Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-11-21
OMIT GOD" ONCOIN
PRESIDENT EXPLAINS REASONS
FoR MAKING GRANGE.
SAYS IT IS CLOSE TO SAcRIlEeE
to An,Lerysn Cartoons a.
an Example.

Washington. ID. Gin answer %
one of the numerous protests wn.ch
have been received az the White
House against the neW gold coins
Nhich have been coined without the
words In God We Trust President
Roosevelt has written a letter which
BE Wednesday made pubiie. The let
ter follows:
When the question Of the nes coin
axe cane mp we booked intO the law
and found there vas no warran, there
N for putting In God We Trust on
the coln- As tse custom. aifhcuxh
xtthoa, legal warrant. had gruwn up,
however. ] might have felt az liberty
70 keep the Inscription bad approved
~ its being on the coinage. But as
! did rot approve ~ q. I dit no, direct
TIA, I; should again ~ put On
-of ooarxe. the nsttsr - the az is
absolutely In the ean4s - congress
e.f any airection % cozErsss IN the
matter all - Immediately obeyesi
A. present. as have Szi1- ther~ IL no
warrant in aN Tor the inscription
Nv own feelinE in the natter Is
dne % my ver- arm cunvictiou that 70
pat such a motto cn coins. or 20 ase
{; in any kindred manner. no; o1ly
dos 10 god. bat DOS positive harm.
and Is. IN fact trrevsrence. uhich
comes dangerously ciSse % sscrfisge
A Beautiful ana snlezn sentence such
- tse one in qa~sfioz shog'd - ;rs1,
ed and uttered oaly With that s-e
reverence which re~~Ssariiy implies
a certain e1aitatioa q spirit; Any use
which tends 20 cheap~a u. azd above
all. any use whlch tsrds 10 secure Its
being treated IN a spirit q ievl;y. Is
from every stazaaoin; psusoundly 20
BE regretted
Good Motto fer ~snu-erss-
1T Is a motto which Il l. Indeed
vel 20 have Inscribed on our grea;
national nouzmeats. In cur tenples
of justice. our legislative halls. and
in buildings such a. thnse az wes,
Point and Annapoiis-ln short. Eher.
ever IL Eil tend 20 arosse aza inspire
a lofty enotion In those -ho iook
thereoa
Blu; il seems 10 ne sminen;ly IN
wise 10 che1pen such a usotfo b u.s.
on coins. Just as II would be 70 cheap
en- u BY U.s. on postage stamps. o.
IN adverrisenents- As regards its use
on the coinage ne have actual erp-~
rienee b. which % 20 In all ny life.
have never heard any human being
spsak reverentiy of this motto oa
coins. % show any signs Of It's having
appealed to any high szotioa. bat
have literally. hundreds of times,
heard it used IN sneeri-< ridicage.
which IL Is above all things undesir.
able that 50 beautiful and exalted a
phrase should excite.
For example. throughout the long
enntes. extending over several dec
AIDES ON the free coinage question. the
existence OF this motto on the coins
was a constant source % iest and rid
icule. and this vas unavoidable Ev-
eryon. must remember the innumer-
able cartoons and articles based on
phrases like In God we trust for the
eight cents In God NE trust for the
short weight In God we trust for
the 81 cents we don't pay and 50
forth and so forth.
Surely I am well within bounds
when 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 re-
place on the coins the sentence in
question. the direction will be imme-
diately put into effect: but | very
earnestly trust that the religious sen
timent OF the country. the spirit OF
reverence In the country. win prevent
any such action being taken.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"