Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-02
HAS LAW BEEN EVADED
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST OF.
FICIALs FOR DISCRIMINATION.
Rt. Rev. Hare Declares That Money
Has Gone to Catholic Mis-
sion Schools.

NEW YORK. February 2.-T1e Evening
Post today prints a stateBent from the
Right Rev. William H. Hare, Protestant
Episcopal missionary bishop of South Da-
kota, in which he charges that the law
prohibiting government aid TO sectarian In
dian schools has been evaded, and that
money has been paid out TO the Catholic
mission schools.
Bishop Hare's statement is dated Sioux
Falls, S. D., January 5. He describes the
pecuniary embarrassment and anxiety on
the part of the schools following the abol-
ishment of the contract system of govern
ment aid, and recites his efforts to secure
some measure of relief from its rigid appli
cation.
ut was urged says Bishop Hare, that
when rations and annuities had reached
the Indian country, and a parent who had
a child in a mission boarding school con-
sented that that childs fair share of the
rations for his family should be turned
over to the said mission school, compli-
ance with his wish contd not fairly be held
to be AN appropriation to Sectarian
school,
Rejected by High Officials.
Il ventured to present this view of the
case to the commissioner of Indian af-
fairs. He rejected 1t. 1 then carried the
case to the Secretary of the Interior. He
upheld the decision of the commissioner,
then took the matter up to the President,
who referred the matter to the Attorney
General, Mr.. Knox =
The statement then quotes Attorney Cen
eral knOx's reply, upholding the position
of the Indian commissioner, and declaring
that that official has no authority TO grant
Bishop Hares application
This opinion" continues the statement,
was sent me by the President as his an
swer to the appeal. This, of course, finally
settled the case. What its effect upon the
school work of other missionary societies
was'I can only imagine.
Forced to Abandon Schools.
'In regard to my own boarding school
work, 1t made it necessary to give up en-
tirely two Of the mission boarding schools.
namely, st. Paul's Yankton agency, and
ST. Johns, Cheyenne river reserve, and
aggregate upon the two remaining board
Ing schools all the boarding school funds
which l could command
Il was ultimately driven to sell ST. PauPs
school for about half it's value, and st.
Johns for about one-tentn of Its value.
The only comfort lay In the fact that the
ment seemed to have been driven to
seemingly pitiless act by a high and Inn
perative sense OF public duty, that public
duty being not to use funds In the hands
schools.
Avowed as Settled Policy.
II have gone into some detail in making
this statement in order that the fact may
definitely appear that the government OFF,
cials (Mr. w. A. Jones. commissioner; Mr..
e. A. Hitchcock. Secretary of the Interior:
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
United States. under the advice of the At
torney General. Mr.. r. c.. Knox, reached
and ayowed the opinion after much dis
cussion and despite the great hardship that
this conclusion brought upon missionary CT
fort--that 1t was the settled policy OF the
government not to use the money entrusted
to 1t in aid of anysadenomina tiaHal school
not even fraction sof the ratiOns in ne
charge of an Indian agent cotfld. at the re-
que guest Of the head of family be set apart
In a denominational school
Unfair Discrimination.
Imagine my surprise. therefore. on dis
covering last September that The same ex-
ecutive officers who had declared this to be
the policy of the government and had adj
ministered the policy with inexorable sud-
denness and severity, had been making
large contracts for the conduct of mission
boarding schools. On the spur Of the mo-
ment It seemed to me that might ease my
peeursary burdens by securing such con-
wrote to Mr.. w. IA Jones, commissioners
of Indian AFFAIRS. asking for information
He replied; These contracts were en-
teref into pursuant TO a petition fled IN the
vations the expense to be paid out Of trust
funds now to their credit In the treasury OF
the United States, In answer to second
lettar he wrote me: LIDO not think 4 isS