The record-union., 1897-02-21


sought to undo what Congress had de-
hberately determined upon as the fu-
| ture policy of Congress for gradually
abolishing seetarian schools. After a
| full discussion last year. the Indian bill
provided that sectarian schools were to
be discontinued after July 1, 1897. Now
| this amendment brought these schools
into life and again reopened the whole
question. II was brought here in alb
solute disregard of the action of Con-
gress last year. The policy of last
year was the true American policy, Mr..
Lodge said.
| Mr.. Teller (R) of Colorado said he
opposed sectarian schools, but he sup
ported the amendment because it was
better to continue the sectarian schools
for a year or two rather than turn the
Indian school children out of school, as
the Government was not prepared to
furnish sufficient school facilities.
Gallinger (R.) of New Hampshire,
said the Senate was confronted with
the same old plea that the Indian chill
| dren would be turned out of school.
Holland had settled this question 300
years ago, and yet the United States
| Senate, at the close of the nineteenth
| century, was Ithreshing over the Old
| question of separating church and
State How many centuries would 1T
take to settle this question? Every
church denomination in the country,
save one, refused to go on with this
| Sectarian policy.
Which one does the Senator refer
to?" asked Allen.
THE Roman Catholic Church" an
swered Gallinger. Il have no conceal
ments / do not arraign that church,
but merely recite a fact of history"
Pettigrew, in charge of the bill, said
the amendement was in lime with the
policy of gradually abolislling seotar'ian
schools. We are approaching the end,
but by radical action thousands of In
dian children were to be turned out
of school The Senator said this op-
position came from the INDIAN Rights
| Association, which had ITS center in
Massachusetts, and he was tired, he
said. of the 'oonteGnptible hypocrisy
of that association.
Lodge, referring to Pebtigrew's state
ment, spoke of the eminent standing of
the Indian Rights Association. He
said also that his opposition was not
directly against any one church. He
did not believe money should be appro-
priated for a Presbyterian school or a
Methodist school, or amy other par
ticular church No sect, as such, should
receive Government money. Because
the Roman Catholic was the only sect
to which the appropriation applied 1T
did not justify any suggestion OF IL
liberalism Mon did 1T Justify the sug-
geqtion of the Senator from Connecticut
CHawley) that this was an attack
upon any particular church and was
inspired by dernagogy. The public
money should be spent for public pur-
poses without regard to creed or re-
| ligiOn.
Teller controverted the statement
that educated Indians went back to
the breech clout and the blanket. The
education had done incalculable good.
Pettigr,ev7 added that full -blooded
Sioux Indian was sitting in the Senate
gallery who was a graduate from Am
herst College and the Massachusetts
Medical College.
Hoar reviewed the history of denom-
inational schools among the Indians,
saying that the system had been in
augurated by General Grant. But he
declared that GEnerd1- trfdIt IHAlihSeI
would have been as prompt as anyone
else would have been to drop the sys-
TEN upon the discovery of abuses. The
Senator paid "a high tribute to his for
mer townsman of Worcester, Mass, DR..
Conaty, now rector of the Catholic
University and spoke of the latter's
address ON coming here as a lofty ex-
preston foT adherence to the ConstItu-
ton. 1t was agreed that vote on the
school item should be taken at L p.
m, Monday.
The Indian bill was then laid aside.
Mr. Platt said the execution of four
men in the Indian Territory next
Thursday turned upon the action of the
Senate bill regulating judicial proce-
dure there, and he would therefore
press for final action Monday.
The bill was passed granting right
of way through the Fort Spokane Mill
tary Reservation to the st. Paul, Min
neapolis and Manitoba Railroad Com
pany
At 3:15 the Senate held a short exc
cutive session, and then adjourned.