The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-05-05
THE BUREAU OF CATHOLIC IN
DIAN MISSIONS.

This is a powerful organization for
promoting Catholicism among Indians,
and to this end it seeks to secure the
largest possible number of Catholics in
the Government Indian service. AS a
result of these efforts many Indian
Agents, their clerks and other en-
plOyees are Catholics. 1t has made a
special point of securing the control of
as many government schools as prac-
ticable, several of which are entirely
differed by Catholics, and r as
absolutely parOchial schools for the
distinct propagation of Catholicism, as
if they were supported by Church
Mission funds. instead of public funds.
The Roman Catechism is the basis of
all the instruction, the mass is cele-
brated in some of them, and special
pains are taken to drill the pupils in
all the rites and ceremonies OF the
Catholic Church. This Bureau has
accomplished it's greatest work, per
haps, In procuring immense sums of
public money for the support of its
mission schools. The growth of these
appropriations is seen In the following
exhibit: The amounts secured have
been as follows: 1886, Sis, 343; 1887,
1894, 635; 1888, 1921 1863; 1889, $347, 672;
1890, 1856, 957; 1891, 1868, $40.
The Bureau is in close contact with
the Cardinal and all the hierarchy,
and can summon to Washington at
short notice very powerful support
archbishops, bishops, priests, and in
fuential laymen to wait upon the
President, or to lobby with Senators
and members of Congress in order to
carry through any scheme it has on
hand, such as securing new legislation,
influencing appointments, or defeating
measures which they regard as in any
way detrimental to the interests Of
Catholicism.
During the last administration, the
superintendent of Indian Schools, Mr..
Riley, was a Catholic, as was the Chief
of the Education Division In the Indian
Bureau, his first assistant, and princi-
palclerk. The Commissioner of Indian
Affairs was ~subservient to Catholic
interests, and in fact the Indian Blu
reau was completely dominated by the
Catholic Bureau, in consequence of
which the government Indian schools
were neglected, and the Catholic
schools fostered in every possible
way.
When the present Commissioner an
nounced his intention of developing a
system of nOn-partisan, nOn-sectarlan
government Indian schools, modelled
after the public schools, the Catholic
Bureau Immediately became alarmed,
and entered upon a most vigorous
campaign to Obstruct his work. The
Catholic Congress assembled in Balti-
more appointed a strong delegation,
with Bishop Ireland at it's head, to
wait upon the President, and demand
that he should recall the nomination
of General Morgan, which he declined
to do.
The head of the Catholic Bureau
then filed charges before the Senate
Committee, accusing the Commissioner
Of falsehood, bigotry and dishonor,
and a tremendous outside pressure
was brought to bear upon individual
Senators to induce them to vote against
his confirmation. The attempt was
made to combine the Democrats against
him as a party measure, but without
success. An effort was then made to
secure enough votes to defeat him
from among Republican Senators. and
among those thus. influenced, were
Pierce, of North Dakota, and Ingalls,,
of Kansas, both of whom have just
failed of reelection. But nOtwith-
standing all these efforts, the Com
missioner was confirmed.
In the papers submitted to the Senate
the Catholic Bureau made a violent
attack upon government schools, with
a view of preventing an increase of
appropriations for them, but Congress
voted nearly half a million dollars
more for Indian education than ever
before, raising the amount to nearly
two million dollars.
During the past year articles ema-
mating from Washington, and presum-
ably inspired by the Catholic Bureau,
assailing the Commissioners policy
and personal character, have been
widely published, and apparently no
pains have been spared to weaken his
hands and destroy his work. Indians
have been instructed not to ~patrOnize
the government schools, and have been
told that if their children went to these
institutions they would die and go to
hell. A petition drawn up in Wash
ingtOn was sent to a certain tribe and
circulated for signatures, protesting
against the establishing of a govern
ment school among them, but when,
questioned about it, the Indians did
not seem to know what it was they had
signed.
When the Sioux troubles arose an
effort was made to throw the blame
upon the Commissioner, and Father
Craft" who was once expelled from
the Sioux country for melting the In
dams to 6sloyalty, published a pre-
tended interview with Chief Red Cloud,
complaining bitterly of the Interior
Department. This interview has been
pronounced spurious by DR.. Bland, the
personal friend and correspondent of
to the Freeman's Journal. laws the
blame of the trouble upon 1.-THE blum
ders and cruelties of the Commits
SiOner."