The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-04

II1E DAlL1 lNI41
shall Qosto school, II. their hail . to be
shorn. You may talk high y 2 w
those people TO your hearts contents yon
may tals pasrios Mas 70 !. .ne ein,i SsI t thom In IN
to tho laws Of the great natufa! forees,'.
etc. etc, but they are Indians, they Rave
an lNdiap nature, n even an old Time pa-
gan tells you, that; Naturam sxpsllas furca.
tannen usqus recurrst. 49,
had nearly thrss-fonrths OF tie contracs
school appropriation. We ansMar IN me
words Of senator Teller: There has
besn,s says the honorable senator, - good
deal Of complaint in the country sns1 .tne
Catholic church had m~onopolized 2 large
fndians. have no affinity with the Catho-
lie church; all my connectlon s All ny
teachings and associations have been sno
other way. have observed. though. that
the Catholics have besn this most success
full educators Of the Indians Of my people
u. 1880. In the testimony, ths y, Of =
tor Teller, the Catholics have had NOR
contract schools because they have oeon
more aucoessful in educating the Indians;
MIR. Ccnstituti0n of course oondemns ~
contract schools, but admitted thas suon
were 0Ot t1e cHsss WVuiA W ss..a
suoh schools being assignsd without regard
10 their suossssY or would h. give the
largest school facilitisa for the lndians TO
the less succassful Indian educators! We
are satisfied that he would never oondect
his own private business Or nls 1amily
Affairs on any such principles. ~ sno:ula -
then, approve of the governments dong ~
.slhess Catholic people," SAYS SENATOR Cai.l,
sin this matter OF Indian education hays
perhaps taken tho lead in respect to num-
bers. But whatever they have done. they
have come honestly by, and they have done
. work which the government and no otn 10
people would have done. Now 10 y to be
said, continues the senator, ''that because
the Catholics have educated more OF the
Indians. have established moro sections Tor
education, therefore they shall be deprived
OF it because they are having an undue
share Of what? of the performances OF an
obligation Of the government, WHOM tne
which the morality and Christianity OF the
day demand should be performed by some
body 9"-Congrsssional Record July 20,
1890.
Mr.. Constitution informs us that the
appropriation OF public money Tor the pur-
pose Of teaching IN religion IL strlotiy
and carefully prohibited by the constltu-
of Montana az well." We know 1t and
heartily approve of it; but we most em-
phstically deny that to put breeches on
Sans Culottes. to shelter them, to feed
them; to teach people to be farmers, black
smiths, carpenters; to instruct and enable
them to make q living by honest toll, Is 20
teach religion. Who in the world. except
he be out of his wits. can or will say, that
to teach these things is to teach religion!
And il to teach these matter is not to teach
religion, how, in the name OF plain oom-
mon sense. can it be asserted that the gov
eminent mo contract to have these
things taught; or. if it contracts to have
them taught, that it a%ppropristes against
the constitution, spublic money TO teach re-
ligion? Why, then, may not be govern
ment employ me, as any one else, to teach
them, if l am equally competent to do 1t;
aud pay me for doing it if I do is equally as
we'll? And if my religion be a help to me-
fully. what folly is not that Of my en-
ployer to bid me lay aside that which helps
me to render him a better n more etf-
Gent service? Has, then, non-ssctarian-
ism or tho hatred Of religion and Chris
tianity in this enlightened age Of humani-
tarianism, philanthropy, progress IS, clvlllza-
ton and freedom Of conscienc 60, come to
this, that, because I happen to DO a chris
tian, a Catholic, a priest or q religious, and
ADLER for that and better quail
hod to render more efficient and
more profitable service to my
employer. still, just because l am q christ
tian, q Catholic. y priest or a religious. and
in spite of the better and more efficient ser
vice that, just for that 1 can render, am l
considered disqualified to DO employed by
the government? Could ANYTHING BIO mar
rover, more bigoted, more unjust or moro
dsspitaful? II have no patience with this
sectarian talk said Senator Davis on the
floor OF the United States senate, July %, 1890,
"this government is not making itself q
nm rtv tp Snu 1au rrpin ptjop in fhjo hl1pjnaaz
This is a business, and u business of a aer-
ious character. The government taking
advantage i'll the wilderness of tho facilities
which these pioneers of christianity have
created for it, proposes mere y to allow
these children to enjoy the hospitality and
gressional Record, July %, 1890. II insist"
said Senator Call on the same occasion,
shat there is no kind Of founds tion for the
proposition that because the government
contracts with a religious order to educate
children, to teach them arith metic, their
letters, writing, and to give them if neces
sary, nm education in the different trades
and pursuits. that because the government
contracts with q religious Organization,
therefore, they are maintaining IN estab-
lishment of religion ."-Congressional Rec
ord, July %, 1890.
But, then, was it not the government it
self, that under the Peace Poll cy of Presi-
oout 0idIty pTOClalHeu Lu6 necessity OIL
religion in tho cause of Indian education,
and sought its help by calling pom the diff
fesent churches to assist the government in
its work? 'This proclamation,' says Sena-
tor Call, "has been made by the government
in the very legislation of the country and
in the policy which has been pursued for
years by the interior department. with the
approval of each congress that has met ~
Now, contract schools are or are not against
the United States Constitution. If YOU say
they nre, you must admit that the legisla-
tlon and policy of the country, for years.
has been in opposition to the federal Con-
stitution. If you say they are not, then,
your plea for non-sectarianism in Indian
education is a fraud, since it rests on a
falsshood.
Mr.. Constitution charges thu Flatheads
with having Committed in the last FIVE
years more cowardly murders than an equal
number of reservation Indians anywhere."
We brand tho assertion as an atrocious
SANDER on that much maliRned, abused and
lnsulted tribe of peaceful Indians, and
challenge Mr.. Constitution to substantive
the charge. that any Flathead was impli-
GATED in. or connected with the murders he
refers to. We're the murdersrs Flatheads,
because the crimes were committed within
the limits OF the Jocko reservation? Arc
there not kootenais. Kalispels, Pend
d'Oreiiles, spokans, Nez Torces ).
We do not deny that g%rievous oTenses
against life and morality have been COM
mItted within the limits of the Jocko reser-
vation since Christianity Was there estsb-
llshed. But We do assert at the same time,
That all the otfsnses committed by Indians
within that reservation were attended or
brought about By one or more Of the follow