The Washington herald., 1907-11-17

superscriptive motto. I'm God We Trust, "
on all United States coin. He says that
TO put such a motto on coins, or 20 use
II In any kindred maner. not only does
no good, but does positive harm, and is,
in fact, irreverence which comes danger
ously near TO sacrilege."
The President, however. is not the only
head Of a government who in recent
years has caused the removal of the
motto on the coin OF his country. The
statesmen who are ruling France, IN the
earlier part OF this year. decreed that
the exhortation. "Dieu protege la Franco
God protect Franco shall not appear on
the coin Of the French republic 10 be
minted henceforth. as it does on the
present coins The explanation OF Frances
action in the matter may be found in
the fact that our European sister repub-
lie is at present under the absolute regime
or radicals and anti-religiOnists who have
relegated everything pertaining to the
Bible or religion 20 the background.
President Roosevelt's action. according 70
a statement given out at the White
House. was inspired by feelings OF rever-
ence for the words 'In God We Trust"
and his opinion that the placing of the
motto on coin tends to cheaper the motto.
In this connection it may be of inter-
est to know that for centuries the popes
expressed in Biblical phrases or moral
sentences lessons of charity and kindness
in the legends stamped upon their coins.
These coins have been out Of circulation
for a long time past. but the popes evil
IDENTIFY believed that the instruments of
charity should be regarded as preaching
a sermon on charity II would be impos-
s:ble TO relate here more than a few OF
these brief sermons which the popes
preached to the people over whom they
ruled, and which undoubtedly contributed
TO the exercise of the virtue of charity
which was thus 50 universally inculcated.
The legend or inscriptions are all in
Latin. and each almost fills the reverse
Of the pieces. whether gold or silver.
There is no one wickeder than the
miser' is the pronouncement made by
gold "scUdo" (crown) OF Pope Innocent
XI. who filed the papal chair from 1876
TO 1859 Another coin Of the same pOntiff.
half a scudo in value. says. THE miser
will not be filed and still another bears
the phrase The things preserved perish. ="
tR' NANAA4fAAl ~ iAtNl-At-At 4Ss,AN0 a HAA-
yer coin on which it is said silver kills
many" and on a golden scudo he offers
this counsel: obey not the empire of
gold" DO not desire money is another
counsel of his; and the suggestive phrase
1T is not for avarice" IS seen upon an
other Of these coins. Care follows in
creasing wealth. cries out coin Of
Pope Alexander VII And OF how little
use money will be when the curtain falls
on life is brought home TO the minds of
most men by the warning that speaks
from coins Of Innocent XI: They will
not profit thee I'm the day of Judgment"
The pontificate Of Innocent II, though
of only thirteen years duration. seems
10 have been rich in the variety and
beauty Of the sayings on the coins Is
sued He that loves gold will not be
saved" is the motto on a golden crown;
and another reads: He who trusts in
riches VIII fail" The same pOntin asks:
What doeth II avail a man What doeth
II avail fool?' And the question. meet
ing you on d coin, has a special direct
ness that one cannot avoid Innocent XII
speaks touchingly 70 those whose hearts
are fixed on the accumulation OF wealth
when, on a coin of about two francs
nominal value, he says; Let il not be
10 thy perdition." And the effect Of
avariee on the mind is admirably sug-
gested by the words Of another coin OF
the same pope: Money has no color for
the avaricious."
The mOney-grabber is universally de-
nounced. Who is poor? The miser"-is
the question and answer which another
coin gives. What 1 have 1 give TO thee"
is the phrase on another coin. on which
is represented st. Peter healing the lame
man. The bearer of the coin may not be
able to heal otherwise than by giving
what he has. Another pertinent ques-
ton is asked on one of these pieces Of
money: But these things which thou
hast gathered. whose VIII they be?'
Such a question must raise serious con-
sideration in the minds of thoughtful
men, But the owners Of money are re-
commended to bestow il well. Clement
XI, on a golden julius. says: Let ii
abound to the glory OF Cod" When
rightly employed money may do much
good, and this is declared by Clement X
on the coin which bears this pronounce
ment: 1T diminishes evil and Increases
good" And on another coin a generous
giver is described: He hath opened his
hand TO the needy"
mendatIon on the coins Of two pontiffs.
A piece of the value Of three-peuny bit
bears this inscription: "a little to the
just" and on a much smaller coin is the
truism: 1T hurts less" Forbid that l
should glory save in Thee" was the motto
on the coin or medal of Plus which
was made a memorial Of the battle OF
Lepanto. "He who gives TO the poor will
not wait" is a consoling reflection, as it
suggests that the reward of the lust
viii be bestowed soon on the charitable
man. Use moderately. like a man. is
a grand saying that awakens a universal
response That 1t may be given" tells
the purpose for which the coin was
struck-that is TO say 70 be passed on to
the relief of those in want. He lends
10 the Lord who has mercy on the poor
is the inscription on a silver piece Of
about eight-pence nominal value And so
the series goes on IN various phrases.
al more or less directed to the objects
already noted. These are the uses of
wealth 10 which popes called the atten-
ton Of the pOssessers OF money, and this
throws a marvellous light on the char
acter of the papacy
The motto. "E Pluriibus Unum." never
authorized by law to be placed on the
coin OF the United States. first appeared
on an American coin in 1856 There was
no United States mint then, and. I'm fact.
no United States. the Constitution form
ing the Union not having as yet been
adopted. There was a private mint at
Newburgh. n. Y, end az Pluribus Unum"