The Irish standard., 1897-05-08
A NOBLE SPEECH BY SENATOR VEST
ON INDIAN AFFAIRS.
THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS
OF THE INDIAN SCHOOLS ARE THE
JESUIT FATHERS.
HE EuLoGIzEs The BLACK GOWNS
WHO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO THE
INDIANS.

WHO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO THE
INDIANS.
In a recent speech in the Unitet
States senate on the Indian appropria
tion bill, Senator George G.. Vest, O
Missouri, spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, this is an appropriation
bill, and, as matter of course, it will
pass I have no disposition to retart
the action of the senate upon it, but
cannot permit my silence to make the
impression, even constructively, that
agree with the provisions of the bill in
regard to the appropriations for Indian
schools. know that what will say
I have said it before in the senate-will
subject me, as # has heretofore done
to the severest criticism of those people
who think that they have monopoly
of religious opinion in this country, and
who prescribe every human being who
dares to differ with them.
I do not choose to give utterance to
my religious convictions in order to i'll
fluence any human being, but I shall
say, for the purpose of showing that ]
am entirely disinterested so far as re-
| ligious denominations are concerned
that I am Protestant and have not
the slightest sympathy with any of the
dogmas of the Roman Catholic church
was born and reared a Protestant,
| and expect to die one. I am exceeding
,, ly sorry that am not good Catholic,
for think that some of the best people
have ever known are members of that
| denomination, and have no doubt that
the Roman Catholic church has done
more in the form Of practical charity
than any other denomination that has
ever existed.
I have not the slightest sympathy
with that detestsble prejudice based up
on the idea that any church can attack
the liberties Of the American people.
Such an opinion comes, in my judg-
ment, either from cowardice or ignor-
ance. There is no danger so long as
there is free discussion and freedom of
conscience in this or any other country.
Mr.. President, had occasion to say
before, and I repeat it, that this drastic
provision in this bill, declaring that the
congress of the United States will not
make any appropriation to a sectarian
school of any denomination, does not
meet with my concurrence.
My ideas upon this question do not
come from theory. My education made
me prejudiced against the Jesuits. I
was reared to believe that the Society of
Jesus was based upon monarchical prin-
ciples, opposed to the genius and spirit
of our institutions. Some years ago Was
a member of the committee on Indian
affairs Of this body, and it became my
duty to visit every one of the Indian
tribes in Wyoming and Montana. per-
formed that duty, going into the Indian
country at Fort Washakie, in Wyom-
ing, concluding my journey at Fort AS
sinniboine, within thirty miles of the
Canadian line. visited every Indian
school, and by immediate observation
and personal investigation fixed my
opinions upon this question for all time
to come.
I assert here now that there is not
a single day Indian school upon this
continent that is worth one dollar to
the Indians or to the cause of civiiiza-
tion and religion. They are travesties
upon education. + found them with
eight or nine hundred scholars upon the
books, and with no attendance exceed
ing half dozen, except upon ration
days, when beeves were killed and meat
was distributed to the tribe. I found
old, broken-down preachers and defunct
dians, who never saw them, and, upon
examination, I found that the Indian
children, for whose education we were
paying thousands of dollars every year,
were ignorant of the very first element
ary principles of the commonest educa-
| tion in any school that we had.
I found that the only schools that
have ever done the Indians any good
are those conducted by the Jesuits.
They have devoted their lives to them.
It is impossible that a Protestant minis
ter or Protestant teacher should turn
his back upon civilization, and for q
thousand or twelve hundred dollars q
year discharge the duties in an Indian
tribe of bringing them out of barbarism
I into the sunlight Of civilization and
Christianity. You may call It fanati.
cism, but it does the work. & The cere.
monial Of the Catholic church attracts
the Indians. They are devoted to the
"black robes" as they call the priests
I have found It so everywhere. and il
will be SO.
What - the result Go 70 the tribe
Iwhich have The ecntEolull