Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-11-21
FIN GOD We TRUST"
IRREVERENT ON COIN
"Close tc Sacriiege'' President Tells
Critics of Motto Omission
from New Coins.
EXCITEs SPIRIT OF LEVITY. /"
Should Be Used Only in Reverence
Suited for Monuments or
Temples of Justice.

"In God We Trust is to disappear
forever from United States coins I'M
less Congress acts contrary TO the wish
es of President Roosevelt, and the lat
ter appeals to the people of the nation
to prevent such action.
Mr.. Roosevelt Wednesday came out
squarely and decisively against having
the sacred motto On money. He de
clareS, in brief, that the inscription is
a sacrilege when placed on filthy lucre,
that it does positive harm and that it
has been the cause of a great amount
of irreverence.
If Congress compsls him to do So the
President says he will restore the
words Immediately, but not until then
will he do so. He assumes full respon-
sibility for the emission ON the new
gold coins and shows the warmth of his
convictions in the matter in a response
to various ministers associations which
have addressed the executive on the
subject
Letter Sets Forth His Views.
n answer to one of the many pro-
tests received at the White House, Pres
ident Roosevelt has written the follow
ing letter:
When the question of the new coinage
came up we looked into the law and
found there was no warrant thereiun 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-
ton had approved its being on the coin
age. But as l did not approve of it, l
did not direct that it should again be
put on. OF course the matter OF the law
is absolutely in the hands of Congress
and any direction of Congress in the mat
ter will be Immediately obeyed. At pres
ent, as l have said, there is nc 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 it in any kin
dred manner, not only does 40 good, but
does positive harm, and is in effect irrev-
erence which comes dangerously close to
sacrilege. A beautiful and solemn sep
tence such as the one in question should
be treated and uttered only with that
fine reverence which necessarily implies a
certain exaltation of spirit. Any use
which tends to cheaper it and, above
all, any use which tends to secure its
being treated in a spirit of levity, is from
every standpoint profoundly to be regret
ted.
1t is a motto which it is indeed well
to have inscribed on our great national
monuments, in our temples of justice, in
our legislative halls and in buildings such
as those at West Point and Annapolis
in short, wherever it will tend to arouse
and inspire lofty emotion in those who
look thereon. But it seems to me emf
nently unwise to cheaper such motto
by use on coins, just as it would be to
cheaper it 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 l 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 I have literally hundreds of
times heard it used as an occasion of and
Indictment to the sneering ridicule which
it is above all things undesirable that so
beautiful and exalted a phrase should
excite.
If Congress alters the law and directs
me to replace on the coins the sentence
in question, the direction will be imme-
diately put into effect; but l very earn
estly trust that the religious sentiment
of the country, the spirit of reverence in
the country, will prevent any such action
being taken.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.