Year: 1875

| BE PURGED OF ITS ABUSES.


The following is the sixth and closing letter Of the
WeshMarsh Indictment of the officials Of the Interior
Department for their alleged msdemeanors and frauds
in the conduct Of the Indian Bureau Of that branch OF
the government


Professor o. C. MARsH:-


DEAR SIR-The subject indicated for this the sixth
and last letter OF the promised SERIES "a Summing
! Up, with Remedial Suggestonsn


Your address TO the Investigating Commission and
your additional testimony with that of Mr., Samuel
Walker and the testimony Of Bishop Hare seem to
make summing up somewhat supernuous Indeed,
the people, who not participants in conceaers of
frauds upon the government or its wards almost unani
mousy pronounce the officers of the Interior Depart
ment guilty and demand their removal and punishment
The whole department has so long been absorbing
poisonous exhaatOns that should be thoroughly
tated and purified before 1t be sale depository


Secretaries Delano Cowan and Indian Commissioner
smith know each other Intimately have mutual con-
hdence and their principles are identical This trio
has after thorough knowledge of the parties and long
experience with them taken two other men into this
! alliance both offensive and defensive refer To 7 w
Bosler OF Carlisle, and A. H. Wilder OF St Paul Mimi
both very rich men, is believed This voluntary
union has become intimate the involuntary union
between the Siamese twins The guilt of either will
attach equally to all This is not uncharltable as
SUMPTION but follows from their repeated deliberate
words and deeds. The initiated" both within and
without the Interior Department that De Witt
Clinton Wheeler OF Buckley, Yelling Co, of New
iorN, 10 the heau centre OF this allance and
most skiliul lobbyist Will not refer
again to him in this letter, for although
Boser and Wilder have publicly claimed him
partner yet Messrs. Delano Cowan and Smith have
not done so openly. Will just here confess to my own
innocency OF having, for long tme thorough conf
dence in the Secretary Assistant Secretary and Com
missioner of Indian Affairs DONG perhaps more than
any other private citizen to strengthen their hands
Nearly two years since my ewes were opened bv their
TRANSACTIONS with A. H. Wilder and j. w. Bosler who
seemed TO control some branches Of the department.
My observation was also quickened by professed de-
sire on the part of the Secretary and Assistant
tary TO rld the department OF fraudulent practices
known to exist while they invariably impugned the
motives and attacked the character Of those who prof
fered their assistance IN unearthing and remedyng
fraudulent practices. Two Illustrations Of this flash
vlvidly before me:-


First-Mr Delano rendered me no assistance when I
engaged single handed in the fight with the bold de-
fraudeTs OF the government backed by General Parker
Commissioner of Indian Affairs Covert attacks upon
and my motives, emanating from tho Interior De-
partment and the White House, teegraphed all
over the country But right trlumphed notwIhstand-


Secorld-When reliable documents confirmed by the
partial confession OF Indian Commissioner smith salts
fed me that he had cast in his lot with A. H. Wilder,
and had departed from the paths of truth and honesty
| felt in honor bound to inform Secretary Delano.
He certainly did not thank me for my frankness as
hope ever to thank any gentleman who puts my
guard about any officer under my supervision. He,
during long conversation, said it had been suggested
THAT desired to be Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
This supremely ridiculous that instead of being
veXed at the intentional insult, amused and in
terested at the fertility of invention manifested bv the
Indian Ring to destroy the force of testimony against
their nearious practices. This illustration is the more
torcble because Secretary Delano certainly knew that





of our working people into the Church, and that could
not be drawn aside by any political Office in the gift of
man.


The guilt of W. Boser, the fraudulent but favored
beef contractor, has been too clearly shown to need
further comment and when he is compelled to
restore to the Treasury all that he has taken
from IT illegally there will be a humiliatng
revelation. A. II. Wilder, of Minnesota, the still
moro highly favored ring contractor and personal
friend OF Secretaries Delano and Cowan and of Indian
Commissioner Smith, has made an open confession
showing that he is out Of prison only because of the
Of tha Into
Department Since the date Of my last letter Wilder
over his own signature admitted that he and his chef
clerk, Samuel Gordon, conspred together TO defraud
the government by the manufacture OF false vouchers
on which they obtained money from the Treasury Of
the United States


General Cowan, in a public letter addressed To me,
and recently in telegrams tried to excuse him.
self for fraudulent transaction with Wilder by quo
ting from the fabulous report of Deano investigating
commission. If that transaction comes before a
competent legal tribunal, it will undoubtedly be
proved that General Cowan and the Rev. E. T. Smith
conspired with A. IL Wilder to defraud the
Chippewa Indians for 81, 600 600 in a single
transaction and we will then learn how the profits were
to be divided 1t is true that my friend Bishop Whippe
acting not under the guidance of his head but under the
impulses Of his large heart which yearns toward the
clergy said he thought the kov. L. z. Smith had
fraudulent intent But in the letter he gave a
forcible illustration OF Pope's adage ''damning with
faint praise" by saying, 81 believe that the sale
mistake and illegal; that he had right to sell it with
out the consent Of the Indians, to whom II belonged;
that the mode of the sale (Hithou advertisng and in
parcel, and TO extend over twenty years,
wise" The Bishop also added this clause "a gentle
Of the highest character has offered to pay So per
thousand for this pine under the contract and ut
once repay Mr. Wilder for his advance.h The
contract with Mr. Wilder was at 81 Is per
thousand although the Rev r p Smith Rad
sold portion Of this timber belonging to certain
Of the Indians at 81 60 per thousand subject to their
approval This last named contract was cancelled
because the Indians disapproved, and yet Mr.. Smith
Immediately after sold the same timber 10 Wilder at
81 l5 with the full knowledge that the Indians had
6ae y Co. 6e GOO Ser y Bishop "hp nip To1d
while, If sold in lots at SO per thousand
the market value, as testified to before the
committee of the Minnesota Legislature, IL would
have produced 81 100000 the contract to
Wilder. General COwan and Indian Commissioner
Smith concealed this sale even from Secretary Deano
he averred, and then induced the Board Of Indian
Commissioners TO favor Wilder with beef contracts at
rather higher rates than other bidders which contracts
would not have been given 10 him had the Commits
sioners known Of the illegal and fraudulent sale of pine
timber, or had they suspected that Messrs- Deano,
Cowan or Smith had any joint transactions with
Wilder 1t seems, however, to be waste Of time TO
dwell these dsgraceiu transactions, except to ncito
the President and the people TO demand OF the law
officers of the district or OF the general government the
arrest of the officers of the Interior Department. in
accordance with the following letter, which the organ
Of the administration says is Of general application,
although originally directed TO the Secretary Of the
Treasury


Let guilty man escape if it bc avoided Be spec
Of fraud to be against all who nsnuate that they have high
U. s. GRANT


As an additional incentive to such action will en-





Assistant Secretary and the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs have each been guilty Of a gross 'misde-
meanor in Office" Executive document No. 1913 For
tythlrd Congress FIRST session. shows that Secretary c.
Deano has, over his own signature, confessed " q
knowledge OF, and participation IN, the repeated viola
tion OF of the United States made TO protect its
treasury and its Indian wards The Secretary there
confessed TO a knowledge of the following statute


By act of Congress approved July 15 1870 statutes
vol l6 D. 800, II made the duty of said Commits
TO supervise all expenditures Of money appro
priaed for the benefit of Indians in the United States
undt IN iugp n In liam In
connection with the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs
whose duty IL shall be 10 consult said Commissioners
IN making purchases Of such goods This provision
is part Of the Indian Appropriation bill AS the
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs has author
ity TO make any purchase until after he has con-
suited with the Board of Indian Commission
ers appointed by the President any attempt
on has part to act independently OF them in
making purchases clear violation Of law. Tho
Secretary Of the Interior and Assistant Secretary after
having been notified by the Board Of Indian Commits
OF and purchases in violation Of
Board had demonstrated against paying