The San Francisco call., 1905-02-01
OFFERED VOTES
FOR INFLUENCE
Senator Bard Alleges Inter-
ference in Politics by a
Religious Denomination
INCIDENT OF CAMPAIGN
Diversion Of Indian Funds
to Sectarian Schools Said
to Have Presidents Favor
INCIDENT OF CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31-Sensa-
tfonaI disclosures in relation to the
alleged use of Indian trust funds for
the support of sectarian schools were
made to-day by Senator Bard of Cal
ifornia in statement to the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs.
Senator Bard addressed the COM
mittee after statements had been
made by S. NJ. Brosius, agent Of the
Indian Rights Association, and Fran
els F.. Leupp, Commissioner of In
dian Affairs. The Senator said that
he had been visited by DIR. E. L.
Scharf, an agent for a Roman Cath
olic mission society, and asked to use
his influence with Republican mem
bers of Congress looking to forward
ing the interests of Catholics in get
ting a diversion of Indian trust funds
for the support of Catholic schools on
the reservations. He quoted DR..
Scharf as having said that If the Re
puhlicans would agree TO bring about
the desired legislation the Catholics
would see that twenty Congressional
districts in which the Republicans
were weak were carried for the party.
DR.. Scharf was said to have given the
names of the districts, together with
the number of Catholic voters in each
and the names of the priests who
would look after the agreement and
deliver the necessary votes to carry
the district.
HAD NO FAITH IN SCHARF.
Senator Teller questioned Senator
Bard as 70 his construction of the Of
fer of DIR. Seharf and received the re-
ply:
Il thought it purely political and at
the time placed little credence in 1T. !"
Senator Teller said that if it was
proved that the statement of DR..
more cause to complain of the inter-
ference of the Catholic church than OF
the Mormon church in the political
affairs of the country.
Bard said that he attached great
Importance TO the. act of Congress of
June {, 1897, which declared that it
was the settled policy of the Govern
ment to hereafter make no appropri-
alton whatever for education in any
sectalian school.
The Senator said that he had been
informed. that there was no record at
the Interior Department of authority
for the diversion of these trust funds
to the support of Catholic missions,
but he had heard the statement made
that it was done on an oral order.
which agents of the Indian Rights As
sociation alIege to have been issued
by the President Bard said that he
had been informed that a very small
percentage of the Indians interested
gave their consent to the application
of the funds for the support of sec
tartan schools and that a large ma
jority of the Indians were communi-
cants in the various Protestant
churches located within the various
reservations.
DIVERSION OF THE FUNDS.
The remarks of Senator Bard at
tracted attention to letters that had
been put in the Record by Brosius
Among these were number from
priests in relation to the use of In
dian trust funds. Two of them alleged
that the President was favorable to
the diversion of the funds for the pro-
motion of the Catholic schools on the
reservations.
Brosius was questioned as to the date
of those letters and said that the cor
respondence he had been able to get
hold of indicated that the interest of
the Catholic church developed during
the recent campaign
The view Iof Commissioner Leupp
was substantially that, as he under
tartan schools were made pursuant to
an order of the President, based on an
opinion from the Attorney General.
He said that the President doubtless
would welcome a judicial definition OF
the status of Indian rights in such
matters. The ifrevocable settlement of
the question of the limitations of the
Government authority as trustee of
the Indian funds in the United States
treasury, he said was in the highest
degree desirable. He advocated legis-
lation for the individualizing of the
funds of the several tribes. still keep
ing their control In the hands Of the
Government, but opening separate
account with each Indian, who now is
entitled to an undivided interest in any
tribal fund. A particular object to be
gained by the individualism of the
trust fund, he said, was to enable each
Indian to say for himself how the in
come from his share should be expend-
ed in the education of his children.
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