The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-20
hot shot FROM JACKSON.
BISHOP NICHOLAS ANSWERED In
UAMIsTAkABLE LANGUAGE.
In His Attack Against the school
system and omcisis Of Alaska He
said Things That Aroused the Ire
Of the Americas missiones.

Special Dispatch to the PSss~Tnte.isgencsr.
WASHINGTON. Jan. ls.--Eeg. Sheldon
jackson has given the Pozt-iftsliissneer
correspondent the following reply TO the
Utteraneeg recently made uy the III. Rev.
Bishop Nicholas. 81 the Russian church.
formerly In control VI church Affairs In
Alaska:
THE bishops attack said Dr. Jack
son. was really made at tne Syrian
Arabic cssapes ~ ts1e DTta0a8g EaAs
church ia New York etty. but what he
said was carefully furnished 10 the press.
There Is nothing Ees sn bis tira1e against
the public school system of the United
States. lie was speaking 10 al audiences
In New York. and appeals TO their own
experience as 10 The character OF III.
schools. sayiBa. You sac yourselves h0W
bad ~ the education given sn tie pEplic
schools Of this country Most OF the chill
drSn who have attended fasgn come ouf
Of them Dot only without tue fear Of God.
tut without the gn9at ordinary sense OF
shame. This accounts for all those al
normal conditions which we see prevail
Ing W real life around us--disrsspect
towards parents and elders, stubborn
Hess self Hlii careiessnsss. too light
view or the duty IN the family, the com
H1nity and the state
Priests Oppose Education.
while this TRADE Is against the public
bishop has aesn particularly violent Ia
days paaf against Inc public school Syz-
TEN OF Alaska, The greatest difficulty
that has been met 81 securing the attend
ance OF the children In the AIsutiaH ISL
hnds and the southern coast OF Alaska.
where the Greek church prevails. has
been the opposition OF the priests Of ,ha,
church. IL different paints they have
Repeatedly tod The reDple tlat the Amer
lean occupation Of Alaska was but tam
porary: that ia short time Russia would
ever allowed their children 70 learn Eng
lisls In the public schools would be pun
issed.
when this threat did not deter parents,
They have In some cases been told that
II their boys learned English they would
Be impressed 5y the United states gov
eminent into tie navy and carried off To
sea. On the Stsshlsah river one or two
boys were locked up In a house by The
priest To prevent their attending an Eng
lish school. The priests d. not Wish Rus
sian children 10 learn English. for fear
that when said children reach maturity
they viii leave the church OF their faith
erk.
Thee priesss are not American citizens
but remain subjects OF Russia and are
part OF the Russian government. When
ever there II change Of rulers In Rus
ssa the priests OF Alaska arc required TO
take the oath of allegiance to the new
ear. Their salary comes from revenues
derived from requests OF faithful Rus-
sian citizens in years past made for the
maintenance of the Greek church in Al
aska: these revenues amount to about
&.u.In year.
BATTLING with other Religions.
THE bishop and the priests have not
only been bitterly opposed to the public
schools of Alaska, but have also sought
the removal of all Protestan, and Roman
Catholic missionaries in that country. |
nm informed that a petition was sent
some two or three years ago through the
Russian legation at Washington tn the
president of the United States. request
Ing the American government TO remove
oil Protestant missionaries from Alaska
They appeal to article : ef the treaty be-
tween Russia and the United States which
reads:
The Inhabitants Of the e-dess territory.
according 10 their choice reServing their
natural allegiance. may return 10 Russia
sssthin three years. bat z they ahnud pre-
fer 10 remain i'm the cedesi territory they
with the exception of une;vflixed native
tribes. shall be admitted To the enjoyment
OF all rights. advantages aud tmmunities
of citizens OF the United States and shalt
BE- maintained and protected In the free
enjoyment of their liberty. property and
r. syfTr.
This clause. which places the Russian
population OF Alaska on the same footing
with every other citizen Of the United
States. Is interpreted By the Russian bish-
cp 10 mean. that said Russian citizens
shall net ba permitted to change their
religion. even II they greatly SO desire:
md therefore that no one should BE al
lowed 10 try and infuenes them az their
own free will 90 change thoir religion
'sTshoae who have lived on the Pacific
coast and visited the portions of Alaska
under the control Of the Greek church
cannot have failed 90 be impressed at
the failure OF their work - lead the g4eo-
PIE Into a higher ana better civilization.
The native ponu'atipgi nY that religion has
been under the cantrol OF tho Greek
priests trf a century. and yet Is : ths. ex-
ception for native 20 be able 10 read
snd write.
Shocking pepravity ia the Church.
'+=T'he majority Of the priests have been
mon who have been Incorporate ana i'm.
neral Only \ f~w years Asn a sne,k hy
che name of AetFophsu performed mar
rage ceremony in 1he church az l'nalAx~
Ia at the close nf which the monk t.ok
possession of the hffde ana kept her inn
n-iseuea far two WEEKS Ia his own rrstY,,s
until the husband and the community
went 10 the United sstates courts and hat
official papers sAssse uut ta secure pes-
session ~ ttle wofn8n.
TN the Summer 90 is3T the Nriasf ~
1fnalaska. in q conversation with Mrs
heller. chairman ~ the Alaska mission
ary committee of the woEpan's home mts-
elonHrN oresnizatlon ~ the Methodist
IptSeaeat church af the t'niteA states
said with reference 10 q waif wAetu tf,.
Methodist women had an shetr hSatn q "A
Nece training up tu n ufs 81 purity ans
reik-re~peet that ~ HUHId he better enr
the Firt FaRf She 80 returned tn q dts
reiufe mother - fe clothed in rags and
haH starved ard grow ur herself an 3n-
teteces saa AS&a.ute asreaa tAan
10 remain IN the Methodist rti@sinn h,tn.
faF. rsrsssasns su jhe hosne sra WOULD Re
cat OF ffael the Greek church ARIA tntre,
~ Ia their estimation Ne cot off sYuru SAT
walton whicA was raore isnsn~. siit u, fi,s
Eirl than 20 AaVe life 80 phvslcal DIS
tsEstsFsvs VN tse So 20 agl a asss - isylers.ss.l
.'d satriHp~frse hsFsfs Ia hee motasg's
home.
signs es Improvement
= arA Aaepv 20 Del ave fhaf 3sttse~ Fa,-