The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-28
This Indian Commissioner Arouses
the Ire Of the Catholic Mis-
sion Bureau.
Morran's Principal Work Has
Been to Drive Them From
the Field.
Peaceful Disposition OF the Catholic In
dians-Antics of tho Functional
Egotist and Misft.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-The present COM
missioner of Indian affairs has aroused the
ire Of the Catholic bureau OF Indian mis-
sions in a way that few government OIL
Gals or public men have ever found it ad-
vantageous to do. He is a very strong man
II he can successfully withhold from the
Catholic missions that recognition which
his predecessors have given and which con-
gress intends that he shall continue to
give.
Speaking of reforming the present method
Of managing Indian affairs, o. Of the man
ayers Of the Catholic mission bureau said:
begin the work by removing Morgan.
who has proven himself the most inefficient
officer til at ever held high public place.
The stream can't rise higher than its source,
and while this incompetent man is at the
head of affairs matters are certain to go
from bad to worse. Not an employe under
him has any confidence in his ability or re-
spect for his word"
Senator Dawes says his schemes and fad s
for civilizing the Indians are visionary; In
gals calls him a functional egotist;" the
secretary of the interior says Morgan is a
misft. All the senators who voted against
his confirmation are glad now that they did
SO, since their course 10 now justified by the
present condition of things. Many others
who voted for him say they are sorry they
did so. On all sides it is admitted that he
should be removed at once, and sent back to
his old job OF teaching school in Rhode
Island, and a strong man placed at the head
of this important bureau.
Morgan has turned his back OF all sources
of information, and the Catholic bureau in
10 rAntH -. ~4A r. &h~ .rSrA
ter. Ever since the creation of the Indian
Office every Indian commissioner that pre-
coded Morgan hos been glad to avail him
self of the information of the Catholic mis-
sionaries. The latter were in the field, were
in close touch with the Indians, had their
confidence and were in position from OBJ
Servation to give the commissions facts
not otherwise o~btainable; but Morgan early
in his official career shut off this important
factor, and by methods far from creditable.
His crusade against Catholic employees,
driving all such employees, democrats and
ice in the Indian Territory within the first
quarter of his holding office, made the
Catholic missionaries avoid the Indian Of
fee as they would a snake. Even Arch
bishop Ireland, the intellectual giant of
the northwest. republican though he is,
and a frequent visitor to the Indian office
during former administrations, never
crosses its threshold now. He always had
a place in his large mind and heart for the
Indian. and it is worthy of note that the
Indians under his control are at peace to-
day. An investigation shows that this is
true of all Catholic Indians.
It seems incredible that in this age an of
fetal of the government would permit his
bigotry to carry him so far. Since the time
of the Franciscan friars in 1896 down to
the Irish -martyrs, Crafts and Stephans Of
to-day, tie Catholic missionaries have been
to the forefront in efforts to civilize the
Indian. The Catholic church has spent
many times more money than all the other
denominations put together. Yet this man
Morgan's principal work since he became
COMMISSIONS has been to drive these faith
full workers out of the field. He has been
priest-hunting when ho should have been
feeding his Indians the rations voted them
by congress-. He has been issuing circulars
to his physicians directing them at stated
times to instruct the Indians on the effect
certain foods have on the digestive organs
it would have been more to the point had he
told thsm the effect certain foods they do
not get have on the digestive machine.