The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-10-17
PAGE SIXTEEN THE JEFFEF
Taft and the Garb Middle

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ate wrong and to follow policy
which he acknowledges is contrary to
the intent of Congress. In arriving
at what he calls a solution" he ad-
mits that it is evident from acts
of Congress that it was and is the
settled intention of Congress that
the general education of the Indians
should be secular and non-secta-
rian." He also admits that the
method of transferring the sectarian
schools to the Government whereby
the teachers wearing a distinctive
garb were admitted to the Govern
ment service was "a mistaken one"
and yet he rules that these teachers
wearing a religious garb should be
permitted to remain in the Govern
ment service, evidently to avoid the
doing Of hardships to them.
OF course Commissioner aIen-
tines order, if sustained, would
have compelled the dropping of
these fifty-one teachers, but it is by
no means novel for departments Of
the Federal Government to issue
orders whereby scores and, in some
cases, hundreds of Government en-
sweep. Nobody knows this better
than Mr.. Taft. He has seen in 9TH
er administrations and in his own,
orders issued that have thrown hosts
of employees out of the Government
service. Just why the President is
SO supersensatiye, tender-hearted
and solicitous about those 81 nuns,
in view Of the history OF dismisSals
in Departmental Washington, is the
question passing through many
minds. His ruling, favorable to the
Roman Catholics, has unQueStiOnably
political significance, Or the Presi-
dent is woefully ill-advised, or is
sadly lacking in those judicial quail
ties of mind which Roosevelt once
so highly lauded and admired.
In deciding the question, Taft
might also have gathered precedents
from France and Portugal Mere
hardship to the Roman Catholic
church, it's priests, nuns and various
religious orders did not stand in the
way Of the evolutionary process from
Vatican slavery to religious liberty.
These hardships were incidental to
the new order of things So, too,
GOlA14SSIOBSE NdIOuG1nC S OTu0f WAS
an improvement or evolutionary
step, and though it would have
worked hardship would have been
insignificant, compared to the dang
ers that surrounded the Government
when the feeling of disregard for
democratic principles pervaded it's
policies.
Taft, by his ruling, is perpetual
ing wrong-a wrong which he adj
mits to exist but which he cannot
avoid without sacrificing too much
for his future. In various Depart
ments Of the Government, it is the
usual practice to correct wrongs or
errors when they are discovered,
rather than to perpetuate them sim
ply because hardship will result in
particular instances. Taft is there
fore not following in this special case
precedents of which he is fully
aware.
The outcome of his un-American,
servile ruling will be that the Pope
will re-blesS Taft and his family;
Cardinal Gibbons will reiterate more
warmly his opinion that Taft ''hGs
shown himself efficient in Office and
sincere in all his Efforts" and that
he SHOULD be given a second term"
Cardinal O'Connell will repeat, with 1
greater enthusiasm that Taft is "a
big hearted and cool-headed states
man." and Father Vaughan will
-, o.. Z.