Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1907-11-23
I'm GOD We TRUST"
OMITTED ONCO
PRESIDENT THINKS use OF PHRlv
is IRREVEIENT
Solemn Senienoe Has Been Jer,d n 4,
Cartoosed, He Asserts Csn.qu.,t,
He Made Change

WASHINGTON. Nov. 1S.-In aDsw..
to one of the numerous pro,ss..
which have been received at the Wb',s
House against the new gold coin,
which have ben coined without ths
words: I'm God we trust" Presidsn,
Roosevelt has written a letter which
he today made public The letter toi
lows: VT
When the question of new coinas.
came up, we looked into the law ~
found there was no warrant therair
for putting In God we trust on tho
coins. AS the custom, although with
out legal warrant. had grown up. how.
ever, | might have felt at liberty IN
keep the inscription had approvsS
of its being on the coinage But asf
did not approve of it. | did not direct
that it should again be put on.
"Of course the matter OF the Law il
absolutely in the hands of congress
and any action in that direction will
be Immediately obeyed At present
there is no warrant in law for the in.
scription.
MY own feeling in the matter Is
due to my very firm conviction that 10
put such a motto on coins. or to use
it in any kindred manner. not only
does no good but does positive harm.
and is in effect irreverent, which
comes dangerously close to sacrilege,
a solemn sentence. such as the one
in question, should be treated and nj.
tered only with that fine reverence
which necessarily implies a certain ex.
altation of spirit. Any use which
tends to cheaper il. and above all, any
use which tends to secure its being
treated in a spirit of levity is from
every standpoint profoundly to be re.
gretted. Ii is q motto which is indeed
well to have inscribed on our great
national monuments, in our temples
Of Justice. in our executive halls. and
in buildings such as those at West
Point and Annapolis. in short. wher-
ever 1t will tend to arouse and inspire
lofty emotion in these who looked
thereon.
But ii seems to me eminently un.
wise to cheaper motto by use on
coins such as il would be to cheaper it
by use on postage stamps or in adyer.
tisements. AS regards its use on the
coinage. we have actual experience by
which to go. In all my life ! have
never heard any human speak reyeT.
emily of this motto on the coins but
have hundreds of times heard it used
as an occasion Of, and incitement to
the sneering ridicule which it is above
all things undesirable thai so beaut-
full and exalted phrase should excite.
For example. throughout the long
contest extending over several decades
on the free coinage question. the issa'
ance of this motto on the coins was
constant source of jest and Tidieule;
and this was unavoidable.
Everyone must remember the IN
Vulnerable cartoons and articles based
on phrases like In God We trust for
the eight cents; In God We trust for
the short weight In God we trust
for the thirty-seven cents we don't
pay and so forth.
Surely | am well within bounds
when | say that a use Of the phrase
which invited constant levity OF this
phrase is undesirable.
"If congress alters the laws and dl'
rects me to replace on the coins the
sentence in question. ii will be lmme
diately put into effect, but ! trust thal
tne sentiment of the country the
spirit of reverence in the country, VIII
prevent such action being taken.
tSigned)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT