Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-01-21

The school bill appropnates
sixty thousand dollars Tor the sup
port of education. and makes
radical departure from the ayoweu
and practiced policy Of both poiit-
ical parties. From the beginning
of organized government among
the Cherokees, the education oi
the youth and the protection OF
the helpless poor has been the
especial charge of the nation, lhe
orphan asylum, the home FOR the
insane and blind and the INDECENT
departments Of the male and ie-
male seminaries is the outgrowth
Of this benehcient policy inaugu-
rated more than seventy-fye years
ago, and to-day we pride ourselves
upon the fact that there il less
suffering and ignorance among the
unfortunate aud helpless poor OF
our nation than any other people
under the sun, aud SO completely
had this idea become interviewer
in our educational system that the
education Of the people meant also
the care Of the unfortunate, and
until the opening of the regular
session Of The council just closed,
no man claiming to represent u
Cherokee constituency ever dared
to propose to change the policy.
Hut The times change and we
change with them. In the latter
part OF the regular session, Mr.
McLane, from Canadian, on the
floor of the senate presented a
carefully prepared statement Of his
views ON the school question, and
in that statement he proposed to
do away entirely with ths INDECENT
or primary department Of the male
and female seminaries In this
he was antagonized by Mr.. Wolf,
Of Going snake, AND. for the time
being the subject was dropped, but
| see the idea was not abandoned,
and as a member Of the majority,
MoIjape WAS able to haYe the com
mittee on education report a bill
and pass it, practically doing away
with this department Of the two
seminaries and the negro high
school gs we'll. The INDECENT de.
partment OF tho high schools was,
in its inception and 1apundation,
intended TO educate The actual
helpless boys and girls of the
Cherokee nation who were so un-
fortunate as to be in worse con-
dilion than orphans, the children
of parents who were too poor to
spare their time and olathe them
sufficiently comfortable and decent
to attend the common schools, and
for that purpose fund WAS ere tted
However much the trust may have
been abused. it was good in its in
tention, and great good has come
OF its workings, That men would
misrepresent the truth, not to say
lie and swear to it, TO get their
children ia free is no argument
against the plan, but that fact
might be used to the disadvantage
of whoever, as officials, had charge
Of the matter. What does the preS-
ent law do2 Does il open the door
to single INDECENT boy or girl2
1t puts the condemnation on poy-
erty and opens its arms wide to
receive the monied class. IL a
man is able to clolhe his child and
do without its work he ought to
send IT TO the common school, for
il never was intended that the fund
should be used for the benefit of
that class of our people. But why
complain, " twas ever thus.
Lazarus was good man, neverthe-
less he had to he content with di-
viding the crumbs that fell from
Dives table with the dogs; however
The final settlement came. Dives
lied and went to hell and Lazarus
was bourne away and safely lodged I
n Abraham bosom; aud our poor /
lave their chances Of Heaven left, /
however much they may have to I
suffer here on account of bad legis. /
alton,
The negro high school is knitted /
~ the same cunning hand that so
ieitly done up the primary depart
nent Of the two seminaries. From
he beginning, all this pretended
owe of the negro, and desire to
levate and educate him has been,
md is the variest hypocracy, and /
leither party ever cared a straw
or the black brother further than
o get his vote on election day,
lter which the negro was no more
han a poor Indian They are re-
Iuired to keep up a monthly aver.
g of twenty-five, when under the
he law only twenty. five may be
ntered; one death, one sick, one
ruant for a day and the school is
losed. The negro, like the poor
indian, will have to wait patiently
nd take his chances in Abraham
osom. Let US hope that they
lay not meet with disappoint-
lent in this. Another noticeable
sature of the bill is that it makes
o detail as to the distribution of
he funds. No salaries fixed; no
umber of teachers given, either
ommon or high; no number of pu.
ills to be fed aud housed; no
othing but a bulk appropriation
{ sixty thousand eight huadred
nd seventy and sixtv-six one hun. 1
red;hs (s60, $40 66) dollars, to be
aid out of any money in the treas
ry not otherwise appropriated, to
e expended by the superintendent
T education | suppose. The law
not altogether clear in that re- 8
ard Just how anybody. except
le fellow who gets the contract
II furnishing the seminaries wood
to get any money out If it Is