The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-23
The Indian Bureau and Catholic Missions,

The Indian Bureau and Catholic Missions. |
The recent rupture OF tho relations be-
tween tho Indian Onlco and tho Bureau OF
Catholic Indian Missions Is tho moro to be
regretted since they had just reached n
friendly understanding by which tho friction
and i'll feeling OF years should have
been diminished. or course. the Catholic
Indian schools will not be directly In
jured by the new trouble. since they
will continue to receive their duo proportion
OF the Government allowance for the num-
Der Of pupils they educate; and Mr.. MORGAN
may be all the more circumspcct In looking
out for them now that he refuses to recog-
nize the Bureau OF Missions that has hereto
fore presided over their interests. Still, this
bureau itself has been very useful. and has
taken great pride in its duties; and 1t will
be blow to it for the Government as
represented by the Commissioner OF Indian
Affairs, to ignore it completely.
The origin of the difficulty Is obvious.
The various religious bodies OF the country
long ago. in sending their missionaries to
the aborignes, found it necessary to pursue
the same system rs they adopt in evangel-
izing foreign lands, that OF founding schools
In which some general instruction is added
to religious teaching. When the Govern
ment entered upon its task OF educating the
Indians. it supported these schools on the
reservations BY making allowances OF money
to them in proportion to the number OF pu-.
pills they educated, and also founded schools
Of its own. Commissioner MORGAN on
being appointed by President HARRISON
to take charge OF the Indian Office. adopted
the policy Of refusing to ask Congress for
any appropriations for new religious schools.
While agreeing to continue to support the
existing contract schools, he declared his
| purpose to bring about rs soon as possible
complete system OF purely Government
schools under tho direct control OF the H.
dian Bureau. Tho Roman Catholic Church
was at that time, as now, contributing more
to the support OF Its schools among the In
dams than all the other societies combined
and was also, OF course, from tho great
number Of children educated In these schools
receiving much greater per capita
allowance than all the other contract
schools together. They accordingly re-
scented tho announced policy OF the new
| Commissioner as q blow chiefly aimed
at them. 1t further happened that in
the Government Indian schools several
Catholic instructors We're removed by
the new Commissioner. As Commissioner
MORGAN had been. and DIR. DORCHESTER,
his Superintendent OF Indian schools, still
was minister OF different denomina-
ton, tho Catholics suspected them Of prciu-
dice, and strovo hard but unsuccessfully to
defeat their confirmation by tho Senate.
The question whether the contract school
system should DO checked where 1t Is or con-
tinue to be extended. permits an honest and
intelligent difference OF opinion, and the Op-
position to tho confirmation OF Commission
or MORGAN OH that ground was perfectly
justiliable. Congress itself set aside
his general policy, In ono or moro
instances. by making appropriations fol-
new contract schools. But the Bureau
of Catholic Missions made tho mistake OF
taking into its service person whom the
Commissioner had discharged, and who
recently caused to be published an article
which bitterly and apparently without
reason represented tho trouble with thu
Moquis us being due to Mr. MoRGANs pig
headed hostility to contract schools.
The Commissioner sent for Father CHAP
PELLE OF tho Catholic Bureau. who dis
claimed responsibility for the article. which
had panied and shocked him. and added thai
no had reprimanded its author. The Com
missioner responded that this was only thu
latest OF series OF malignant attacks from
that source that had been going on for two
years. and that In view OF the relation
which that body desired to maintain witt
the Government Its servants indiscretiol
had been 80 gross and public that he ough
to DO discharged. To this Father CHAP
PELLE would not Immediately agree, ant
, there he made mistake. When this ser
want was found to have misused his new
: post to attack his former superior, the in
ference as to personality OF motive was alto
, gether too strong for the Catholic Bureau t.
shield him. He had broken up an amicabl
) understanding Of great Importance, and
, Commissioner MORGAN was willing to al
cept him as the scapegoat for all the attack
. which had emanated from time to time fror
. the bureau. the Inter should have iumDe