The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-25
Sectarianism the Basis of an
Argument in Making the
Appropriation.
ONE PROVISION CAST ASIDE
The Secretary of the Interior Not
Permitted to Spend Money as
in the Past.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 24-The
perennial contest over the appropriation
of money for the education of Indian
children at contract sectarian schools came
up in the House to-day in the course OF the
consideration of the Indian appropriation
bill, and was fought out in an hour and a
half. The result was that by vote of SO
to "a the provision that the Secretary of the
Interior shall make contracts with present
contract schools for the education of Indian
pupils to an extent not exceeding 60 per
cent on the amount so used for the fiscal
year 1895 was stricken out, on motion by
Linton r. } of Michigan and an amendment
inserted preventing the Secretary of the
Interior from spending any of the money
appropriated for education in sectarian
institution.
Under the existing condition only Cath
Ollie schools are in contract relations with
the Interior Department, the other
churches having abandoned their claims
for public money. In his speech in sup
port of the amendment Linton attributed
the overwhelming change in the personnel
in the House by the election of 1894 to the
sentiment in the country against the ap-
preparations of public funds for sectarian
schools of instructions. The amendment
was advocated by Cooper (R.) of Wiscon-
sin. Pearson (R.) of North Carolina, Wat
son (R-) OF Ohio, Haines (R.) of Nebraska
and Grosvenor (R.) of Ohio, and opposed
by Gamble (R.) of South Dakota, Eddy
(R.) of Minnesota, Walsh CD of New
York and Sherman (R.) of New York.
Consideration of the bill was concluded
with the exception of the para raph di-
recting the purchase of title of the Ogden
Land Company to the lands within the
Allegheny and Catteraugus reservations
IN New York and that was postponed until
tom orrow.
BY agreement between Sherman (R.) of
New York, chairman of the Committee on
Indian Affairs and Babcock (R.) of Wis
consin, chairman of the Committee on
Affairs of the District of Columbia, it was
decided to postpone consideration of dis
trict business, the special order for to-day,
under the rules, until the completion of
consideration of the Indian appropriation
bill, the unfinished business on the cal
endar, ana the House proceeded in COM
mittee of the whole to further consider the
Indian bill. Hermann (R.) of Oregon
offered an amendment provided that lands
allotted in severalty to Indians and held
in trust by the United States shall be sub
lect to the same taxes as are levied against
other lands in the same county or town, to
be paid out OF the United States treasury
as long as the trust lasts. 1t was rejected
on point of order as new legislation,
raised by Sherman (R.) of New York.
The provision in the bill inserted by the
Indian Commission giving the Puyallup
Indians authority to sell their allotted
lands in the Tacoma reservation was
stricken out on point of order that it was
new Iegisla ton.
A provision appropriating $4,000 to enable
the Secretary of the Interior to negotiate
for the surrender or modification of exist
ing treaties was ruled out on point of
order.
A provision giving all children of mar
riages between white men and Indian W
men the rights of the tribe to which the
mother belongs was also stricken out be-
cause it changed existing law.
When the section of the bill making ap-
preparations for the support of schools was
reached there followed an hour discussion
of the sectarian school matter, opened by
Linton (R.) of Michigan, in opposition to
ferring to the approaching unwilling of
the statue of Father Marquette in Statu-
airy Hall, which stated that the ceremonies
would be attended by Cardinals Satolli
and Gibbons, the French and Italian En-
bassadors and other prominent person
ages.
Father Stephan" he commented in
conclusion, "who has lahored assiduously
in this behalf for long time, may think it
is a good time now that there is impend-
ing the unwilling of a statue of Father
Marquette, clothed in the:cowl and robe
and surrounded by the paraphernalia of
his order, in the presence of the high
dignitaries of the church in Statuary
Hall, place made honorable by the
great names in connection Herewith, the
statue overshadowing that of Lincoln, to
ask the passage OF bill making an
appropriation of $4,000 to his church.
But | don't think so, and / believe that
this House does not think SO either"
Linton offered an amendment reciting
that it was the intention of the bill that
no money appropriated for schools
should be expended for the education of
children in sectarian schools.
The action of the comm ittee was de-
Tended by Gamble of South Dakota, who
said the appropriation carried in the bill
was calculated upon the principle agreed
upon two years ago, of reducing the
amount by 90 per cent every year. The
amendment offered by Linton was sup
ported by Cooper (R.) OF Wisconsin and
Watson (R.) of Ohio, Hainer (R.) OF Me-
braska and Pearson (R.) of North Caro-
lima, the latter offering an amendment
thereto increasing the amount appropri-
ated for school support from 81 ) 80, 900 to
1885 600, the additional 5000, 900 to enable
the Secretary OF the Interior to provide
the necessary school accommodations.
Eddy (R-) of New York advocated the
provisions OF the bill, and Walsh CD of
New i ork followed in warm defense of
the Catholic church.
Pearson. upon the strength of Walsh's
statement that the Catholic schools would
not be closed whether the money was APP
propria,ed for them or not, withdrew his
amendment.
In closing the discussion on the bill
Sherman (R.) of New York said the use