The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-01
BARD CAUSES
 A SENSATION Catholics and Schools For
 Indians. GRAVE CHARGES ARE MADE The Church Said to Be En- gagged in Politics. California Senator Says Republicans Were Promised Twenty Congress uionaI Districts in Return for
 Legislation ReKardinw
 IadIan Schools.
CRAVE CHARGES ARE MADE

closures in relation to the alleged use Of Indian trust funds for the support of sectarian schools were mada today by Senator Bard in a statement to the Senator Committee on Indian As fairs.
 Senator Bard addressed the commits tee after statements had been made by s. M. Brosius. agent for the Indian Rights Association. and Francis Leupp. Commissioner of Indian Affairs The Senator said he had been visited by Dr. D. L. Scharf, an agent for a Roman Catholic mission society, and asked to use his influence with Republican mem- bers of Congress looking to forward ing the interest of Catholics in getting a diversion of Indian trust funds for the support of Catholic schools on the reservation.
 He quoted Dr. scharf as saying that if the Republicans would agree to bring about desired legislation. the. Catholics would see that twenty Con- gressional districts, in which the Re- publicans were weak. were carried for the party. Dr. Scharf was said to have given the name of the districts, to- gether with the number of Catholic voters in each and names of the priests who would look after the agreement and deliver the necessary votes to carry the districts.
 Senator Teller questioned Senator Bard as to his construction of the offer of Dr. scharf, and received the reply. T thought it purely political. and at the time placed little credenee in t.
 Interference In PoIics.
 Senator Teller said that if it was proven that the statement of pr. Scharf was made in earnest, then there was more cause to complain of the in- .a faa.. of the Mormon Church In the political affairs of the country.
 The remarks Of Senator Bard at- tracted attention to letters that had been put on record by Mr. Broslus. Among these were a number from priests in relation to the use of Indian trust funds. Two of them alleged that the President was favorable to the di- version of the fund for the promotion of the Catholic schools on the reser- Yations. Mir. Rrosius was questoined as to the date of these letters, and said tha tthe correspondence had been able to get hold of indicated that the Inter- est of the Catholic church developed during the recent campaign.
 The views of Mir. Leupp were. sub- stantlally, that, as he understood it. the contracts with the sectarian schools were made pursuant to an orr der of the President based on an opin- ion from the Attorney General. He said that the President doubtless would welcome a judicial definition of the status of Indian rights in such mat ters. The irrevocable settlement oe the question of the limitations of the governments authority as trustee 0E the Indian trust funds, he said, was in the highest degree desirable.
 He advocated legislation for the in- divtdualizing of the funds of the sev- aral tribes, still keeping their control in the hands of the government but opening a separate account which each Indian who now is entitled to an undi- vided interest in any tribal fund. An object to be gained by the fndivfdal- ism of the trust funds, he said, is fo enable each Indian to say for himself how the income from his share shall be expended in the education of his children.
 COngreasionaI Districts Promised.
 In addition to the charges that Ro~ man Catholic schools have received 9S per cent of the money expended under contracts made by the Indian Commits aioner, Senator Bard said he had been approached by a representative of D Catholic association with promise oe carrying a stated number of districts in California for him in return for his influence in bringing about a contin- uance of such favorable contracts.
 The statement e Senator Bard cree ated a stir in the committee room and he was asked to give detailed state- ment of the transaction as well as oth- CT matters relating to the use of trust funds for sectarian school purposes. on which he was informed. He filed with the committee a statement cover ing the conversation and also a list of EN. EN.A proposed to carry for him. He then discussed the statement Of s M. Bro- sius, agent of the Indian Rights As- sociation, and also quoted from ctr- cular issued by NJ. K. 5niffen. Secre- tary of the Association, charging that the discrimination in favor of Roman Catholics was by direction of the Press ident.
 Senator Bard said he attached moro importance to the act of June [, 1887 which declared that 1t was the settled policy of the government to hereafter make no appropriation whatever for education in any sectarian school. The Senator stated that he had been informed tha tthere was no record in the interior department of authority for diversion of these trust funds Co the support of Catholic missions, but he had the statement that it was done on an oral order which agents of the Indian rights association alleges to have been issued by the president.
 The committee took the statement seriously and it was the sentiment that at the next meeting an amendment would be offered to the Indian appro- priation bill prohibiting in the future the use of the Indian trust funds In the manner charged.
 Senator Bard said that he had been informed that very small per eentage of the Indians interested gave their consent to the application of their funds to the support of seetarian schools and that large majority of the Indians were oommunicants in the various Protestant churches located within the various reservations