The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05

ties should be allotted in severalty to the
Indians and thus, by leaving them free to
'i-t4 tho money It's they rrc a. prevent t..lc
raising Of the question Of the Government :
OF seotarian schools. The Presidents letter
follows.
WHITE House. WAsHiNGroN u. c.
Feb. 3 1905
To me Secretary Of Pie Interior
have received from YOU the letter u
the Commissioner ~ lnuian Affairs u
Jan. 81 1905 in relation to the inquiries
OF the Hon, James : sherman as 10 the
authority for granting contracts for edu-
cation of Indians IN denoiniuatiuuai schools
This letter Of the Commissioner OF Indian
Affairs asks that the general questions
raised iu Ir SheImaH'- letter OF Jan q
be- united with the special question raised
hy the Commissioner in his letter Of Jan.
y and presented to the President for sub
mission 10 the Attorney General.
The letter ot Jan. n. concerning the pay
nent Of claims filed ia the Office of Indian
Aiiair4 iu connection with the contract
with - Iaure- School OH the Tongue River
reservations, stands by itself and will he
submitted to the Auouey General for his
consideration and report;
A. regards the general question | have
date of Feb .. "A letter. copy Of which Is
enclosed. Early IN 1902 petitions on be-
half of various Catholic and Episcopal
schools were brought 10 my attention by
certain tcCe-ia-t 'c- and lHVmen who re-
olJesied the Interior Department 20 dis
trbpfe the rauonS and anuulfIe- through
The mission SCHOOLS 81 their several clutches
when the children We're ln the care II those
schools The Acknowledgement decided
that tins request was Illegal ana could
not properly he granted,
over year nfterward the request was
made originally on uehalf of certain Catho-
lic schools 10 1903 also on behalf Of q Iuth-
Gran school in 1905 thar where there were
Indian money! held ia trust for the Indians
hy the Secretary 81 the Interior the interest
ON these Indians money! being distributed
among the individual Indians or in such
other WAYS ~ the Secretary Of the Interior
might direct. and where CERTAIN Of the
Indians pettioned that the moneys so
distributed "a them should be used for HE
support of the particular den0minIiional
school which they desired their children TO
attend. this petition should he granted
The question raised was Of course wholly
dIGcnn M from that originally raised on
hehalt OF the Epscopa Church and of the
Catholic Church This new request was
submitted 10 the Department II Justice.
and the Department decided thar the pro-
hihluun Of the law as 20 the use of public
moneys for -ectarian schools did not apply
10 moneys belonging To- me Indians them
selves and nul TO the public and that these
moneys belonging To- the Indians them
serves mght be appued III accordance
with the desire Of the Indians for the sup
mort OF the schools to which they were
'endlng their children
There was ia my judgment no question
inni lnasmnch az the legal authority eN-
ir'td 10 grant the request ot the indians
iItN we're hItled asa mater Oh IN -IAI rgh'
10 hdFcihe money cctMng 10 them used for
tile education OF iheir children al the schools
20 their choice Care must ue taken, OF
course 70 SEQ luai any petition ,hy the
Indians j. genuine. and that the money
appropriated Tor any given school repre-
senis only the pro rata proportion to which
tue Indians making .he petition are entitled
But NJ these two C,uditlonS ara fulfilled,
n ~. IN my opinion, Just ana rlght that