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4-CEt?e Catbolic Clgency-f-
owned and conducted by

E. L. SCHARF, PH. D.
(Late Catholic University)

900 Fourteenth Street Northwest

WASHINGTON, D. C.

The Catholic News Agency and Politics

The Report of the Catholic Indian Bureau of 1905 contains an
article, entitled "The Bureau and Politics" (pages 49 to 54). As
the work and aims of the Catholic News Agency, conducted by me,
are the same as those of the Indian Bureau, and as there are many
who misunderstand or affect to misunderstand the motives of the
News Agency, I publish extracts from this report which relate par¬
ticularly to the point I wish to elucidate. The following are the
extracts :

THE BUREAU AND POLITICS.

It should be clearly understood, both among Catholics and non-Catholics,
that the Bureau is not a political institution or agency. It should not be
forgotten, however, that the character of its work brings it in daily contact
with the different political parties, and that to accomplish its mission it
must-maintain friendly relations with men of every shade of political opinion
and religious faith. It is to be expected that Protestants and Protestant
organizations of a narrow and bigoted type (a few such may still be found)
should antagonize and slander an organization whose object is to promote
Catholic Indian interests ; and when it scores a victory no one is surprised
to hear them refer to it angrily and contemptuously as the "Catholic lobby."
But the Bureau is also regarded with more or less disfavor by a certain
class of Catholics, politicians, who, in practice, place the interests of their
party above those of the Church, and particularly of the neglected and
despised Indians, In the discharge of its duty it sometimes becomes neces¬
sary for the Bureau to publish unpalatable truths. At such times those who
have reason to fear publicity accuse it of interfering in politics. They forget
that the official acts of public men are public property. If every Catholic in
the land subscribed to the Congressional Record and read it, there would
be no necessity for anyone to point out Congressional acts and utterances.
But such is not the case ; and the necessity for informing the Catholic public
on these matters is demonstrated by the erroneous views often entertained
among the people, and the amazing items concerning Indian affairs that
occasionally find their way into Catholic papers. That it is the duty of the
Bureau to supply the Catholic public with reliable information in matters of
importance pertaining to its work was impressed indelibly upon my mind
by the following incident: The Catholic Indian schools never had a truer
or more constant friend than Senator Jones, of Arkansas, who, in season

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and out of season, exerted in his influence in their behalf. This has been
the history of his whole career in Washington. Threats and abuse poured
in upon him from many of His; d6Mtituents,! but,;" con^iftted that'hé was in
the right, he never for a moment faltered in his course. Yet during the last
Senatorial contest in .Arkansas, .certain Catholics of that State were to the
fore in the opposition'to him, and why? The ostensible reason which they
gave was that Senator Jones had said that he would favor the Catholic
Indian schools, but that in reality he had not done so. An effort was made
by the 'Bureau to correct this false impression ; but Senator Jones was de¬
feated, and the Catholic Indian schools lost a faithful and potent friend in
the United States Senate. The responsibility for this loss, in a measure,
rests upon those who circulated a slanderous report and upon the
Bureau, which should have made such a report an impossibility by giving
due and timely acknowledgment of services rendered. Mortified beyond
measure at this miscarriage of justice, I resolved that such a shame¬
ful and ungrateful event should not occur again, if it were in my power to
prevent it by circulating the truth. Actuated by this resolution, in my last
report I endeavored to state clearly the attitude, both favorable and unfavor¬
able, of those who had placed themselves on record in Catholic Indian matters;
and an examination of that report will show that the truth was told regardless
of the political affiliation of the parties in question. During the last campaign,
in response to inquiries; addressed to this office, such information as was
sought was freely furnished, sand in some instances., special efforts were used
to make known the record of particularly faithful friends, and this was done
for members of both political parties alike. On one occasion, when our
greatest benefactor 'had been . totally misrepresented by those who knew
better, and this at a time .which tendered it almost impossible to correct the
false impression, the only, effective means within reach, radical, it is true,
but honest and legitimate, was used, to disseminate the truth. This is all
the "political' work the Bureau has done, or proposes to do.

And this is all the "political work" the Catholic News Agency has
done, or proposes to do! •

Father Ketcham on the Bard Incident*

During the last campaign (1904) many Catholics broke away from their
old political traditions. Fearing that this would result in an increase of
Catholic influence, certain: parties inimical to the Catholic Church took alarm,
and in the hope of counteracting this influence cunningly concocted a "sensa¬
tion" calculated to arouse suspicion and indignation" in the country at large,
and to strike Catholics with confusion and dismay.1 Senator Bard, of Cali¬
fornia, whose past record-speaks for itself, in conjunction with the Washington
Agent of the Indian Rights Asociation, led in this movement. Having cau¬
tiously concealed his knowledge of a "Catholic plot" for two years (until he
was repudiated by his own party), he suddenly published to the world the
"overtures" that had been made to him by Professor E. L. Scharf, who was
held up to the public gaze as the "politicai agent of the Catholic Church."
There was scarcely a man in Congress who gave serious consideration to
this "revelation ;" but a certain remark attributed to Senator Teller rendered
it advisable for His Eminence, the Cardinal, to make a public statement,
in the name of the Church and of the Bureau, of the fact that the Church
has no such agent, and that Professor Scharf had never been employed by
the Bureau in any capacity whatever. Mr. Scharf at once acknowledged the
correctness of the Cardinal's statement, and affirmed that he had never repre¬
sented himself as anybody's agent. However, Senator Bard's statement gave



perceptible impetus to the newspaper crusade against the "tribal funds' con¬
tracts," while the injection of Mr. Scharf into the controversy had the effect
of diverting from the Senator a portion of the indignation that would other¬
wise have been vented upon him, and of so complicating the situation that in
many instances the Catholic press seemed to lose sight of the main issue,
and devoted its attention to the alleged "Catholic agent."

Many Catholics, and, indeed, many non-Catholics, have contributed their
money or their influence to the Catholic Indian cause, and among these bene¬
factors was Professor Scharf. The fact that he was never an agent or a

representative of the Bureau, or that his assistance was unsolicited (other
than by the appeal that the Bureau has addressed to all), does not alter the
fact that he has at times rendered most valuable aid to the schools, nor does j
it relieve the Bureau of the obligation of recognizing those services, and of J
making due acknowledgement of them. This was done in the Annual Report
and in the Sentinel of last year.

It has been intimated several times that Professor Scharf represented him¬
self as being connected with the Bureau. This he has stoutly denied, and an
investigation of each specific accusation has failed to afford evidence that he
had made such profession. In every instance his relations to the Bureau
have been clearly defined. For reasons best known to themselves there are
some who, notwithstanding the statements made by this office or by the
Cardinal himself, still persist in believing, or in professing to believe, that Mr.
Scharf was an emissary of the Bureau.

Has Led to Most* Important* Results

On page 33 of the Indian Sentinel, also publisht by Father
Ketcham, the Director of the Catholic Indian Bureau, year 1905,
will be found the following acknowledgment :

"Professor E. L. Scharf, of Washington, D. C., who takes a deep
interest in the welfare of our Mission Schools and never loses an

opportunity of furthering their interests, has been able recently to
render aid which has led to most important results/' 1

I must assert most emfatically, however, that while the policy of
the Catholic News Agency is practically identical with that of the
Indian Bureau, the News Agency has no connection whatever, or
understanding with the Bureau. One is conducted by myself in the
capacity of a citizen of this country, the other is an official agent of
the Church.

The policy of the Catholic News Agency will be for the future, a§\
it has been for the past, to inquire carefully into the records of our
statesmen gathered in Washington every year, and to publish them
as it finds them. In doing this, men of both parties will be accorded
an absolutely impartial treatment.

E. L. Scharp, Ph.D.