The Irish standard., 1902-06-28
A Non-Catho'ic on IDdlan Schools.

A Non-CathO'ic on Indian Schools.
Charles Il. Lummis, whose reputa-
ton as a writer, lecturer, traveller and
student is NATIONAL gave on "Gff Hand
Talk before the New Man club in
Los Angeles the other day. Mr.. Lum-
mis- is descended from generations Of
NIethodists. He has lived for 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 1
have, l feel, the right to talk as an
American. 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
dozen years there has been Il great
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 MetEouists, it is also fair
to leave out the Catholics said the sly
politicians. The simple fact that there
are one or two Methodist schools and
five or six Presbyterian, and fifty Cath
ole. 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 ulld be
allowed to remain because they are
| Catholic schools. My reason T. OBJ
| jecting to the campaign against them
| because they are go 4 schools: net be-
causes they are church schools, Lut be-
cause they are beneficial ana COM
potent and honest, and that is the chief
reason why you should ob.ect to the
campaign, with the added reason that
your faith is attacked. L pity tie man
who does not believe what he b ,lieves
enough to fight for it.
THE fact is that the Catholic
church and it's schools are the Pc.
neers i'll Indian education in America.
1t was not until 1907 that an English
speaking person came to New Mexico
In 1911 there We're eleven Catholic
churches in New Mexico. and all had
their Indian schools. The re;es IL why
am opposed to this campaign is he.
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, altll ugh it is
the Indians religion to Il great extent
do not believe that one should be talk
en- from his fathers faith or his moth
ers faith for the whim of a school
teacher am judging by the long re-
suits have not known a child from
a Catholic school who mad forgotten
his parents or his language. n,:e
not known any Of the girls thar nave
gone wrong in the Indian towns to
have come from Catholic school. Mt
one. But 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; go with me to
the Albuquerque. or to the Santa Fe
school. and then let man of che
| ,io1, Of 1,<
choose as Il place for his children.
IF there is anything in the world
that l. though not Catholic, revere.
it is Sister of Charity. There is
something selfish in that admiration,
as we'll as something Of experience, for
l have known them f T. long time,
and in boyhood l thought they were
terrible; but l have seen them when
| the black 'vomito' ragged in the tropics.
and mothers and fathers fed away
from their own children, and people
fell in the streets: and those daughters
Of 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 a politician
who is rewarded by pace IL a 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 our poll l.
cians.''