Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-23
President Taft's Order.

President Taft's order follows:
In January of this year the commits
sioner of Indian affairs issued an order
to superintendent in charge of Indian
schools directing that all insignia of
any denomination be removed from all
public rooms of such schools, and that
the members of any denomination
wearing a distinctive sarb should not
wear it while engaged in lay duties as
government employees. Although the
propriety of such an order had been
under the consideration of the Secre-
tary of the Interior and the commits
sioner Of Indian affairs, and although
the Secretary had submitted the matter
to me for discussion, the commissioner
of Indian affairs finally acted on his
own responsibility, without having
first received the approval of either the
Secretary or myself. Because Of this
circumstance 1 d~ected that the order
he revoked and that action by tine COM
missionex of Indian affairs be suspended
until such time as to permit q full
hearing to be given to all parties in in
terest and a conclusion be reached in
respect to the matter after full DELHI
Grafton Accordingly the Secretary of
the Interior has given very full hear
ing to the parties in interest. and print
ed arguments have been presented.
In the first place 1t appears that all
religious insignia have already been re-
moved from the walls of government
schools by the voluntary action of those
who put them there before the schools
were transferred to the government,
| and no question arises. therefore, with
| respect to such insignia. and no order
| is necessary. The issue. theree e, is
confined to the question whether those
persons engaged in teaching Indians in
| the government Indian schools and
| who are members of the government
| civil service should be required to lay
off their distinctive religious garb
while they render service as govern
/ ment teachers
1.-THE Secretary of the Interior. after a
livery full and patient consideration, has
preached the conclusion, stated in a letter
| to the commissioner of Indian affairs.
that the order ought not to be made. and
| that those persons who are now engaged
in teachingn in government schools as
Imenbers of the government civil service
and who are wearing the garb, should be
permitted to remain in the service and
| while discharging their duties TO wear
the GARD. / concur in this view, and
the order as revoked will not be revived
Secretary Fishers Discussion.
THE Secretary of the Interior goes into
a very full discussion of the whole his
tory of the conditions surrounding the
teaching in government Indian schools
1t is evident that at first the government
gave very little care or attention to the
teaching of Indians, and was quite will
ing to accept the services of any re.
Iligious denomination engaged in mission
airy work which would take charge of the
education of Indians and give them see.
tartan teaching, and We all should be
most grateful to those denOmina tions
who were willing to spend the none,
and the effort not only to educate but tt
instill moral and religious principles il
the young Indians who We're wards OF
1.-The government. After a time, however