The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-25
SENATE PRocEEDINGs.
Indian Appropriation Passed After De
bate on Public Schools.


bate on Public Schools.
WAsHINGToS CITY, July 24-In the Senate
Morgan introduced q bill to fix limit of value
and to provide for the free coinage OF silver re-
fered to committee on finance. 1t recites that
the market value OF silver bullion is rapidly ap-
preaching the value OF gold on the standard re-
lation fixed by the laws of the United States.
and that there is no provision OF law for the
coinage of standard silver dollars or for the pur.
chase of silver bullion by the government,
when the value of silver bullion exceeds 81 for
S7il< grains OF pure silver. 1t therefore provides
that this unit of value in the United States shall
be dollars of 4l21S grains standard silver or 25s
grains gold, that these coins shall be legal tender
for all debts, public and private. that any owner
mint to be formed into dollars or bars for his
benefit without charge.
He called the special attention OF the finance
committee to the bill, which he said was the
same as had already received majority of sew
enteen in the Senate. He had introduced il be-
cause he was convinced that in the rapid ad-
vance of the price of silver bullion in the mar
kets OF the world the time is not now far dis
tant, to say the least. when silver and gold
bullion will be ON a par with each other. When
that time did arrive, the Law as it now stood
would not permit the government to buy silver
bullion ii there was any shade of appreciation
in its price beyond the prizes of gold There was
no provision of law for the coinage of silver ex-
cept that purchased before silver reached that
point In view of what appeared to be in the
air, as wen as on the laud and sea, in regard To
the immediate future of the country, he thought
it would be well enough to make provision so
that silver or gold tullion would not be with
drawn from the United States by other inter-
ested governments and boarded up in their
great banking institutions.
Consideration of the Indian appropriation
bill was resumed. The amendment which pro.
voked discussion was one increasing an ap-
preparation of 900 for support OF Indians to
$15o,000, including the construction of a school
building at the Blackfoot agency. Vest opposed
the amendment as the introduction of system
intended to abolish denominational education.
He spoke OF a visit he made to an Indian agency
seven or eight years ago, and of his observation
of the work of the Catholic church in educating
indians. Tae school building which had been
cree ted by the church was standing unoccu-
pied because the agent would not permit
Catholic teachers to teach the Indians. The
Jesuiis had succeeded better than any others in
the education OF Indians. Whatever prejudice
he might have against the Jesuits he had TO say
that much, as an educated Protestant.
Davis also opposed the amendment, and
spoke of the efforts of Catholic missionaries at
the Blackfoot agency. These good people ap-
piled to the philanthropic Misses Drexel. of
haa expended in q school recently completed.
These men were now to be told not only that
there was to be q government school put on that
reservation, but they were to have no contract
whatever for the education of the Indians, as
had been plainly implied in the correspondence
between the commissioner of Indian affairs and
persons in authority in the enterprise.
Vest explained his views to be that If Catholics
were doing better than others, he was in favor of
Catholics and If Presbyterians and Baptists
were doing better. he wss in favor OF them.
but he was convinced that the Catholics were
more efficient among the Indians than auy
Protestant organization No other denomina-
ton could take their place. because the Indians,
like all other people emerging from barbarism,
hsd received religious impressions that were
permanent. He did not care whether it were
called religion or superstition. The Indians
were Catholics and would remain SO. There
were some tribes, however which had received
from some peculiar personal influences direc-
ton towards some Protestant denomination.
The discussion was continued by Teller, who
also spoke of the Catholics as the most success
ful educators OF Indians, and by Jones, who
gave figures to show the great difference in ex-
pense between government schools and those
carried on by religious sects. He ridiculed the
idea put forth by the commissioner of Indians
as TO the necessity of education for Indian chill
dren, and said IL was much more important for
them TO learn how 10 carry ON farming and
build houses. After further debate the amend
ment was agreed to.
An amendment appro rriating s65,0o0 for the
erection of an industrial school near Flandreau,
n. D., was agreed to. also like amendment for
an industrial school nesr Manden, y. D.
An amendment was then taken up 10 strike
two items one of 8, $50 for the support and eau-
cation of sixty Indian pupils at St Joseph Nor
NAL school. Rensselaer,. Ind. snd one of 81, 500
for leo Indian children at Holy Family Indian
school, Blackfoet agency. Dawes spoke of the
relatively large appropriations made for Catholic
Indian schools. The amount for 1859 was $780,
O0e against s204, 900 for the schools of all other
There was an efficient, urgent
and active Catholic bureau Of missions in Wash
iugton Cify which was very earnest in pushing
Catholic Indian schools on the government
The Indian bureau having declined TO enter
into a contract for three new schools in Indiana,
California and Montana, this mission bureau
had gone to the House and obtained the inser-
ton of IL. The Senate committee thought il
would allow the item for California
schools, because it belonged TO q mission
which had been st work in Southern
California for twenty-five yesrs. II he wished
to discuss the differences between Catholic and
other schools he would want no better object
lesson than the difference between the Mission
Indians ia sou:heen California and the aggress-
i've Cheyennes and ArspahoeS The Mission
Indians had been under the influence of the
Catholic church rs years, and were today as
incapable OF seif-support as so many babes. The
committee on appropriations shrank from doing
anything that might awaken religious discus-
sion. That was why the committee recon-
mended striking out the Items for schools in