Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1886 — An Unfortunate Appointment. [ARTICLE]

An Unfortunate Appointment.

A writer ip thd Indian Journal, who signs himself A. J. Greenway, get® after Agent Hoover in the following lively manner: “It sometimes becomes necessary to complain against government officers, and 1 have a complaint against Fred Hoover, agent lor the Osage tribe of Indians, who hails from Jasper county, Indiana. In the first place he obtained his appointment under circumstances that were dark aud vain. *** *. Now that agent is one of the most unqualified men that could be given the appointment. His office shows that none vs his official documents are correct, and that he was unable to post his cllyk into the ways of the office, owing to* his stupidity. -I-lie laborers w hich are hired by -tip quarter are not paid for the quarter? ending March 31, 1886, and the semiannual payment for the Osages is defer-

red because he and his clerk were incompetent to pfake out the necessary papers to bring the payment about. He came out to the ag<-nc v broke, and borrowed SI,OOO from a certain trader at the agency. When called upon to investigate certain charges against said trader, he only examined the witnesses that the latter recommended apd ignored those who were pointed out tq him, and then made out his report “qxparte.” He has no friends at the agency. He has shown iiimself to be incompetent in business aft’airs, as hn had everything mortgaged at home and expected to.realize a fortune out of bis office among the Osages. He imposed on good meif who went on his~ temporary bond, but who soon repented of their action and witlidrew, though unfortunately too late to get clear of his ignoraace practifod. for several months. He resigned, but no wonder. His bickers dropped him as he could not be coniirmed for several reasons. One was that whilst acting as state senator for Indiana, he was on a certain committee and that committee swindled the state out of thousands of dollars in a penitentiary affair. Another was that he is. known to be incompetent, and if hehad been conlirmed he would not have been able to give the - required bond. There could not have been a poorer man sent west by the democratic party if they had hunted all over christendom. It is a pity that the present administration has fallen into such a mistake to. send a mullet head so take charge of such a responsible position as agent of the Osage tribe, which draws $250,000 per annum. Parties sometimes make mistakes, but thin is a big one for Mr. Cleveland’s administration.