The Irish standard., 1902-06-28
A NonzCathO!ic on Indian Schools.

A N0n;CathO'ic on Indian Schools.
Charles f. Lummis, whose reputa-
ton as a writer, lecturer traveller and
student is national, gave on "Gff Hand
Talk" before the New Man club ill
Los Angeles the ether day. Mr.. Lum-
mis- is descended from generations Of
NIethodists. He has lived fer years
among the Indians and probably no
white man in America knows them
better.
81 presume" he said in the course
of the 'talk'' referred to above you
all know that l am talking to you as
Americans and not as Catholics l
have, feel, the right to talk as an
American. 1 want to say do not be-
lieve the time has yet come for Catho-
lies to be jumped on with spike-nailed
shoes because you are Catholics. You
doubtless know that for something like
Il dozen years there has been a great
cry raised in regard to 'sectarian edll-.
cation Of Indians. In plain language,
the fight has been to wipe out the
Catholic contract Indian schools.
If it is fair to leave out the Presby-
terians and AetEouists, it is also fair
to leave out the Catholics said the SLY
politicians. The simple fact that there
are one OF two Methodist schools and
five or six Presbyterian, and fifty Cath
Ollie. does not cut any figure of course:
The fact is that the Catholic schools
were aud are the vast bulk of the In
dian schools. Do nat think mean to
say that the Catholic schools sh 1uld be
| allowed to remain because they are
Catholic schools. My reason f L OBJ
jecting to the campaign against them
is not because they ale Catholic but
because they are 20 Il schools: net be-
causes they are church ;chools, lut be-
petent and honest, and that is the chief
reason why you should OBJ to the
campaign, with the added reason that
your faith is attacked. l pity tie man
who does not believe what he b ,lievvs
enough to fight for it,
''The fact is that the Catholic
| church and its schools are the Pc.
neers in Indian education in America.
1t was not until 1907 that an English
speaking person came to New Mexico.
In 1911 there were eleven Catholic
churches in New Mexico and all had
their Indian schools. The re;ts II why
| am opposed to this campaign is be-
cause these are the only schools know
of that are doing the Indian lasting
good. Net because of the religion.
which is nothing to me, although it IS
the Indians religion to a great extent.
do not believe that one should be talk
en- from his fathers faith or his moth
er's faith for the whim of a school
teacher. l am Judging by the long re-
suits. l have not known child from
| Il Catholic school WHO mad forgotten
| his parents or his language. haze
not known any of the girls thar have
gone wrong in the Indian towns to
have come from a Catholic school. Mt
one. But 1 have known a good many
from Carlisle and other government
schools. Go with me to that exquisite
ly neat and motherly school of Sister
Margaret, at Bernalillo; 90 with me to
the Albuquerque or to the Santa Fe
school, and then let man of che
world judge which Of thsse lie would
choose rs Il place for his children
IF there is anything in the world
that l. though not a Catholic, revere
it is Sister of Charity. There is
something selfish in that admiration,
as well as something Of experience. for
l have known them f l. long time,
and in boyhood l thought they We're
terrible; but 1 have seen them when
the black 'vomito ragged in the tropics.
and mothers and fathers fled away
from their own children, AMI people
fell in the streets: and those daughters
cf God picking up the deserted and
dying. And l have felt their tender
mercy myself: and when man comes
to me and says that child-or dog
had better be taught by politician
who is rewarded by pace IL gov
eminent Indian schocl, than by Sis
ter of Charity. he wants to bring his
fire-escape with him, that's all. And
it seems to me that any American, not
to say any Catholic American, could
not better employ part of his money
than in aiding the support Of the In
dian schools conducted by these noble
and unselfish women, now frowned
upon and even actively antagolized
by the partisan spirit of cur poll t.
Clans"