The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-20
THEY WENT TOO FAR.
Commissioner Morgan criticizes
the Catholic Indian Bureau.
ACCEPTED THE APPROPRIATION
And then Abused Him Srerciiessly,
He says--Tather Chapelle Answers
HIm.--cardInal Gibbons Dcplorcs
tho Observation-Disclosures Over the
Newspapers Attacks.

WASHINGTON, July 1871 do moi
know that 1 can add anything to these
letters which am giving to the press
said Indian Commissioner Morgan yes.
terday afternoon, indicating by awaye
ofhis hand file of typewritten matter,
81 think I have pretty fully explained
in them my reasons for desiring to deal
with the Indian schools without recoy-
milton Of this Catholic bureau, which
has been all along an anomalous arm Of
the government in the management Of
the schools.
"Now, I thing I may have been some
what misrepresented, even by my
friends. am not an anti-Catholic fa-
matte. respect the Catholic as 1 do any
other churchs. But neither it nor any
other denomination should be permitted
to build up its membership by means
OF the money and other assistance of
the government. The missions have
done great good, but when the mana
gers OF these Catholic schools begin to
arrogate themselves powers in their
management superior to the powers Of
the government and 10 make tie gov
crnmeut tool OF Catholic bureau,
which is determined to rule or ruin any
one who stands in its way, it is time to
call halt.
WILL DEAL DIRECTLY WITH SCHOOLS.
II shall henceforth deal directly with
the schools. No teachers will be re-
moved for the mere reason that they
are Catholics, but if We find that secu-
lar education is neglected in the inter-
ests OF teaching the peculiar tenets OF
the Catholic or any other church, We
shall be very prompt and decisive in
our action. It would have been exact
~ the same II authorities Of any other
denomination had pursued the course
followed by this Catholic bureau. 1t is
not any anti-Catholic feeling of mine,
but arrogance exhibited by this bureau
and its yillifcation Of the Indian
Bureau of the government, that has led
to this decision to ignore the Catholic
managers henceforth. They have over
reached themselves and must take the
humiliating consequences. But too
much is being said OF the whole matter.
The simple fact is that the Indians are
wards OF the government and must be
managed by the government solely and
alone in all matters pertaining to their
education and temporal welfare"
The letters referred to are in rather
vigorous language The first is from
Commissioner Morgan to Father Chap
ellie, vice president of the Catholic
Missions bureau. Mr.. Morgan says:
MoRGAS's LETTER TO FATHER CHAPELLE.
On entering upon my present duties
expressed my preference for the gov
eminent rather than the contract sys-
TEN, as being more in harmony with
the American idea OF education by
means OF the public schools. At the
same time l stated that the schools
maintained by the government for the
education OF the Indians should be
strictly non-sectarian and non-partisan;
and, further, that the appropriation OF
public funds to sectarian institutions
was, in my opinion, contrary to the
spirit il not the letter OF the constitu-'
ton and opposed to public policy. /
said, however, distinctly and repeated
ly, that it was not my purpose or wish
to interfere in my way with the con-
tract schools then existing, unless for
good and sufficient reasons, expressing,
however, a determination mott author
ize any new contract schools.
My position on the question was VIC
lently assaulted by your bureau. False
charges were preferred against me, and
the most determined but futile efforts
were made to prevent my confirmation
and to secure my displacement. An
employe l discharged for cause from
this office was Immediately given en-
ployment by your bureau, where he is
still retained, and during the entire two
years the bureau has both directly and
Indirectly, in season and out OF season,
publicly and privately, through news
papers and personal interviews, through
official correspondence and in the lobby
Of Congress, assailed the policy OF the
administration and attempted to defeat
the extension and successful operation
OF the government schools.
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