Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-03

| tinued to be used and the contract system
| applied to them, after the declaration VI
Congress. uoz,,,,,
briefly. was that, Notwithstanding the dec
| laration of congressional intent not 10 thahe
appropriations in the future Oh pupn'
| moneys of the American people 1or SEE
tartan institutions. the previous laws CIV
ing the Secretary Of the Interior d1Scretlon
to use certain moneys of the Indians held In
trust in any way that he might see NJ, III
Guiding assistance to sectarian Scnoois'
were not repealed ana consequently LIS Viz
erection remained.
'This was the legal advice given to you
as to your authority to continue the use
of the interest on certain Indian tIus.
funds 1t appeared in the discussion that
some of the Indian tribes desired such use
of their own money, and various reasons
were given to show the advantage of con-
tinuing to support certain existing sec
tartan schools on account of their efficient
work or special beneficial influence; but
| with these considerations the Department
of Justice was not especially concerned.
Respectfully, w. II. MOODI,
Attorney General"
Father Ketcham's Statement.
The charge had been made that the
Catholic bureau. through DR.. e. L. Scharf
of this city. had made promises of Catholic
political support to the administration in
return for favors, and it was to answer this
that Father Ketcham went before the COM
mittee today. He denied that Dr. Scharf
has ever had any connection with the
bureau or with any branch OF the Cathoiic
mission work. and declared that whatever
Dr. Scharf did was on his own initiative
and without authority.
1t was not denied by Father ketcham
that the bureau has endeavored to secure
aid for mission schools. He said that for
years the bureau has been conducting
schools on various reservations, notably
the Usage, and the government has been
paying for the teaching of PUPILS the same
as in government schools. He submitted
statistics to show that the per capita cost
has been less in the Catholic schools than
in the government schools.
The efforts to obtain the use of trust
funds were begun under the administration
of President Mckinley, said Father ket-
cham, who explained that he laid the mat
ter before Ihe President and received a
ruling that the proposition seemed fair.
President Mckinley then referred the mat
ter TO the Secretary of the Interior but
no action was taken, and year ago 1t
was taken up by the Catholic bureau with
Presto ant Roosevelt. who, according to
Father Ketcham, approved the proposition
and said that if he found it to be lawful
he woUI- agree to permit the contrac %
be made. 1t was then that the matter wcs
referred to the cabinet and later to the
Department of Justice for an opinion.
F'athem Ketcham asserted that Bishop
Hare of the Episcopal Church knew year
ago that the contracts were being made,
commissioner of Indian affairs and had
explained to him the authority for the con-
tracts. 1t was declared further that Bishop
Hare was offered similar opportunities for
h schools, but declined to accept them.
eff Bishop Hare had accepted this aid in
the same manner that the Lutheran SYNOD
accepted aid for its schools in Wisconsin,
then there would have been no discussion
of this matter" said Father Ketcham.
Reference was made by him to the annual
appropriations by Congress to Hampton In
stitute, Virginia, and other sectarian schools.
He said that what his bureau was getting
was not government aid, but payment for
education from a fund owned by the In
dams, and that the aid was by direction of
the Indians lawful guardians.
Dr.. Scharf's Statement.
Dr. F.. L. Scharf of 1921 street north
west, whose name was connected with
sta tements made by Senator Bard before
the subcommittee of the Senate committee
on Indian affairs in which it was alleged
that he CDR. ScharD tried to influence the
senator's action by promising certain po-
litical support. today made a signed state
ment giving his version of thes matter. DR..
Scharf says in part:
when two years ago I made an effort
to have the appropriations for the Catholic
Indian missions extended for two years
more acted on my own motion, and GER
tainly did not represent mEcelf as any
ones agent. When l called upon Senator
Bard at the Normandie that winter and ex-
planned my mission. he informed me in the
beginning that he was Presbyterian, and
that his church was opposed to receiving
money from the government for the sup
port of it's schools. He failed to tell me,
however, that the Presbyterian missions
had received their share Of the contract
appropriations from the time of President
Grant, under whose administration the In
dian contract school system was inaugu-
rated neither did he explain the sudden
and mysterious conversion of the Presby-
terians to the new principle then promul-
| gated by the A. P. AS, that it is unconsu-
tutional to make such an appropriation.
I'm fact, all the Protestant denominations
had. until the administration of Cleveland.
received such appropriations. and it re-
ouired such a movement as the A. P. A.
agitation to show them the wickedness of
the thing. While they were receiving this
help from the government there was no cry
Of sectarian legislation, but after they
wi,hdr- and the Catholic missions alone
We e the benefciaries. they hypocriticaIIy
affected a holy horror at the very idea. and
great many of the statesmen at the Cap
ftol chimed in.
Senator Bard. in cour-e OF that inter-
view. took pains to condole with me over
the fact that any legislation pertaining to
religious matters should create such bitter
feeling throughout the country and advised