Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-11-21
''INCODWETRUST''
President Roosevelt Explains Why
the Motto Was Left of the
New Gold Coins.
IN ANSWER 10 PROTESTS
Flnds No Warrant In Law Tor the
Practice and Believes Use
Dangerously Near to
Saorlleoe.

washington, NOV. l4s-lh hho"Oi W
one of the numerous protests which
have been received at the White
house against the new gold coins
which have been coined without the
words, "In God We Trust" President
Roosevelt has written letter which
he Wednesday made public The let
ter follows:
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, l might have felt at liberty
to keep the inscription had ap
proved of 1t being on the coinage. But
as | did not approve Of 1t, | did NOT
direct that 1t should again be put on
or course the matter of law is abso
lutely In the hands Of congress and
any direction Of congress In the mat
ter will be Immediately obeyed. Al
present as / have said there is no
warrant in law for the inscription.
my own feeling In the matter Is
due to my very firm conviction that to
put such motto on coins, or to use
1t in any kindred manner not only
does no good but does positive harm,
and in its effect irreverence, which
comes dangerously close to sacrilege
A beautiful and solemn sentence such
as the one In question should he
treated and uttered only with that
fine reverence which necessarily i'm
piles certain exaltation OF spirit
Any use which tends to cheaper 1t
and above all, any use which tends
to secure Its being treated in spirit
of levity, is from every standpoint
profoundly to be regretted. It is
motto which 1t is indeed well to have
inscribed on our great national mon
uments, in our temples Of justice, In
our legislative halls, and in buildings
such of those at West Point and An
napolis-in short, wherever 1t will
tend to arouse and inspire lofty
emotion in those who look thereon
But 1t seems to me eminently unwise
to cheaper such a motto by use Oh
coins, just as 1t would be to cheaper
1t by use on postage stamps, or in ad'
vertisements. AS regards its use on
the coinage we have actual expert
ence by which to go. In all my life
have never heard any human being
speak reverently Of this motto on the
coins or show any signs Of its having
appealed to any higher sense In him,
but have literally hundreds Of times
heard 1t used as an occasion Of, and
Indictment to the sneering ridicult
which 1t is above all things undesira
BILE that SO beautiful and exalted a
phrase should excite. For example
throughout the long contest extending
over several decades OF the free coin
age question the existence of this
motto on the coins was constant
source Of Jest and ridicule; and this
was unavoidable. Everyone must re
member the innumerable cartoons and
articles based on phrases like In God
We Trust for the Eight Cents; In
Kod We Trust for the Short Weight;
In God We Trust for the Thirty
Seven Gents We Do Not Pay and sc
forth, and so forth. Surely am well
within bounds when ! say that a use
Of the phrase which invites constant
Ievity Of this character is undesira
BILE. II congress alters the law and
directs me to replace on the coins the
sentence in question, 1t viii be imme-
diately put into effect; but | very
earnestly trust that the religious sen
timent Of the country, tse snirit OF