The Indian Advocate. (Sacred Heart Mission, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 6, No. 3, Ed. 1, Sunday, July 1, 1894 Page: 3 of 24
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THE INDIAN ADVOCATE.
51
to despise honor morality and modesty
the great and noble virtues of domestic
life to place vice in honor and present
it under the most seductive colors this
seems to be the aim of the novelist and
the other writers who deluge the city
and country with their unclean and
trashy works. How is it possible for a
mind or heart to remain pure after
reading those pages in which there is
only question of intrigue deceit and all
the refinements of degrading and de-
basing passions ? It is a well-known
fact that many go so far as to neglect
their duties even the most important
that they may follow those infamous
narratives to the end. These pages
exhale a poison which is certain death
to all who road them a poison which is
so powerful that no virtue can resist it.
Whatever may be said of the evils
produced by bad reading there are some
who will employ pretexts more or less
suspicious to justify them in reading
everything which may fall into their
hands. Wo must not forget that a
formal law of the church absolutely
forbids Catholics to read books or
journals which attack faith and morals.
Even a priest cannot read such works
.without permission of the Holy See.
How then can a layman think he
is exempted from the rules of the Index?
But it may be urged that the author is
celebrated. "Would you therefore take
poison in the shop of a pharmacist
because he has a reputation ? But the
book is written in an inimitable strle
and I read it to adopt a beautiful
phraseology. Yet how many books are
bettor written and you do not read
them because they are good. And
again should a person take a draught
of hemlock from a golden cup would he
not be mortally poisoned ? Would you
plunge a poniard in your heart because
the blade is of precious metal ? But I
read through curiosity. Eve looked on
the forbidden fruit through curiosity
and curiosity inflamed her appetite and
we know what the result has been for
her and for ourselves. No you cannot
)lead excuse or pretext of any kind.
You are guilty if you read books or
journals yes more guilty than they
who sell or propagate them. And as
for those who write them well they
will one day wish that human justice
could shield them from the inexorable
justice of God.
DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS.
TUB PLAN WOltKS SUCCESSFULLY AMONG THE INDIANS.
Rev. J. A. Stephan director for the
Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions in
a letter addressed to General E. Whit-
tlesey secretary of the Board of Indian
Commissioners gives the following in-
formation respecting the Indian schools.
In view of the fact that a certain clique
of bigots are endeavoring to wrest from
Catholics these schools the letter will
prove of more than passing interest.
Father Stephan begins by stating
that the Bureau of Catholic Indian
Missions for the current fiscal year
conducted with the United States
Government: Boarding schools Num-
ber of schools 39; number of pupils
3265. Day schools Number of schools
13; number of pupils 292. The total
compensation for the above service
amounts to $369535.
In addition to the foregoing the Bu-
reau of Catholic Indian Missions sup-
ports five other Indian schools at its
own expense. About $50000 for sup-
port of teachers and scholars is expended
by Catholics themselvos.
Inasmuch as the policy of the Govern-
ment in relation to contract Indian
schools in successful operation for 20
years past. has been attacked by influ-
ences calling for a radical change from
missionary to strictly secular methods
in the national effort to civilize the
Indians and to render them self-
supporting moral and competent
citizens.
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The Indian Advocate. (Sacred Heart Mission, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 6, No. 3, Ed. 1, Sunday, July 1, 1894, newspaper, July 1, 1894; Sacred Heart Mission, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc69755/m1/3/: accessed March 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.