The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-21

dian SCHOOLS came up on the item ap-
propriating $1,000 for that purpose, to
which = the committee on Indian
affairs had reported an amend
ment providing the secretary OF
the interior may use $1,000 for the edu-
cation of Indians in Alaska, provided
that the secretary of the interior may
make contracts with contract schools,
apportioning the amount among
schools of various denominations, but
snail only make such contracts al
places where non-sectarian schools
cannot be provided, and to an amount
not exceeding 40 per centum of the
amount so used for the fiscal year
1885; provided, further, that the act
shall not apply to public schools or to
schools specifically provided for.
Mr. Lodge, (Rep. Mass.), opposed
the amendment as something which
might entirely undo the work of last
session in return to sectarian Indian
schools. The amendment was defended
by Senators Hawley, (Rep. Conn.,, and
Teller (Rep. COLI on the ground that
the schools would have TO be continued
Tor another year or the children would
have to be turned away.
Mr.. Gallinger (Rep. n. HI in the
course of his remarks said that every
church but one in the United States
refused 10 take money from the gov
eminent for sectarian education.
~ ldl AOtS llOl ItAuSC ~ NcAhO
it?' Mr.. Allen (Pop. Neb.) asked.
The Roman Catholic church, Mr..
Gallinger replied
Il do not mean TO arraign that
church, but l am absolutely, irrevoca-
bly, and eternally opposed 10 voting a
dollar for education in sectarian or
religious schools.
Mr.. Hawley defended the amendment.
He was not a Catholic, he said, but it
was a faith honestly held by an i'm
mense number of people 1t was
church of tremendous organization and
executive power. The two houses last
session were a little merciful in the
matter in permitting Indian children to
learn to read under Catholic priests
for a little time until other schools
could be organized. That was all that
was proposed in the amendment-that
the Indian children should not be
turned out of school, and in the mean
time efforts should be made to estab-
lish non-sectarian schools. He never
had such prejudice against Catholic
schools that he would not prefer TO see
his child go there rather than have him
run the streets as a loafer.
Mr.. PettigreW (Rep. S. d., chairman
of the Indian committee, defended the
amendment and declared himself tired
of the contemplate prejudice OF the
Indian rights association.
Mr.. Wilson (Rep. Wash.) said that
after the government spending fifteen
millions on Indian schools, he had yet
to see a single Indian who had received
the slightest benefit from them; and
he called upon Mr.. Gallinger to say
whether that statement was correct.
Mr.. Gallinger admitted that it was.
Mr. Palmer (Dem. Ill.) argued that
the senate should not permit itself to
be drawn into controversy about the
miserable question of the denomina-
tional control of Indian schools" His
own feeling was that the good men
and good women of various churches
who had done such praiseworthy work
among the Indians should not be aban-
doned by the government; but that the
secretary of the interior should be per-
United to make contracts with such
religious schools as existed among the
Indians.
Mr. Lodge said that he did not think
that congress ought to appropriate
money for Presbyterian schools, Epis-
copal schools. Methodist schools, or
Baptist schools. And he waited for
any senator to say that he was attack
ing those sectS. He wanted to see an
exhibition of that sensitiveness which
was displayed when he claimed that
congress ought not to appropriate
money for the only church which now
received government money for its
schools. He no more attacked the Ro-
man Catholic church than he attacked
the Baptist or the Presbyterian or the
Episcopal or the Methodist church. He
said that no sect, as such, should re-
ceive government money, and he be-
lieved in that principle. He was not to
be deferred from saying so by the out
cry that he was illiberal.
Mr. Teller denied the statement of
Mr. Wilson that the large amount
spent on Indian education had been
without good result; and Mr.. Petit
grew sustained Mr.. Teller's view, say
ing that there were now in the gallery
some highly educated Sioux Indians.
Mr.. Hoar tRep., Mass.), eulogized
the Catholic church for its adhesion
to the constitutional right of all Chris
ton bodies to stand on an entire equal
ity before the law. He understood
that the leaders and the great author
tiles of that church recognized that
policy. He had heard me eminent pull
pit orator who had just been called to
the head of the great Catholic univer
sity in Washington CDR. Conaty), de-
clare in a farewell speech to the people
of Worcester, Mass, where he had
been living for % years, his devotion
to the authority and principles of the
constitution of the United States, and
saw that he owed his right to be a
Catholic and his right to advocate his
religious faith TO the humane and just
provisions of the constitution of the
United States, which declared all Chris
tian bodies on an equality.
Mr. Mantle (ReD., Mon.), argued
against appropriations for sectarian
education, and offered an amendment
apDropriating 81 600 900 for the pur-
chase, lease, repair and construction of
school buildings and for the purchase
of school sites for Indian pupils.
Mr.. Gallinger modified the qualified
assent which he had given to Mr.. VIII
sons assertion that there was not an
educated Indian in the United States.
He did not mean to be so understood.
What he meant TO give his assent to
was that for the very large expenditure
of money made for Indian schools, the
ress'st was disappointing.
Mr.. Allen ridiculed the idea of pay
ment of UNCONVENTIONAL schools as a
union OF church and state; and said
that just as well might the payment of
q Union general who rode in the storm
of battle at the head of his troops, and
who was a Catholic, be called union
of church and state.
The bill was laid aside without action
on the school amendment, unanimous
consent being given TO have the vote
taken on Monday at 1 D. m.
Mr.. Platt, (Rep., Me.). mentioned
bill relating to legal procedure in the
territories, which he wanted to have
passed a few days ago, but to which
Mr.. Hill had objected. He expressed
the hope that Mr.. Hill would not OBJ
ject to it on Monday next, when he
would again call it up, as it affected
the case OF four men who were SEN
fenced to be hanged in the Indian Ter