Year: 1879

but keeping the Indians further north and
those of the South to be sent to the Indian
Territory. He thinks the Indians ought to hold
lands severally and ought to become citizens
! as rapidly as possible. These views will be
submitted in his report, and will be signed by
those who voted with him. He will also pre-
sent bill in the Senate providing that author
ity be given the. President as above stated.
Judge Boone's report, it is understood will
favor transfer Immediately.


BLIND PROVISION.


Westeri Associated Press


WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-There is one point in
the pension arrears bill which, it is thought
possible, will be referred by the interior depart
ment for construction to the department. OF
justice. The new law says arrearages of pen
sions shall be paid at the rate for which SOL
diers were originally pensioned. AS Congress
has changed the rates several times, and the
latest applicants originally received the largest
pensions, the man who gets pensioned now
gets heavy sum in arrearages. The totally
disabled man, who originally got So per month,
now gets $72. The question then, in case of a
totally disabled new pensioner, is whether he
be paid arrearages at the rate of 1872 or SIS per
month. The commissioner will ask Congress
at once for appropriation to carry out the
law, and that it be made Immediately availa-
BILE. Additional evidence needed in the cases
of those now receiving pensions will be very
slight The commissioner will ask a small
increase of clerks, and that pension agencies
be redistricted without an increase Of force.


INDIAN TRANSFER REPORT.


The report of the four members of the Join +
committee of the two Houses of Congress who
favor transfer Of the management of Indian
affairs from the interior to the war department.
has just been completed by Representative
Boone, and will be submitted to the House at
the fist opportunity. The principal features
OF the document are as folloWs The history of
our management of Indian affairs, and cur
treatment of Indians, is one of shame and
modification to all right thinking and liberal
minded men. proper solution Of the Indian
problem is pressing itself more strongly upon
public attention every year, demanding imme-
diate attention of Congress, and cannot With
either safety to the Indians or honor Of the
government be longer deferred.


The failure on the part OF our government
to discharge it's duty to the Indians, is not
confined to the last few years. Our wrongful
treatment OF them is coequal with our exist
ence, though not to the same extent in the
earlier and purer days as at present. During
all the years past complaints have been made
OF violated pledges, broken promises, and lack
OF efficient, responsible management Indeed
the system OF management of Indian affairs
we have pursued, if we have had system at
all, has been unequal to the demands Of our
duty, nor has it met the expectation of its
advocates, and to such an extent havo these
wrongs been multiplied, and to such an extent
have frauds and populations crept into the
management of Indian affairs, and SO glaring
and shameful have these frauds become that
indignant public opinion will not longer look
on With Indifference and unconcGrn, but de-
mands that these matters be looked into and
the wrongs so far as possible, be righted, and
that policy be adopted which will conform
I. Il IT,
ment and secure at the same time full and
ample justice to the suffering and outraged
people.


That these wrongs and abuses do exist,
and to a fearful extent, we think 10 one at all
acquainted with the facts will deny. II proof
upon this point were wanting or demanded, we
have but to refer to the statements Of all who
have investigated this question and those most
familiar with our present management, and
those who are to-day strenuous advocates Of the
present system and who ask its continuance
and who seem to believe in its ultimate sue
cess.


To go back into the history Of this question
1T Will be found that our system OF Indian
management has always been virtually and in
effect the system now in vogue. Even while it
was nominally under the war department., prior
to l649. the system was very much the same as
now. We arc aware the general impression is,
that before that time a different system pre-
vailed, and that the change in that year to the
Indian department was radical change in the
system, but such is not the case, and while it is
true that superintendents and agents, being
few In number, made reports to the war office,
it is also true that neither the secretary Of war;
nor army officers in the war department, had
anything to do with the appointment of these
officers, nor was the war Office charged with the
duty Of supervising them, or controlling them
in any manner up to 1894.


While by the act Of 1884, the secretary Of
war was iven sort of general superintend-
ency of the conduct of agents and sub-agents
appointed by the President, and while by that
act the President was authorized to select mil
itary men to discharge the duties of Indian
agents, it is further true that large ma ,rity
OF the agents selected were taken from civil
life and much the same machinery was en-
ployed in the conduct Of Indian affairs as now,
we claim that Indian management has been,
substantially at least, as at the present time.
Therefore, whatever failure or wrongs have
characterized our management in the past are
justly chargeable to our present system, and
whatever Of success has attended that manage
ment should be credited to that system.


Year after year large amounts of money have
been expended with view to civilizing these
people, and yet failure is written upon every
page of past history of our efforts in this direc-
ton. The inauguration Of the peace policy in
1858 b1sresident Grant, in the opinion of the
undersigned, a virtual admission that
the Indian bureau was incapable of the proper
conduct Of Indian affairs and was compelled
therefore to delegate much of it's authority to
other hands.


From the slow progress made in civilizing
educating and Christianizing the Indians, to
which your committee had their attention
called whilst among them last fall, there is no
room to doubt that we should try 81 me method
of dealing with this question different from
that now in vogue. The glowing accounts of
the rapid strides of Indians in the way of
civilized life, and their rapid march to the
standard of civilization, are not borne out by
the facts. Shameful Irregularities and gross
frauds have crept into every branch Of the
service, no one is found with the hardihood to
deny. The history Of such frauds is visible
on every page Of Indian management for the
last score of years. Indeed, SO fiagrant are the
frauds, and SO defiant have their perpetrators
become, that it appears notorious fact that a
ring exists, composed Of contractors employees
of the bureau and wealthy and influential per-
sons outside, whose object is to swindle and
defraud both the government and Indians.
The opinion entertained by the undersigned
is that these frauds will forever exist, even
with the most vi giEant and scrupulous honesty
which can be brought into the management of
the Indian bureau, because we believe the
method or system of that department is made
quate to prevent, however honest the head of
the office may be, and for the reason that the
! system of accountability in the department is
not close enough to detect corruption.


@We are asked the very pertinent question
whether or not the same abuses and frauds
would not be practiced if the management
should be transferred to the war department.
We think not for few very plain and obvi
Gus reasons, to wit Whatever else may be saio
| of our army officers they are, as {; class, men o1
high honor and strict integrity. Their training
has impressed these high qualities upon them
and their association requires their constan
observance. Every officer in the army is
check upon every other officer, and such is tn,


system of accountability in the army that it il


nearly, if not quite, impossible for an officer tt
| act dishonest without being detect