Catholic Appropriations for Indian Schools
THE Advance of August 29 says:— “It will doubtless be a surprise to most of our readers to learn what immense sums the Roman Catholics have been drawing from the national government for their Indian schools. The whole amount received by the Congregationalists for their schools among the Indians the past year was about $23,000. But the following figures, taken from the Dakota Catholic, show how much the Roman Catholics have received since 1884: 1884, $65,220; 1885, $113,614; 1886, $148,744; 1887, $214,760; 1888, $244,677; 1889, $344,545; and this coming year they expect to draw $431,930. What would be the effect should the government wholly withhold its appropriations from all mission schools? This need not imply any hindrance put in the way of religious schools and missions sustained by the churches, nor that the government would be under any sort of obligation to employ as agents and teachers of Indians men and women who have no religion, or none to speak of.” The suggestions so cautiously made by the Advance, that it would be better for the government to withhold all appropriations from mission schools, is a good one. The effect would be that the Indians would get much more and better religious instruction than they do now. The best thing the government could do for the Indians would be to teach them the arts of civilization, and allow those who have a real burden for their spiritual welfare to teach them Christianity.