The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-25
JESUITE MISSIONS.

the Senate Yesterday.
WASHINGTON, July 2i.-The senate to-
day continued the discussion of the Indian
appropriation bill.
An amendment which provoked much
discussion was the one increasing the APP
preparation Of 100000 for the support of
Indian schools to S150,0O including the
construction of a school building at the
Blackfoot agency, Montana.
Vest opposed the amendment, as the
introduction of system intended to
abolish denominational education among
the Indians. He spoke Of n visit he made
to an Indian agency seven or eight
years ago and of his observation of the
work of the Catholic church i'm educating
the Indians. The school building, he
said, which had been erected by the Cath
Ollie church was standing unoccupied be-
cause the agent would not permit the
Jesuits to teach any Indian children.
And yet the Jesuits had succeeded better
than any other people living I'm the educa-
ton of the Indians. Whatever prejudice
he might have against the society of
Jesuits, he felt bound TO say that much.
As an educated protestant Davis also
opposed the amendment and spoke OF the
efforts of the Catholic missionaries at the
Blackfoot agency. Those good people
had applied to those philanthropic ladies,
the Misses Drexel OF Philadelphia, and
had obtained $4,000 which they
expended i'm the school building
recently completed. These men were now
To be told, not only that there was 10 be n
government school put on that reserva-
ton in competition with them, but that
they were To have no control whatever of
the education of the Indians, as has been
plainly implied in the correspondence be-
tween the commissioner of Indian affairs
and persons in authority in the enterprise.
Vest explained his position To
be; that, IL the Catholics were do
ing better i'm educating the Indians
than other denominations, he was
in favor of the Catholics, and il the
Presbyterians or Baptists were doing bet
ter, he was in favor of them. But he was
convinced that the Catholics were far
more efficient among the Indians than
any Protestant denomination could be.
No other denomination could take their
place because the Indians, like all other
people emerging from barbarism, had re-
ceived religious impressions that were
permanent. He did not care whether it
might be called religion or superstition,
the Indians were Catholics and would re-
main Catholics. There were some tribes,
however, which had received from some
peculiar personal influences a direction
towards some particular Protestant de-
nomination.
The discussion was continued by Teller
who also spoke of the Catholics as the
most successful educators OF the Indians
and by Jones Of Arkansas, who gave
figures to show the great difference in the
expense between government schools for
denominations. He ridiculed the idea put
forward by the commissioners of Indian
affairs as to the necessity of his education
| for the Indian children and said il was
much more important for them TO learn
how to carry on farms, build houses and
| raise cattle. After further debate the
| amendment was agreed to.
An amendment appropriating $4,000
for the erection Of an industrial school
near Flandreau, South Dakota, was agreed
to as was also a like amendment for an
industrial school near Mandan, North Da-
| kota.
Amendments were made to strike out
two items, one of $500 for support and
education of 60 Indian pupils at the St.
| Joseph normal school, Rensziler, Indiana,
and one Of sl2,50 for 100 Indian children
at the Holy Family Indian school, Black.
foot agency, Montana.
Dawes spoke OF the relatively large ap,
preparations made for Catholic Indian
schools, the amount for 1889 being
S356,000 against S304,00O for schools
of all other denominations. There
was a very efficient and urgent and
| active Catholic bureau of missions in
Washington city which was very earnest
in pushing Catholic Indian schools on
the government. The Indian bureau
having declined 10 enter into a contract
for three new schools in Indiana, Cali
fornia and Montana, this mission bureau
had gone 10 the house aud obtained the
the insertion of il. IL was thought the
senate committee would allow the item
for the California school because IL be-
longed to a mission which had been at
work i'm Southern California for lbs years.
| III he wished to discuss the differences be-
l fasl. ..la usah thsar ERll lts
would want no better object lessons that
the difference between the mission In
dians in Southern California and the
| aggressive Cheyennes and Araphoes. The
mission Indians had been under the in-
fluence of the Catholic church l25 years
and were to-day as incapable of self sup
\ port as so many babes.
The committee OH appropriations