New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-29
A Teachers Protest
Eighty-six Filed Argument Against
Signing Loyalty Pledge

Sir: Last week ! procured from the BOARD
OF Education a copy Of formal protest hled
with the board on April %. 1917. by elghty-
six New York public school teachers, bitterly
arraigning that body for having asked them
the teachers) to sign the pledge Of loyalty
that was put before them Immediately after
we accepted war with Germany. The pledge
declared unqualified allegiance" 10 the gov
eminent and said that I'VE pledge ourselves
by word ard example to teach and to impress
upon our pupils the duty Of loyal obedience
and patriotic service as the highest ideal Of
American citizenship"
This pledge elected from si1ty-three teach
.rs a mighty roar in a preamble and four not
declarations. and many persons cannot under
stand why the Board Of Education did not
publish the protest against loyalty when 1t
was delivered The whole document is as
follows:
The Protest
New York, n. Y, April 20, 1917.
Nr. A. Emerson Palmer,
Secretary Of the Board Of Education,
500 Park Avenue, New York City
Sir: The public press announces that the
following LOYALTY pledge has been approved
BY the Board of Education and is TO be ex-
acted of teachers In the public schools OF the
CITY of New York: 1--WE, the undersigned,
teachers in the public schools OF the City OF
New York. declare our unqualified allegiance
20 the government Of the United States OF
America and pledge ourselves by word and
example 70 teach and impress upon our pupils
the duty of loyal obedience and patriotic SER
vice as the highest ideal of American citizen
ship"
Repeated reference to the pledge by mem
hers in meetings of the Board OF Education
indicates that u is the intention OF the board
10 submit the pledge to teachers in such man.
ner as will practically compel the teachers to
sign.
In anticipation Of what we understand 70
be the purpose Of the board in this matter
we. the undersigned, teachers in the pubic
schools Of the City of New York, desire 10
offer the following reasons for protesting
against signing any pledge under compuI-
sion:
/. We are unable to understand why
,ledrg Of LOYALTY should be exacted of teach
crs unless a considerable number OF them
are known to have engaged in reasonable
activities or to have given utterance TO trea-
sonable statements. Otherwise to subject 22'-
600 teach ,rs 10 the humiliation OF being CO.
creed into signing document which implied
" questions the loyalty OF every one is un-
warranted and unjust.
Q. We do not believe that reasonable acts
OF utterances have been witnessed IN the
schools of the City of New York. If any have
been so witnessed we submit that 1t IS the
duty of the witnesses of officers OF the De-
uartment Of Education to call the facts TO
the attention of the authorities of the United
States.
3. None of the public speeches Of the Presi-
dent of the United States, our most respon-
sibe national officer, has expressed suspicion
of any group of citizens. On the contrary,
his latest address to the people, under date
Ct April IS, 1917, is a dgnifed appeal to a
free people "to speak, act and serve together
in the interests of democracy and human
rights" Neither he nor the Congress has
threatened coercion of the minds of our citi-
zens.
4. Therefore, as teachers hitherto deemed
faithful and worthy employees of the City OF
New York and as citizens Of the United
States. we demand the same freedom from
implied suspicion of wrongdoing that is guar
anteed to other employees of the city and to
other citizens of our country until charges
srecifying acts of disloyalty have been made
and proved against US.
In presenting this formal protest against
ar act of compulsion we withhold nothing in
cur allegiance to the spirit and the principles
of our American Republic.
(Signed)