Evening star., 1907-11-13
Absence of the Motto on New
Coins.
CRITICISMS MADE THEREON
President Says He Disapproved
of It.
NO LAW FOR INSCRIPTION
If Congress Directs. It Will Be Re-
placed, But Trusts Religious
Sentiment Will Prevent Action.

The rumpus kicked up all over the
country because I'm God We Trust WAS
left Off the new ten-dollar gold pieces be-
ing coined in the Philadelphia mint has
brought from the President an answer
to the criticisms of all kinds He is
sending to all those who have written or
teIegraphed protests the following inter-
esting letter:
November II, 1907.
Dear Sir: When the question of the new
coinage came UP we looked into the law
and found there was no warrant therein
for putting I'm God We Trust on the
coins. AS the custom, although without
legal warrant. had grown up. however. 1
might have felt at liberty to keep the in
scription had ! approved Of its being on
the coinage. But as l did not approve OF
it. did not direct that it should again be
put on OF course the matter of the law
Is absolutely In the hands Of Congress,
and any direction OF Congress In the
matter will be Immediately obeyed At
present as I have said. there Is no war
rant in law for the inscription.
Does Positive Harm.
My own feeling In the matter is due to
my very firm conviction that to put such
"a AiictN' oh toiiiS VI tO use IL IN any KIN
dred manner, not only does no good, but
does positive harm, and is in effect irrever-
ence which comes dangerously close to
sacrilige. A beautiful and solemn sentence
such the one in question should be
treated and uttered only with that fine
reverence which necessarily implies
certain exaltation of spirit. Any use
which tends to cheaper 1t. and. above ALL
any use which tends to secure its being
a a q Ntrat 1S
ST standpoint profoundly to be regretted 1t
Is a motto which it Is indeed well to have
inscribed on our great national monu-
ments. In our temples Of Justice in our
Legislative halls and IN buildings such as
those at West Point and napolis-in
short. wherever 1t will tend to arouse and
inspire lofty emotion in thos, who look
thereon. But ii seems to me eminently
unWiSe to cheaper such A motto by Use on
coins. Just it would be to cheaper It by
use on postage stamps or in advertise
nents As regards its use on the coinage
We have actual experience by which TO
go. In all my life have never heard any
human being speak reverently OF this mot
to on the coins or show any sign of it's
having appealed to any high emotion in
him.
An Occasion Of Wit.
But l have literally hundreds of times
heard 1t used as an occasion Of. and in
it is, above all things, undesirable that so
beautiful and exalted a phrase should
excite. For example. throughout the
long contest, extending over several dec
ades. on the free coinage question the
existence of this motto on the coins was
constant source of Jest and ridicule; and
this was unavoidable. Every one must
remember the innumerable cartoons and
articles based on phrases like 'in God We
trust for the other eight cents" "in God
we trust for the short weight "in God we
trust for the thirty-seven cents we do not
pay" and so forth, and so forth Surely
am we'll within bounds when I say that
a use of the phrase which invites constant
.evtty of this type is most undesirable. II
Congress alters the law and directs me to
replace on the coins the sentence In ques-
ton the direction will be Immediately put
INTO effect; but very earnestly trust that
the religious sentiment of the country, the
sfirit OF reverence in the country. will
prevent any such action being taken.