Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-12
TIE HON. UPsTARr UPyHlW,


Upshaw is the name of a male person,
holding subordinate position in the In
dian bureau. But he is not a subordinate
person himself-not If he properly esti-
mates his Importance, personal and official.
He thinks he is bigger man than the pres
ident, and possibly he is, as it seems to be
the fact the president approves of his small
and unreasoning tyranny. Mr.. Atkins ID
Indian commissioner, but this thing, Up
shaw, over-rides him and assumes to run
the Indian bureau, and the administration
occasionally wakes up and grunts at him.
approvingly. The Upshaw order, forbid
ding the use of the Sioux language-in
which the Bible and the mission books are
printed-has, Missionary Riggs says, ''seri-
ously crippled the mission schools in out
stations" and has also greatly interfered
with the theological department and nor
NAL work at Santee."
President Cleveland has been repeatedly
appealed to, in vain. The Philadelphia
Methodist Episcopal conference protested
against this ruling. but the president, after
one or two unimportant concessions, declined
to afford relief, asserting that ''the policy
will be continued" The Adudnce, of
Chicago, says: 1--WE shall see. The
American people will have something to
say on this matter" And Rev. DIR. NJ. Z.
Strictly, of the American Missionary assO-
citation, in the american Missionary. for
May, shows the injustice of the presidents
Indian policy" as follows:
The gravamen of the objections urged in
all this controversy is that the government
has no right to interfere tcitt these mission
schools; in the first place, in excluding ali
use of vernacular in contract schools, even
for religious instruction, and in the next
place, in controlling the studies of the mis-
sion schools supported lchOly by mission
dry money and in excluding white
teachers from vernacular schools. The
missionary societies have found by long ex-
perieDce that these mission schools in which
the vernacular is taught, especially in re-
mote places, are the most effective, and in
many cases, the only modes by which the
people can be reached by the Gospel. The
pupils are taught to read the Bible, and 1t
is carried by them to their homes. Now we
ask, is 1t the function of the government Of
the United States to dictate In matters so
purely religious and to override the Chris |
tian churches in the choice of their most
approved methods of disseminating the
Gospelp
Most assuredly, 1t is not. So much as to
Upshaw, who is soon likely to be known |
as Down-shaw, for the Springfield Mass,
J2e,,,.bIsor, ;p aopaa linr of tha ruporod /
resignation of Civil Service Commissioner |
Oberly, suggests that this probably means |
that Oberly is to succeed Indian Commits |
sioner Atkins, and ''the consequent sup
preston of that consumnate nuisance. Up
shaw, who has made political junk-shop
Of the bureau and sadly discredited the ad-
of Mr.. Cleveland" But Mr..
Cleveland approved this discreditable action
let it be remembered. The Republican
idds that Atkins, while good man, has
,een run over by Upshaw, and says that it |
s hardly probable that Oberly would be, as
le is strong man and has shown true
appreciation of the Indian question, which
will make every friend of the Indian and
# the good name of the nation relieved and
lad to see him managing Indian affairs.n
Now let us see if Cleveland has the cour-
Ige to make one more good nomination and
o revise his policy! If he has not, it will
'e revised for him-and will be anyhow,
fter the 4th of March.
Since writing the foregoing we find that
hat the Ohio State Association of Congre-
which has just closed Its an
ual meeting at Tallmadge, near Akron,
made the following utterance on the ad-
ILdian policy:
Whereas, We regard the rights to enjoy
nd teach the Gospel of Christ to our fellow
american citizens; and
1lly among the Indians without the use of
be Bible and other books in the Indian
therefore,
Resolved, That we, the Congregational
ssociation of Ohio. while sympathizing
nth the purpose of the national govern
lent to hasten the acquaintance of Indian
ribes with the English tongue. do hereby
but earnestly and Indignantly
rotest against what seems to us its unwar- I
anted and despotic usurpation OF power,
4 forbidding the use of the Indian vernac-
lar In those independent mission schools
nth which the government has absolutely
o connection and for which it has no re-
II
That we cannot wonder that our devoted I
,achers and missionaries in such schools 8
lould feel justified in going on as usual ,
18th their good work, in utter disregard Of
lis impracticable and un-American order |,
hich smacks Of the spirit of the Turkish
nd Russian government rather than that of Z
Ie constitution of the United States. And @
e further suggest that it might be wise !
II the American Missionary association,
case the Indian commissioner should
tempt to enforce the order, to try the ex-
ediency of having served upon him an
junction, to the end that the validity of L
e order might be tested by the supreme t
urt. d
That we urge upon the government as q il
lty and demand as a right that the objec- 9
,nable order be rescinded at the earliest :,
,ssible moment.