WATCHMAN
Washington Correspondence
The Religious Garb Decision
. JANUARY 27, 1912, Robert G. Valen-
tine, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, is-
sued his now famous Circular No. 601,
on Religious Insignia. The effect of this
order was to remove from the govern-
ment Indian schools all teachers wear-
ing distinctive religious garb. ‘Those
coming under this ruling are all Roman
Catholics, A strong protest to President
Taft was immediately entered by the
Catholics, and on February 3, the Presi-
dent directed that Mr. Valentine's order
“be revoked and that action by the Com-
missioner of Indian Affairs in respect
thereto be suspended until such time as
will permit a full hearing to be given to
all parties in interest.”
The hearing suggested by President
Taft was held before Hon. Walter L.
Fisher, Secretary of the Interior, on
April 8, 1912. After a discussion of
several hours’ duration, in which prac-
tically all the Protestant denominations
were lined up against the Catholics, it
was left to the secretary to decide
whether or not Mr. Valentine's order
was to stand. August 24, Mr. Fisher
directed a letter to Mr, Valentine stating
his position, which was approved by
President Taft, Sept. 23, 1912. So far
as the government is concerned the ques-
tion at issue is settled. As Secretary
Fisher’s letter is a document of some
twenty-six pages, it is impossible to give
it entire; but the following are his con-
clusions, which he reached after “much
deliberation” :—
MR. FISHER'S CONCLUSIONS
That the questions at issue are questions of
administrative policy and not of statutory or
constitutional law.
That as a matter of wise and far-seeing ad-
ministrative policy the wearing of a distinctive
religious garb by teachers in government schools