Evening star., 1902-01-22
BROWNING ORDER REVOKED.
Indian Parents Can Select the Schools
for Their Children.

Indian Parents Can Select the Schools
for Their Children.
A decision which permits Indian parents
to enter their children in sectarian schools
was announced yesterday by the Secretary
Of the Interior. This action marks the
close of long agitation before the depart
ment led by the Bureau of Catholic Indian
Missions and supported by representatives
Of several other denominations, and 1t is
expected to decrease materially the enroll
ment in the government schools for Indian
youth now firmly established and main
tanned at great expense in every reserva-
ticn.
The effect of the order is indicated in the
following letter circular, a copy Of which
is to be sent every Indian agent:
"On September 80, 1896, the then commits
sioner of Indian affairs, D. M. Browning,
In response to a question by an Indian
agent, whether parents Of Indian children
shall have the right to decide where their
your duty to- first build up and maintain
the government day schools, as indicated
In your letter, ana the Indian parents have
no right to designate which school their
children shall attend
After careful consideration of this mat
ter the honorable Secretary of the Interior
has directed that the above so-called
Browning ruling be abrogated, which has
dCcOTuluSly Deeu zone.
In a discussion of this order of abroga-
tion the honorable Secretary Of the Interior
directed that ] inquire from Indian agents
and other OFFICIALS having charge Of Indian
children, whose interests may be involved
In this change Of policy, frequent and full
reports Of ath facts concerning any chill
dren affected 6thereby, upon which this Of
flee would report it's conclusions to the de-
partment. You will be careful to see that
this order is 'obeyed in every case.
You should cause comics Of this circ,,l
to be furnished to the several schools and
employees under your charge so that they
may fully understand the change Of policy.
''W. A. JONES'
Commissioner of Indian Affairs. !"
This Browning" ruling was provoked by
letter written in 1894 by George Wright,
Indian agent at Rosebud. Wright com
planned that many of the Indian children
of his agency were being taken from the
public government schools and placed in de-
nominational institutions. Immediately
this order was promulgated the sectarian
boards entered protests, and the matter has
been before the department in one form or
another ever since. The last gun was an
argument submitted by Archbishop Ireland.
From the viewpoint Of the bureau of In
dian affairs the Browning ruling seemed
eminently justified. 1t was urged that In
dian parents frequently obtained transfers
other merely to evade disciplinary measures
adopted by the teachers; that the govern
ment had built it's present system school
at great expense and that the system rep
resented the kind Of development most
needed by the Indian. In reply the repre-
sentatives Of the mission schools contended
that Indian parents had the right of all
parents to direct the religious instruction
of their children. that the mission schools
were also especially adapted to the deyel
opment OF the Indian and that the disci-
plfne enforced in the mission schools was
altogether sufficient.