Evening journal., 1890-07-25
The House Jnry Featnro.
n tl,e senate.

" AAoAAAf1AAA8 JtlA1 All ulAt Htudub lllt
Indian appropriation bill was finally
passed, most Of the day being spent in the
discussion Of the question Of denomina-
tional Indian schools.
An amendment increasing an appropria-
tion of 100000 for the support Of the In
dian schools to sl5O00O, including the con-
struction Of a school building at BlacBfeet
agency, Mon, brought Mr. Vest to his
feet. He opposed the amendment as the
introduction Of system intended to abol-
ish denominational education among the
Indians.
Religion and the Indian.
He spoke Of an official visit which he
made to an Indian agency seven or eight
years ago and of his observation Of the
work Of the Catholic church in educating
the Indians. a school building which had
been erected there by the Catholic church
was then standing unoccupied because the
agent would not permit the Jesuits to
teach any Of the Indian children. The
Jesuits had succeeded better than any
other people living in the education OF the
Indians.
Mr.. Vest explained his position to be that
II the Catholics were doing better in edu-
eating the Indians than other denomina-
tiOn he was in favor of the Catholics, and
were doing better 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 received religious impressions that
were permanent
The Work a Catholic Missionaries.
Mr.. Davis also opposed the amendment
and spoke of the efforts Of Catholic mis-
sionaries at the Blackfeet agency These
good people, he said, had applied to those
philanthropic ladies, the Misses Drexel, Of
Philadelphia, and had obtained so, 600
which they had expended in a school
building recently completed.
These men were now to be 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 education Of the In
dians as had been plainly implied in the
correspondence between the commissioner
OF Indian affairs and the persons in au-
thority in the enterprise. Senators Teller
and Jones (Ark both spoke of Catholics
as the most successful educators of In
dians. The amendment was agreed to-
Church and State,
The amendment proposing to strike ont
an item Of s., 800 for the support and edu-
cation Of sixty Indian pupils at ST. Jo-
seph's Normal school at Rensselaer,, Ind,
and one of s12, 800 for 100 Indian children
at the Holy Family Indian school, Black
foot agency, Mon, provoked discussion.
Mr. Dawes said the present Indian bureau
favored divorcing the government from
parochial schools, but had found that this
was not feasible. The senate committee
had thought it best not to enlarge the con-
nection of the government with these in
stitutons. The Indian bureau had refused
20 enter into contract for the three new
schools in Indiana, California and Mon
tana The mission bureau had then gone
TO the house and had these three items in
serted. The California school the senate
committee had thought it best to leave In
tho bill because it belonged to the mission
which had been at work in southern Cali
fornia for 1e5 years. If he wished to dis
cHss the difference between Catholic and
other schools, Mr. Dawes said he would
wish no better illustration Khan The differ
anoe between the mission Indians Of south
Tn California and the aggressive Chey-
cnues and ArapahOes. But the senate
committee had shrunk from doing any
thlng to preoipitate a religious discussion
W<@sa sonld do no enc any good Mr..