Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1886 — CORRESPONDENCE: [ARTICLE]

CORRESPONDENCE:

The Republican this week an_ nounces that E. (J. Nowels denies having received a tender of the P O. at this place from Hon. T. J 'v ood. It stands the Republican in hand to taee back also what it said of Hon. Fred. Hoover, afte digesting the following

Osage Agency, I. T., { Feb’y 7, 1886. \ Editor Sentinel, Rensselaer, Ind.: There appeared in the Republican of the 7th ult., an article concerning Hon. Fred. Hoover, which is not only an insult to his integrity, and his many friends, but is calculated to mislead the people, being as it is, false in nearly every particular, and the person who wrote it was either greatly misinformed, basely ignorant, or maliciously inclined. The article in question alleges among other things that Mr. Hoover has secured places or positions for all the members of his family in the Government service at this agency, and that many of his son’s wife’s people, through his influence held “fat jobs.” All this, with but one single exception, is false. The fact is, no member of Mr. Hoover’s family occupies any Government position here, except his daughter, Miss Eva, who is teacher in one of the primary rooms in the Boarding School.— This is not only permitted by law, but is sanctioned by the Department.

Mrs. Hoover, it is alleged, is Matron of the school. This is false. She does not occupy any Government position whatever.— The impotency of the statement that his son, who yet remains in Indiana, has a “fat job, and draws his pay regularly,” needs no comment. It is too absurd to be believed even by the mostcredulo s. Even if Mr. Hoover desired positions for all the members of his family he would be debarred by the laws of the Department from obtaining them, see sec. 33, Inst. 1880, and sec. 262, Inst. 1884, reading as follows;

“No relative or bondsman of any Indian agent shall be appointed to any position of any Indian agency without the authority of the Secre'ary of the Interior, except it be the wife, daughter or sister of the agent, either of whom, if competent, may be appointed to fill the position of school teacher, but in no event shall more than one of the above be employed in that capaciWhile only one member of Mp. Hoover’s family is in the Government service, and in a minor position at that, let us take a hasty glance at the management of his predecessor, the Hon Laban j. Miles:

The positions of Superintendent and Matron of the Boarding School his father and mother respectively filled for the first thr >e years of his service, when they resigned on account of old age. The Superintendent was of the venerable age of 73 years. Age and infirmity where yout ', efficiency and energ/ are required. In. their stead he appointed his cousin for Matron, who still serves ih that capacity, and her husband he made Superintend nt. Of his disgusting incompetency we will not speak. Two of their daughters were given minor positions.— Mr. Miles’ own wife and sister occupied positions as school teachers. There are three other important positions—Physician, Clerk and Superintendent—at Kaw Agency, which were filled by relatives of Mrs, Miles, wife of the agent. All these names appear upon the pay rolls of employes, and the fact of the existence of the consanguinity above mentioned is established.— Thus there was a continuous chain of relationship throughout from the humblest to the most exalted position in the agency. How Mr. Miles evaded tne strict rule of law above cited is inexplicable, but the

facts remain as a monument of their truthfulness. Out of more than one hundred applications to Mr. Hoover for office, ha selected two who applied and four who did not make any application, but were requested to accept positions because of their special fitness. That these were all Democrats is not denied. — 'These, together with‘two furnished by the Government, constitute the new force employed in this agency. There yet remains, or did remain up to December 28,1885, (at which dale two resigned) ten old employes whose salaries range from SIOOO to S3OO. It is unnecessary to say that they are without exception Republicans. A recent voluntary resignation (by an old employe) was tendered and accepted m order that a minister’s wife might fill +lie place.— This, together with a very liberal contribution from all agency employes was a sufficient inducement to secure the services of the minister, a luxury heretofore, at this place, unknown.

Notwithstanding this agency, since its founding, has been strictly under the auspices of the “God and morality” party, it was left to the “unwashed, the unclean” to institute reform, regenerate and minister to the spiritual wants of this benighted people. The minister is a Methodist; in politics a Republican. There yet remain seven old employes out of eighteen, whose salaries range from SIOOO to S3OO. From these figures it will be seen that Mr. Hoover has guarded discreetly the appointing power vested L. him, regardless or clamorous office-seekers. He has not abused it by a wholesale dismissed of experienced emjsi6y£s for the purpose of making room for some of the “outs”, as has been alleged. The changes which have been made, were made with an eye single to the good of the service.— That he will make other dismissals wherever incompetency is discovered, regardless of political faiih, emploves may expect. This is the true status of things under the management or the “specimen reformer,” all of which may be easily verified. It would seem that a country editor is assuming a little more importance than the law presumes him to possess, when he thinks he can b?lie an honorable member of society with lies of the vilest character and then refuse to correct the false impressions which his lies have created, at the same time knowing them to be lies, and still assume an air of defiance both to the injured and to the law. Such conduct is unwarranted by any law that recognizes the sacred rights of man. And the penalty prescribed by law for such an offense should be inflicted to the fullest extent. This conduct of the Republican is not an isolated case. It seems to be chronic with all such despicable, eontemptiblc, nosing, narrowcontracted, brainless Republican newspapers as the one under consideration, and it is high time to make an example of one of them. Their habitations are in every quarter of the country. The bodv and soul of their complaints are that some principles of the civil service law are being violated, and when a dishonest or incompetent clerk is discharged from public service, some one, in consequence, must be the target for a torrent of infamous lies.

These are evils, abuses of privileges, which are incident to the great object of our Constitution, to secure the liberty and freedom of speech to all fair-minded, honest men of our land. And it is the duty of society to frown put of existence these abuses of privileges, so gratuitously given to all. To this end we have enacted laws, but some men feel safe in defying them, because they have no property that may be subject to Judgment. To those, it might not be out of place to say that the doors of the county jails are yawning for such, and the sooner tney are in

their place the better it will be for respectable society.

HICKORY.