Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-11-14
WHY MOTTO CAME OFF COINS
President Roosevelt Explains Removal
of "In God We Trust"
NO WARRANT FOR IT IN THE LAW
He Believes the Sentiment should
he Placed where IL VIII
BE Regarded with
Reverence.
70 WARRANT FOR IT IN THE LAW

WASHINGTO,S. A.. &, Nov. 1S.--Iu an
swer to one of the numerous protests
which have been received at the White
House against the new gold coin which
have been coined without the words In
God We Trust" President Roosevelt has
written a letter which he today made
public. The letter follows.
when the question OF the new coin
age came up We looked into the law an5
found there was no warrant therein For
putting "In God We Trust" on the coins.
As the custom, although without legal
warrant had grown up, however, ] might
have felt at liberty to keep the inscrip-
tion had I approved OF it's being on the
coinage But as / did not approve of It,
did not direct that it should again be
put on. OF course the matter Of tho 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
rantTin law for the inscription.
MY own feeling IN. the matter is due
TO my very firm conviction that to put
such motto OIL coins or to use it In
Gny kindred manner not only does no
good but does positive harm, and Is In
effect irreverenCe, which comes lLnger-
ously close to sacrilege. \ beautiful and
solemn sentence such as the one in qucs-
tion should he treated and uttered My
with that fine reverence which necessarily
implies a certain exaltation of spirit. Any
use which tends to cheaper 1t. and above
all, any use which tends to secure it's be-
ing treated in spirit of levity. is from
every standpoint profoundly to be re-
gretted. It is II motto which It is in
deed well TO have inscribed on our great
national monuments in our temples of
Justice in our Legislative halls, in build
ings such those at West Point and
Annapols--in short, wherever II will tend
to arouse and inspire lofty emotion in
those Who look thereon"
Inwise to Cheaper Motto.
but it seems TO me eminently unwise TO
cheaper such a motto by use on coins. just
as II would be to cheaper Il by use on
postage stamps, or in advertisements. 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 motto on
the coins or show any signs of it's having
appealed to any high emotion in him. but
have literally hundreds OF times heard Il
used as au occasion Of. and incitement TO
the sneering ridicule, which it is above all
things undesirable that so beautiful and
eNdltSu u phrase SnOuld excite. For eN-
ample throughout the long contest extend
ing over several decades on the free coin
age question the existence of this motto on
the coins was a constantly source OF jest
and ridicule; and this was unavoidable
Everyone must remember the innunerable
cartoons and articles based on phrases like
I In God We Trust for Eight Cents"
/ In God We. Trust tor the Short Weight
In God We Trust for the Thrty-seven
Cents We Do Not Pay and so forth. and
so forth. Surely / am well within bounds
when I say that use of the phrase. which
invites constant levity OF this type is most
undesirable. II congress alters the law
and directs me To replace on the coins the
sentence Ia question, the direction will be
immediately put into effect; but I very
earnestly trust that the religious sentiment
Of the country. the spirit Of reverence in
the country, will prevent any such action
being taken. (Signed)
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