Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-25
INDIAN SCHOOLS
Bring on a Religious Debate in
the Senate.
THE CHURCH OF ROME COMMENDED,

And the Jesuits Landed as the Most Sue
cessfui Indian Teachers-Eccis siasticaI
Education Preferred to secular-Com-
ment on the Behring Sea Cprrespon-
dence-BIaine Indorsed-Some Further
Eatracts-The Bankruptcy Bill Passed
by the House-Omcial Items.
WASHINGTON CITY, July 25.-The discus
sion of the Indian appropriation bill in the
senate yesterday brought up the religious
question as applied to the education of the
Indians. The amendment under consid-
Grafton was one increasing the appropria
ton for the support of Indian schools from
si00, 900 to $3.50, 600, and the popularity of
the debate was that several senators ia
yored denominational education rather
than secular-in other words, reversing
the principles of education obi aiming in
this country, so far as the nGians are
concerned, and antagopizing the tendency
of the government to abolish denomina-
tional education and supplant it with ma
tional non-ecclesiastical schools.
Vest Commends the Jcsuits.
Vest opposed the amendment ssthe in
PRODUCTION of asystem intended 10 abolish
UNCONVENTIONAL education among the In
dams. He spoke of an official visit which
he had made to an Indian agency seven or
eight years ago and of his observation
of the work of the Roman Catholic
church in educating the Indians.
The Jesuits had succeeded better than any
other people living in the education of
Indians Whatever prejudice-if that was
the proper word-he might have against
the Society of Jesus, he had to say that
much as an educated protestant If the
Roman Catholics were doing better in
educating the Indians than other denom-
nations he WAS in favor of the Catholics,
and if the Presbyterians or the Baptists
| were doing better, he wasin favor of them.
Roms's Success in the Field.
But he was convinced that the Roman
| Catholics were far more efficient among
the Indians than any Protestant denomi-
nation could be. No other denomination
| could take their place, because the In
| dians, like other people emerging from
barbarism, had received religious impress
sions that were permanent. He did not
oare whether it might be called religion
Catholics and would remain So. Teller
also spoke of the Roman Catholics as the
most successful educators of Indians.
Jones of Arkansas argued that cheap
contract schools ought to be maintained;
and no feeling of seetarian prejudice
| ought TO he allowed TO operate against a
| church simply because it had shown a
| disposition TO go forward and spend more
| money and exercise more thought and la
| Dor and diligence in the good work than
| other churches or denominations had
| done.
| Davis Says a Good Word for Rome.
| Davis also opposed the amendment, and
spoke of the efforts of Roman Catholic
| missionaries at the Blackfee- agency,
| These good people. he said, had applied to
those philanthropIc ladies, tie Misses
| Drexel, of Philadelphia, and had obtained
so, 600, which they had expended in a
| school building recently completed. These
| men were now to he told not only that
there was to be government school put
| on that reservation in competition with
| them, but that they were to have no con-
tract whatever for the edu ,ation of
the Indians, as had been plainly implied
| in the correspondence between the COM
missioner of Indian affairs and the per-
sons in authority in the enterprise.
| Policy of the Administration.
| In advocating an amendment To strike
| out items aggregating $50, coo for educat-
| ing Indians at 81. Joseph's school. Renssa-
laer, Ind, and the Holy Family school.
Blsckfeet agency, Mont, Dawes said the
object was TO keep the appropria ion down
70 the amount now in the bill as far as
possible. He referred TO the controversy
/ L.
dian bureau came in, brought about by
the inquiry made by other demo limitations
as to the discrepancy between the amounts
| spent on their institutions and the amount
spent on Roman Catholic schools. The
present bureau favored divorcing the gov
eminent from parochial schools but had
found that this was not feasible The com
mittee had thought it best not 10 enlarge
the connection of the governm ent with
these institutions
| Association of Church and State.
Reagan and George argued against the
| association of church and state and in
| reply Davis said that this was a very seri-
1 Gus business matter. The government
had right to take advantage of the facil-
tiles which the pioneers of Christianity
| offered 10 IL. As TO the association OF
| church and state it was only when the in
fluences of Christianity had been brought
| to bear on the minds of the Ind ans that
| they had made the least step towards
| civilization. Call a member of the com.
mittee on appropriations, opposed the
amendment and eulogized the work of the
Catholic church in the matter Of Indian
| education. The senate rejected tile amend
ment
| THE BEHRlNG SEA DIPLOMACY.
Senators Commend Blaine's Course and
| TEL