The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-22
Roosevelt on federation.

In his address at Salem, Ore. yesterday
President Roosevelt took occasion TO al.
lude to the fendish religious intolerance
In Russia and Rumania thus:
Fundamentally In this country we are
free from the dreadful curse or rehglous
hatred and persecution, which has worked
so much evil In times past In the World
at large We realize that O cornerstone
in the building OF this government must
be. not merely religious liberation pe1ore
the law, but genuine religious tolera-
ton among ourselves. We IN America
are to be held thrice blessed that the
chance for animosity between Jew and
Gentle. or between Christian sects, has
become infinitesimal to the vanishing
point. Once more, not only must there
be no line Of demarcation among our peo-
Pile on grounds of creed or grounds OF
sect, but there must be no line OF de-
marcation drawn among them on GROUNDS
Of class or occupation.
The principle of liberation cannot
rightly be confined to federation Of relgi-
Gus opinion. It is as essential to the
honor and dignity and justice Of a ma
ton that it be exercised with respect to
the rights Of classes and occupations, as
the president says. The odium theologi-
I cum has in times past drenched the earth
with blood. Differences as to the rights
Of labor: intolerance of labor leaders, has
not infrequentIy brought about bloodshed
between men whose interests are mergi-
BILE thru. liberation. The shadow OF re-
ligious intolerance clouded the life Of the
colonies which ultimately became the
original states Of the union. Quakers
were prosecuted. as were also Baptists,
Episcopalians and others, but the federal
constitution started the new nation on
the right road by plainly forbfdding any
union of church and state, and placing al
religious bodies, Of whatever name, upor
the same footing 1t prevented for ever
q visitation upon this land of the spirit
of the days Of Pepin and Charlemagne
when the voice Of authority said, "Thinl
as do or will Kill YOU" and thousands
of conquered people were driven by the
Frank soldiers thru rivers at the point o.
the sword by way of baptizing them into
the Christian church. After the ninth
century, when intelligent men exercised
! their power of contrary choice, or tried
to do so, an organized system OF repres
sion was put in operation. The jew
were expelled from Spain; the Huguenot
were massacred on st. Bartholomew
day; the inquisition set up its instrument
of torture. This spirit of intoleranc
fingers in the world. fingers? Does
not rather reign in Russia and Runnanf
to-day with medieval virulence? It
the glory of our country that medieva
religious intolerance has no footing here
at least, as the president says, it has be
come inf1nitesimal to the vanishin
point" The Jew has no fear that he an
| his family may be slaughtered in hi
home, or paled off like leper. The Je'
Is conspicuously q factor In our trad
finance, literature, education, art an
science This condition shall always re
main. Yet it is well and profitable
4 heed the admonition Of the president, thu
! tolerance should not be confined to r.
,ligion, but that there must be no line
4 demarcation drawn among our people &C
4 grounds Of class or occupation" tt
4 president has given no better counsel tina
this during his whole vacation trip.