Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-15
IN GOD WE TRUST.
President Issues Omission of Motto
From New Gold Coins.

In answer to 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 I'm God We Trust" Presi-
dent Roosevelt has written a letter
which he yesterday made public. The
letter follows:
when the question Of the new COIN
age came up we looked into the law
and found there was no warrant there
in for putting In God We Trust on
the coins as Is the custom, although
without legal warrant had grown up,
however, I might have felt at liberty
to keep the inscription had I approved
Of its being on the coin. But as l did
not approve Of 1t, did not direct that
1t should again be put on. or course,
the matter Of the law is absolutely In
the hands Of congress and any direc-
tion Of congress in the matter will be
Immediately obeyed. At 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 a motto on coins or to use 1t
in any kindred manner, not only does
no good, but does positive harm, and Is
in effect irreverence, which comes dan
gerously close to sacrilege. A beauti-
full and solemn sentence such as the
one in question should be treated and
uttered only with that fine reverence
which necessarily implies certain eX-
altation Of spirit. And use which tends
to cheapen 1t, and above all, any use
which tends to secure its being treated
in a spirit Of levity Is from every
standpoint profoundly to be regretted.
1T Is a motto which II Is indeed well
to have inscribed on our great national
monuments, in our temples Of justice,
in our legislative halls, and in build
ings such as those at West Point, and
Annapolis-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 on
coins, just as 1t would be to cheaper 1t
by use on postage stamps or In ad-
vertisements.
LAS regards the use Of 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 its having appealed to any
high emotion in him, but I have liter
ally hundreds Of times heard 1t used
as an occasion Of, and incitement to
the SneeTlDS TlulCule WHICH, IL 10 duOfC
all things undesirable that so beau
tiful and exalted a phrase should ex-
cite.
For example throughout the long
contest extending over several decades
on the free coinage question the ex-
istence of this motto, on the coins was
a constant source Of jest and ridicule,
and this was unavoidable. Every one
must remember the innumerable car
toons 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 thir-
ty-seven cents. we do not pay and so
forth and so forth. Surely I am within
bounds when l say that a use Of the
phrase which invites constant levity OF
this type Is most undesirable. If con-
gress alters the law and directs me
to replace on the coins the sentence
in question, the direction will be i'm
medlately put into effect. but l very
sincerely hope that the religious SEN
timent Of the country. the spirit OF
reverence in the country will prevent
any such action being taken.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"