Governor Hurley Deals Oath Law Repeal Bill Death Blow by Veto

Carrying on in the Curley tradition, Governor Hurley yesterday vetoed the Oath Bill repeal which last month slipped through the bicameral state congress.

Later in the afternoon the House upheld the gubernatorial decision through failure to mass a two-thirds vote to override. The final legislatorial ballot stood at 100 to sustain and 101 to override.

In a 1000 word message to the Legislature the Governor put himself squarely behind the spirit of the Oath Bill which, in his conception, "is to prevent the dissemination of subversive propaganda in our schools and colleges." Here he adds: "That the oath itself is inoffensive no American can doubt."

Observers last night who could agree that the oath itself is inoffensive refused to construe the governor's speech as such. Considerable section of the writing makes a frankly "patriotic" appeal.

"Repeal now," says the chief executive, "would encourage certain vicious minorities whose motives and conduct are inimical to, and destructive of, the principles upon which this republic was founded. These small groups of persons, among whom the very idea of God is repugnant, active in the opposition to the enactment of this law, and quick in the espousal of its repeal, would construe repeal triumphantly."

Governor Hurley exempts teachers from this class of minorities, when they act from "honest convictions." In that case he entertains "profound and abiding respect."

By his action yesterday Hurley dealt a final blow to the three-year battle which educators, including Harvardians from President Conant down, have waged against the "Curley" oath.

Asked to comment last night, J. Raymond Walsh, instructor in Economics, and head of the Cambridge Teachers' Union, said that the most expressive remark to be made was "we have nothing to say." "But," he added, "We'll be back.