The Irish standard., 1894-11-10

]. MORGAN TO FATHER CLEARY.

The Ex-Indjan Commissioner Tells About
i Contract Schools
| I find IN the published report Of the
second address made by Mr.. Ceary, IN
st. Charles church, Minneapolis, IN reply
to my argument against contract schools,
some things that think worthy OF an
swer, and l will be very much obliged to
you for little space in your columns for
that purpose, says ex- Indian Commls-
sioner Morgan in the Minneapolis Times
of November !. Mr.. Cleary says:
During Mr.. Morgan's term of Office
under President Harrison, he, as the
commissioner of Indian affairs, was re-
sponsible for the payment of q large por-
ton of this sum. If it were not just
and proper to pay these sums of money
for Indian education; it the payment OF
such sums was in any way illegal Or un
just, Why did nos this good, conscien
tious Baptist protect the sacred inter
ests of his country, and refuse to permit
these dlsloyal papists to fatten at the
public crib p
This is fair question and trust that
nv answer to it, which will be candidly
given, may prove satisfactory. I as
sumed office on the LIST day OF July, 1883,
and very soon after my attention was
called to the matter of contract schools,
which would need my official action for
the fiscal year just beginning. A few
days later, Archbishop Ireland, and
Father. Willard, representative OF the
Roman Catholic Bureau Of Indian Mis-
sions, called upon me in the office and
asked II I would renew the contracts for
the Roman Catholic schools, stating at
the same time that they desired an IN
crease in the amount of money and in
the number of schools and that they ex~
pected still larger incrs ase after erect
ing new buildings which they had in
contemplation. In reply said unhesi-
tatingly that was willing to renew the
contracts for the year to come for the
schools already in existence; that, 81
though [ did not think the policy was a
sise or Unsuitable one, that it was lot
my purpose to attempt rudely to change
Lit, and that I did not purpose to do any
thing that could be regarded as unjust.
Further than that, President Harrison
himself, while expressing in his message
to congress his approval Of the national
schools and his desire to see them i'm
proved and extended, said to me person
ally, that he fully Endorsed my position
of refusing to authorize any new con-
tract schools; but at the same time he
advised strongly that I should deal fair
ly and impArtially with all denomina-
tions and that I should not attempt any
violent revolution IN the policy Of the
office. Further than this. many OF the
Roman Catholic schools which were re-
ceiving money, were specifically named
in the Indian bill, and thus were author
led, by law, to receive the money, so
that it's payment Was not q matter OF adj
ministration, but Of legislation, and 1
| could not have withheld it even If [ had
been so disposed, nor even if the presi~
dent himself had authorized and directed
ME so to Go.
This, it seems to me, is conclusive
answer to Mr.. Cleary's question why 0ld
not refuse 'to permit those disloyal pap
! lists to fatten at the public crib
! A second point on which Mr.. Cleary
! Jays stress is that the Roman Catholics
have spent million and half Of dol
lars OF their own money in the erection
| OF school houses. and that the money re
! ceiyed from the government is used to
meet the running expenses ct the schools
for such items as food, clothing, instruc
ton, etc. In reply, let me say That the
Baptist church, through it's Home Mis-
sion S :ciety, whose secretary am, car
ries on educational work among the In
dians as missionary enterprise. II is
led to do this by Its desire to promote tbs
! civilization and evangelization of the In
dams. to fit them for assimilation into
our national life, and to teach them that
form. of christianity which we believe
conforms most nearly to the truth. We
erect buildings, provide equipment and
supply teachers out of our missionary
! funds. We do not feel at liberty to call
upon the government for any assistance
in doing this work. So long as the Ro-
man Catholics can receive from the pub
lie treasury 100000 in single year for
doing the same work, among the same
people, under the same circumstances,
| it must be evident to any mind that the
Baptists are at great disadvantage.
There are other points in Mr.. Cleary's
reioinder that would notice if were
replying to him orally, but which do
not think of sufficient public Importance
to warrant me in asking for further space
in your columns.
T. J. MORGAN.
New York city, Nov. l, 1894.