Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-11-22
NO WARRANT
FOR The MOTTO
PRESIDENT TELLS WHY " WAS
OMITTED FROM THE NEW
GOLD COINS.
CAUSED IRREvERENcE
WAS FOR MANY YEARS THE occA-
SION OF JEST AND RID
iculE.

washinEton.-In answer TO one OF
tho numerous protests which have been
received nj the White house against
the new gold coins which have been
coined without the words. In God We
trust" President Roosevelt has written
u letter which he has made public. The
letter follows:
'When the question OF the new coin
aIe came up We looked Into the Law
and found there was no warrant therein
for putting ''in Goi we trust on the
coins. An was the custom. although
without legal warrant. had grown up.
however. ! might have felt mt liberty
to keep the Inscription hnd approved
OF Its being on the coins. But as ] did
not approve Of II. ] did not direct that
II should again be put on. or course
tho matter of tho law IN absolutely In
the hands OF Congress. ana any dircc-
tion In that direction will he immedt-
Atcly obcysd. Al present there ID no
warrant In law for tho inscription.
My own feeling In tho matter ID duo
to my very Arm conviction That to put
a motto on coins or TO usc II In any
kindred manner. not only does no fsood.
but does positive harm. aud Ii In effect
irrcycrcncc. which comes dangerously
close to sacrilc.c. A beautiful aud sol.
etuu ruNH AiA' oH' ih Sus'
tion should be treated and uttered only
with that hne reverence which ncccs-
sariiy implies certain cSaitation OF
spirit. Any us~ which tends To chcapen
II. and above NIL. any use which tends
To secure It's being treated In spirit
Of lcvity. In from every standpoint pro-
foundly To be regretted.
"It In n motto which Is indeed well
TO have inscribed ON our great national
monuments. In our temples OF justice.
In our executive halls and In buildings
mr. those mt West Point AMI Annapolis.
in short. wherever II Will tend TO
arouse and inspire lofty emotion IN
those who look thcr.upon. but u
seems to me cmlncnuy unwiBc 10
cheaper n motto by use on coins. Just
as II would be TO cheaper II by use on
postage stamps. or In advertisements
As regards i,s use ON the coinage. NO
have actual experience by which to 30.
In NIL my iifc have never heard any
human being speak rcvcrcnly OF this
motto on the coins. but have literally
hundreds Of times heard II used as an
occasion Of. aud inciicmcn' TO tho
snccring ridicuic which. II Ia above MI
things. undesirable that no bcnutifui
and exalted u phrase should cxcitc. For
example. throughout tho long contest
extending over several decades on inv
free coinage question. the existence OF
this motto on the coins was con.
stant source Of Jest and rIdiculc: and
this was unavoidable. Everyone must
remember tho innumerablc cartoons
and articles based on phrases like IN
God We trust for the eight CENTS: In
God We trust for the short weight: In
God wc trust for the n cents We do
not my etc, etc. Surely ] am well
within the bounds when ! say that q
use Of the phrase which invites con-
stnnt icvity OF this character IL undcsir-
able. IL Congress alters the laws and
directs me To replace on the coins the
sentence In question. II Will be immcdi-
aiciy put into effect: but ! very ear
nestiy trust that the religious scntt-
ment Of the country. the spirit OF rev.
ercncc In tho country. will prevent nny
such action being taken.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.