The Irish standard., 1905-05-20
CATHOLIC INDIAN BUREAU.
Annual Report of Rev. William H
ketchan1, Director.

Annual Report of Rev. William II.
ketcham, Director.
I A meeting of the incorporators of
| the Bureau of Cathoic Indian Missions
was held in Washington last week.
Those present were Cardinal Gibbons,
Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Farley,
| DIR. Dyer and Rev. Father William H.
l Ketcham, director of the bureau. The
! condition of the work was found to be
satisfactory, and a policy to be pur-
! sued during the coming year was
| agreed upon, says the Catholic Stand
ard and Times.
The annual report of Rev. William
| H. Ketcham, as director of the Bureau
of Catholic Missions, contains in COM
pact form a great deal of interesting
information regarding the work of the
! church among the Indians and the
question of Indian tribal funds and
| mission schools, which was promi-
nently agitated in Congress last win
ter by Senator Bard of California.
The report contains a chapter en-
titled "The Bureau and Politics."
| which says, among other things, that
"lI should be clearly understood, both
among Catholics and non Catholics,
| that the bureau is not political insti-
tuition or agency" But it states that
in the discharge of its duty it some
times becomes necessary for the
bureau to publish unpalatable truths.
At such times those who have reason
to fear publicity accuse it of interfer-
ing in politics. They forget that the
official acts of public men are public
property"
"In my last report" Rev. Father
Ketcham writes, Il endeavored to
state clearly the attitude, both favor
| able and unfavorable, of those who
had placed themselves in record in
Catholic Indian matters, and an ex-
animation of that report will show
| tnat the truth was told, regardless of
the political aftiliation of the parties
in question.
During the last campaign, in
response to inquiries addressed to this
office, such information as was sought
| was freely furnished, and in some in
stances special efforts were used to
make known the record of particu-
larly faithful friends; and this was
done for members of both political
parties alike. & y This is all
the political work. the bureau has
| done or proposes to do. 1t feels that
| it can afford to disregard the ill-will
of those who would place office-hold-
ing and party interests above the sal
walton Of the red mans soul.
ut has never made overtures to
any man in public life, nor has any
man in public life ever made over
lures to it. Being unable to examine
the consciences of such men or to
analyze their motives, it necessarily
takes their acts at face value and be-
| lieves in them so long as there is no
evidence to shake the belief. So long
as any man by word and deed
proves himself friend, he is regard
ed as such, and vice versa. The bu-
! reau has done no political work; it
his simply discharged the ordinary
obligations of courtesy and justice
which it owed to its friends.
The Bard "sensation."
During the last campaign many
Catholics broke away from their old
political traditions. Fearing that this
would result in an increase of Catho-
lie influence, certain parties inimical
to the Catholic church took alarm,
and, in the hope of counteracting this
influence, cunningly concocted a sen
sation' calculated to arouse suspicion
and indignation in the country at
large and to strike Catholics with con-
fusion and dismay. Senator Bard, of
California, whose past record speaks
for itself, in conjunction with the
Washington agent of the Indian
Rights Association, led in this move
ment. Having cautiously concealed
his knowledge of Catholic plot for
two years (until he was repudiated
by his own party, he suddenly pub
lished to the world the 'overtures' that
had been made to him by Professor
E. l.. Scharf, who was held up to the
public gaze as the political agent of
the Catholic church.
There was scarcely a man in Con-
gress who gave serious consideration