p. 18 | Washington Pastors and the Religious Garb in Indian Schools

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 25, 1912

Washington Pastors and the Religious Garb in Indian Schools

By S. B. H.

A MEETING of the pastors of the District of Columbia was called at the Y. M. C. A. rooms, Monday, April 15, to consider the matter of religious garb in the Indian schools, concerning which a hearing was held before the Secretary of the Interior recently. After a few short, pointed speeches, the following resolutions were proposed, and adopted unanimously:—

“The Pastors’ Federation of Washington, in patriotic devotion to our distinctive American principles, views with apprehension the persistent and large encroachment of ecclesiasticism in our national political affairs, and exhorts all our citizens to a loyal and watchful guard against an evil that, unchecked, imperils the life of the republic.

“1. We earnestly protest against the recent revocation by President Taft of the order of Commissioner Valentine whereby the priests and nuns employed in teaching in the Indian public schools were forbidden to wear any distinctive religious garb or insignia while on duty in the public-school room. The action of Commissioner Valentine was the correction of a long-standing abuse against which protest had been earnest and indignant, and was wise, patriotic, and Constitutional. The action of the President is a profound disappointment to the great majority of the Christian citizenship of the republic. It is an un-American and a complete surrender of the essential principles of our national life which ordains the separation of church and state.

“Associated with the fact that the United States Congress annually gives large appropriations of money and often patents in fee for mission lands to the Catholic Bureau of Missions, the President adds the immense influence of his name and office to the work of converting the Indians to Roman Catholicism.

“2. We earnestly protest against the proposed action in Congress to appoint a Columbus day as a national holiday, because the demand for this holiday issues only from a very limited number of our people; and these being connected with one certain ecclesiasticism, we believe

it to be a covert attempt to secure a future saint’s day as a national holiday, and thereby establish a legislative and permanent recognition of this ecclesiasticism in our national life.”

Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and protest No. 1 be sent to the President of the United States, Secretary of the Interior, and the United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

That a copy of the preamble and protest No. 2 be sent to the committee on the judiciary of the House of Representatives, and that a copy of the whole paper be sent to Washington papers.

S. B. H.