The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-01
Mr.. Taft Approves Action of
Secretary Fisher
NON-SECTARtAN TEACHING
Secretary Of Interior Revoked
Order Of Commissioner Of IN
dian Affairs On Subject.
by the Associated Press. J

H@ AsooCis@ou EI@o
Washington, Sept. ~23.-Secretary
Fishers action last January in revok-
ing the order Of former Indian Com
missioner Valentine, barring religious
garb or insignia from government In
dian schools, was upheld by Pre9-
dent TAFT, in an order made public
today.
The decision OF the president is
THAI teachers now employed in In
dian schools may continue to wear
the garb OF their religious orders; but
the privilege IS denied to any ser
sons hereafter entering the service.
This ruling will enable the govern
ment to fulhll it's obligations, the
president says, to the teachers who
were taken into the government ser
Vice when religious schools were ia
ken over bodily as government inSti-
tutions.
The presidents ruling is the fnal
step in a controversy that has engaged
the interior department with religious
bodies more than a year. Commits
sioner Valentines order would have
prohibited any teachers from wearing
religious garb in the Indian schools
after the end Of the last school year.
President Taft's order, and a letter
from Secretary Fisher to Mr.. Falen-
tine, which accompanies it, lay stress
on the fact that Commissioner Valen-
tine issued his ruling without consult
ing the secretary or the president;
and while the entire subject was un-
der investigation. Mr.. Fishers revo-
cation Of the order now is made final.
Secretary Fishers formal letter
states that the government had long
left the education Of the Indians to
religious missionaries; and that when
it finally began a ~systeinatical and
ling of the educational problem, it
toe over man Of the religious
schools. and brought their teachers
into the government classified service.
The transfers thus have often
been effected by the governments
renting UNCONVENTIONAL schools and
taking over the who'll plant and the
teachers as we'll said President Taft.
1T appears that out Of 1900 teach
ers in the Indian schools there are 81
who wear a religious sarb and who
are regularly classified members Of
the government civil service. To di-
rect them to give up their religious
garb would necessarily cause their
leaving the service because Of their
vows under which they have assumed
the sarb.'
Secretary Fisher holds there is no
legal prohibition against the employ
ment of government teachers who
wear GcllSlUuS dress, anu Lldl Optilou
is endorsed by the president. It is
pointed out that sectarian religious
instruction is not given in any of the
schools now under government con-
troll.
In January # this year the commits
sioner of Indian affairs issued an or
der to superintendent in charge OF
Indian schools. directing hat all in
sigma Of any denomination be re-
raoyn2 frnv, oil n1h!iN rnOnoc of Cnrh
schools, and that the members Of any
denomination wearing a
garb should not wear it While en-
gagged in lay duties as government
employees. Although the propriety Of
such an order had been under the
consideration Of the secretary Of the
interior and the commissioner of In
dian affairs, and although the secre-
tary had submitted the matter to me
for discussion, the commissioner Of
Indian affairs finally acted on his own
responsibility. without having first re-
ceived the approval Of either the sec
rotary or myself. Because Of this cir
cumstance | directed that the order
be revoked and that action by the
Commissioners of indian affairs be sus-
pended until such time Is to permit
a full hearing to be given to all par
ties in interest and a conclusion be
reached in respect to the matter af-
ter full Elaboration. Accordingly the
secretary of the interior has given a
very full hearing to the parties in in
terest, and printed arguments have
been presented.
In the first place it appears that
All religious insignia have ALREADY
been removed from the walls Of gov
eminent schools by the voluntary &C
ton Of those who put them there be
fore the schools were transferred to
the government, and no question
arises. therefore, with respect to such
insignia, and no order is necessary.
The issue, therefore, is confined to
the question whether those persons
a in teaching Indians in the
government Indian schools, and who
are members of the civil
service, should be required to Law off