Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-10
THE PRINTERS OATH
CATHOLIC MINISTERS HERE DO
NOT OBJECT TO 1T.
The Issue Raised by Rev. Ward Of
Wisconsin-Secretary Gar
rett's Statement.

From inquiry made today among clergy
men of the Catholic Church in Washington
it was learned that the declaration of Rev.
NJ. ]. Ward, pastor of St. Thomas Catholic
Church. Beloit, Wis, to the effect that he
will decline to give abSolution to members
of his church who have also subscribed to
the oath demanded by the International Ty-
biographical Union, is only local in its sig
nificance and does not by any means reflect
the sentiment of the Catholic clergymen of
the country, nor is it any indication that
priests of the church generally will fall in
line with Father Wards declaration.
1t was stated that similar action is not
contemplated by the Catholic pastors in this
city, and further that the question has never
even been raised here.
1t is gathered from dispatches from Beloit
that rather Ward objects to a certain
clause in the obligation OF the typographical
union, which, he declares, places allegiance
to the union above every other obligation,
religious or otherwise. The clause in queS-
ton reads as follows:
4 hereby soiemnly and sincerely swear
Cor affirm that my fidelity to the union and
my duty to the members thereof Shall in no
sense DE interfered with by any allegiance
that l may now hereafter owe to any
other organization, social, political or re-
HgiOus, secret or otherwise.
Secretary Garrett of the Columbia Typo
graphical Union, when questioned today
with regard TO the oath, stated to a reporter
for The Star: 1t is absurd to charge that
the union aims this obligation against re-
ligion or religious bodies. That is not it's
purpose at all. This form of pledge was
intended to strike at secret organizations, or
rings, within the ranks of the union, which
We're designed to control It's policy. 1t was
intended to prevent, if possible, the organi-
.:ation within the union of any ring antago-
niStic to its interests under the guse of a
political. social religious or any other kind
of society. This assertion is borne out by a
glance at the clause Immediately following
the one objected to by Father Ward. which
reads: That l will belong to society or
combination composed wholly partly of
printers. with the intent or purpose to inter
fere with the trade regulations or influence
or control the legislation of this union or
the election of it's officers
The oath is not intended to antagonize
any church or any religion, and it seems to
me altogether unnecessary to raise an issue
upon the matter. The International Typo
graphical Union does not attempt to inter-
fere in any manner with religion. and the
clause in its obligation should not be con-
Strued IN such a manner to make it APP
pc to mean what it does not
Inquiry developed that no Catholic priest
of Washington has refused to give absolu-
ton to any person because he had subscrih-
ed to the oath of the printers union, and
the ministers interviewed wit regard to the
matter today stated that they understand
the reason for the unions pledge and that
they do not consider it antagonistic in spirit
to the chruch.