Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-02
HIS AGENCY DENIED
CATHOLIC AUTHORITIES DIS
Avow DIR. sCHARF'S ACTION.
Claimed That He Had No Right to
Make the Offer Which Senator
Bard Declared He Made.

Cardinal Gibbons has sent the following
statement to the representative of the bu-
| reau of Catholic Indian missions in this city
| for submission to the Senate committee on
| Indian affairs:
Baltimore Md, February i, 1905.
"In view of certain statements made by
Senator Bard before the committee on In
dian affairs of the Senate deem it proper
| to state that the Catholic Church has no
political agent at Washington or anywhere
! else; that Prof. E. l.. Scharf, who is le-
| ferred to in Senator Bards statement, is not
| an agent of the Catholic Church or OF the
bureau of Catholic Indian missions. and has
never been employed by the church or by
the Catholic Indian bureau in any way
wha tsoever.
JAMES CARDINAL. GIBBONS.
Archbishop of Baltimore and President OF
the Bureau Of Catholic Indian Missions.
Statement of Director Ketcham.
Rev William IT. Ketcham director Of the
bureau of Catholic Indian missions, whose
Office is at GAL F street northwest, explain
ed that while DIR. Scharf and other per-
sons, both Catholic and Protestant, have
endeavored to ameliorate the condition OF
the Catholic Indian missions, whatever &C
ton they may have taken has been on their
own responsibility and not, in any sense,
of the bureau of Catholic Indian missions.
Rev. Mr. Ketcham added that the bureau
of Catholic Indian missions has not asked
for any appropriation for the support or
the Catholic Indian schools since 1900, nor
has it endeavored to In any way unsettle
the settled policy of the government in re-
spect to the contract school system.
Not With Catholic University.
DR. Maurice Francis Egan, late dean Of
the school of philosophy of the Catholic
University has also made an emphatic
statement anent the statements OF Senator
Bard before the Senate committee. He SAID
DIR. Z. L. Scharf whose name appears
so prominently in connection with the de-
liberation of the subcommittee of the Sen
ate committee on Indian affairs, and VINO
has been credited with being member OF
the faculty, was never connected of1lclaiiy
with the Catholic University, and never re-
ceived a degree of any kind from the uni
versity. Under my administration as DEAN
Mr.. Scharf was permitted to nail his caro-
to the bulletin board in Mcmahon Hall as
an outside teacher of French and German
and was employed as tutor-and, pc
lieye a very successful one-by some OF the
students. Outside of this casual duty, MI
Scharf has. and never has had, any connec-
ton with the faculty of philosophy or any
other faculty of the university.
Bishop Conaty's Denial.
A dispatch received here from Bishop
Thomas w Conaty of the Catholic diocese
at Los Angeles. Cal, states that the bishop
has entered an emphatic and indignant de-
NAL of the charges made by Senator Bard
that the Catholic Church had endeavored
to influence Senator Bard's action in the
matter of distribution of Indian funds by
promises of political support The charges
are absurd said the bishop. IN the first
place, they cannot apply to this district
because we do not receive any government
funds for the use of the schools. We take
care of Indians without money. The
Catholic Church does nothing that is not
open and above board, and the statement
that representative of a Catholic assoeia-
ton promised to carry certain districts for
Senator Bard In consideration Of a contin-
uance of favorable contracts is ridiculouSly
absurd
A White House Statement.
An official of the White House, referring
to the statement that the President had
while entertaining Archbishop Corrgan at
dinner, promised him ten chaplaincies in
the army and navy, denounced the story as
absurd. The President" he said never
entertained Archbishop Corrigan at a meal
and never promised him ten or any other
number of chaplainces. l do not believe
that the President has ten appointments Of
this kind at his disposal in both the army
and navy put together. the utter ridicu-
louSnesS of the story is shown on its face
The President did not direct that money
belonging to the Indians be given over to
Catholic schools any other institutions
Had Senator Bard any one else inter-
ested in the matter made inquiries at the
White House to ascertain the truth he
could have learned very quickly that there
was no foundation for such a story"
Payment to UNCONVENTIONAL Schools.
1t is stated that after investigation it was
found that on the request of Indians the
Secretary of the Interior has paid tuition
to ten UNCONVENTIONAL schools for Indian
children, such payment having been made
in accordance with treaty stipula tons, out
of the interest on trust funds held for the
Indians by the government. Such pay
ments have been made in accordance with
an opinion of the Attorney General declar-
ing that the Indians, under the provisions
of the treaties. We're entitled to designate
the schools which their children should at
tend and to have their tuition paid from
such funds. OF the schools to which such
funds have been paid eight are Catholic
one is Lutheran and one, the Hampton In
sutute of Virginia, is Presby terian.
The officials of the Department of the
Interior are of the opinion that the de-
partment was warranted in making these
appointments, especially as It's action was
authorized by the Attorney General.