the whole Lac du Flambeau mat
ter, having taken II up with me origi-
nally in the office, and also having gone
over 1t fully and personally with me
in the field; having also, however, rec
commended for me personal hearing,
which Mr.. Valentine had denied me.
Dealt in One-sfded Manner.
Nor have you at any time since I
have been In Washington evinced any
desire to see me and examine me thor
ougnly as to the facts-to bore into me,
as It were, and yourself take q sample
have apparently been quite willing to
confine your inquiries to Mr.. Valentine
and his subordinates. to ex parte and In.
terested testimony on one side Of the
controversy, to the exclusion not only OF
the other side, but also Of disinterested
and impartial testimony. which was
easily available and Of which you had
notice. That you did consult fully and
frequently with Mr.. Valentine and Mr..
Hauke I have no doubt, from the fact
It'll II, Nha