The Irish standard., 1915-02-20
Plea FOR THE CATHOLIC
INDIAN SCHOOLS
Father Ketcham Ably Presented
Indians Cause Before Senate
Indian Committee
Right of Indians to Use Funds for
Education of Children as
.5 They Wish

Catholic Church Has Worked A
i. mong Indians Since Sixteenth
IF US Century
The right of Indians in possession
of trust and treaty funds to have
these moneys used for the education
of their children in mission schools
has been recognized up to this time
has beer upheld by the supreme court
of the United States. Anti-Catholic
agitators have seized upon an item in
the Indian Appropriation bill for the
current fiscal year, which relates to
the practice continuously pursued up
to this time by congress of extending
a certain treaty with the Sioux, under
which an appropriation is made for
educational purposes, to attack not
only the extending of the treaty but
the policy now in vogue of recognize
ing the right of Indians to have their
own money used for the education of
their children in the schools of their
choice. The matter is being dis
cussed pro and con in the Indian
committee of the senate.
On the End of February MIR. Charles
S. Lusk, secretary of the bureau of
Catholic Indian missions, read brief
very ably covering the legal phases Of
the matter under discussion, and
Father Ketcham, director of the
bureau of Catholic Indian missions,
made the following address:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Committee-The Catholic church has
carried on mission work among the
Indians of the United States since the
early part of the sixteenth century.
The vast treasure and the number
of consecrated lives she has devoted
to this work cannot be estimated, but
it is of record that about one hundred
of her missionaries suffered martyr
dom at the hands of Indians, who in
some instances were abetted in these
deeds Of blood by white men.
1t is evident that the Indians can
never be of any material benefit to the
church. The money and men she de.
votes to them are to her at all times
a material loss. The same money and
men devoted to mission work among
the white people of this country would
yield fruit abundantly, even in ma
terial way, would increase her power
and widen the sphere of her influence.
If she were actuated by selfish and
materialistic motives she would with
draw forthwith from what to all evil.
dence of the senses appears to be
protitless effort, particularly since she
realizes how unwelcome her presence
among the Indians is, not indeed to
the Indians, but to certain groups of
white people, some of which have
never established or supported an In
dian school, have never sent mis-.
sionary to the Indians, have never
done any constructive work among
them, all of which imbued with senti-
ments strangely un-American in char
acter, apparently would rejoice to see
Catholic Indians deprived of the con-
solutions of the religion of their choice
and their children reared perforce in
some other faith, thereby manifesting
an attitude which discloses the state
of mind and the spirit indicated by
the prophetic words of our Lord to
his disciples: 1.-THE hour cometh, that
whatsoever killeth you will think that
he doth service to God"
submit that such All attitude should
not be encouraged by senators of the
United States.
If altruism be folly. and if there be
no spiritual side to missionary enter
prise, then, indeed. is the church
playing the FOOLS part in her efforts
for the Indians; but all Catholics and
many non-Catholics do not believe
this. There are many who yet be-
lieve in things spiritual, in the saliva.
tion of the soul, in victories and
achievements which the corporeal
senses cannot discern. This is why
the church. despite much opposition
and many obstacles. still perseveres in
her Indian work,
The Catholic church entered upon
Indian educational work in an extern
sive way at the cordial and earnest
invitation of the government, which
made the promise that if she would
supply the buildings and the teachers
the government would provide the
funds required for the tuition and
maintenance of the children. This
invitation and promise was made to
all Christian denominations. The
Catholic church accepted the invita-
ton, believed in the promise and en-.
!. tered in good faith upon the work.
4 She expended large sums in erecting
/ buildings and her volunteer workers
4 enlisted freely and generously. For
years the good work went on and the