The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-02

people Of the United States, who
have paid out of their own
pockets, for the support Of the
Indian schools, money that should
have come from another source.
President Roosevelt came to the
relief Of Catholic mission schools
by allowing them to draw upon
the tribal funds, contributed by
the Indians themselves. Many
opposed it, however, but prin-
cipally Mr.. Stephens of Texas,
member of the Indian Committee
of the House, who sought in vain
to secure legislation that would
render the policy Of the President
unlawful. Another policy was
then adopted by which the Gov
eminent agreed to purchase a
large number Of schools and con-
duct them as government institu-
tions. Accordingly, many schools,
most Of which were Protestant,
were taken over by purchase and
conducted in this manner by the
government. This did not en-
barass the Protestant schools; but
efforts were made to eliminate
everything indicatice Of Cath
olicism from the Catholic schools.
Then President Taft found way
out of the difficulty by leasing the
Catholic Indian schools instead Of
purchasing them. i.
When Vice President Sherman
resigned his position as Chairman
of the Indian Committee Of the
House he was succeeded by Mr..
Stephens in spite of the we'll
known antipathy Of the latter to
Catholic Indian mission interests
Chairman Stephens objected to
the taking over of Catholic Indian
schools by the Government; and
ON June FL, 1911, he submitted a
resolution Of inquiry requesting
the Secretary Of the Interior to
furnish "for the information and
use Of the House" a statement
showing in detail, how many Sec
tartan or other schools have been
"gathered inn by the Government
within the past six years. The
animus Of this request is revealed
by the following paragraph taken
from Resolution, Number PIG.
"Said Secretary is further re
quested to report whether relig-
ious symbols, emblems, or CARDS
of any particular religious denom-
nation or society are permitted
to be worn or used or publicly
exhibited and kept, or are so
worn, used, or kept, by employees
in the Indian school service or
within or upon property under
Government control in the Indian
Service.
In this resolution Mr.. Stephens
aims a blow at the Catholic. mis-
sion schools. His object is to- pre-
vent the President from taking
over these schools as Government
institutions and thus to force them
out of existence, or to place upon
Catholics additional burdens for
their support. To the credit of
the Committee on Indian Affairs
Of the House it must be said that
no action has yet been taken upon
this resolution, and it is to be
hoped that, Notwithstanding the
unfriendly attitude Of Mr.. Steph.
ems, no action will be taken which
will be detrimental to the harmon.
ious relations that have existed
between the Catholic Indian
Bureau, under the direction OF
Father Ketcham, and the Govern.
ment. Father Ketcham declares
''that this action on the part OF
the Chairman of the Committee OF
Indian Affairs is an effort to dis
eliminate against certain citizens
because, forsooth, they wear the
livery Of Gods Church-the habit
Of some religious order
Our Catholic people should
know these. facts in order thai
they may rally to the support Of
the friends Of the Catholic Indian
lest these wards Of the Church
suffer further from the hostility
of unfriendly legislators who seel
to hamper the Church in he1
efforts on behalf Of the descend
ants Of the American aborigines