Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-11-10
ROOSEVELT ON
IAF1'S RELIGION
P'fesidentCauslically Answers
Anxious Inquiries on
This Point

/ p ahsS - "
Washington, d. O., Nov. sttSecre-
tary Taft's religious faith is purely
| his own private concern and not.
matter for general discussion of for
political discrimination, /, says Presi-
dent Roosevelt in letter he made
public tonight, in which he answers
numerous correspondents The
president said he deferred the pub
lication Of the letter now to avoid
any agitation likely to effect the
election. The letter follows:
November s. 1908.
my dear sir:
.I have received your letter, run
ming in part as follows:
While it is claimed almost uni
lversally that religion should not en-
ter into politics, vet there is no deny.
ing that it does, and the mass Of the
people who are not Catholics will
rot support a man for any office, es-
peciaily for president Of the United
States, who is a Roman Catholic.
! Since Taft has been nominated
for president by the Republican party
lit is being circulated and is con
srantly urged as reason for not
voting for Taft that he was an infidel
(Unitarian) and his wife and broth
er Roman Catholics. = = Ifs his
feelings are in sympathy with the Ro-
| man Catholic church on account of
his wife and brother being Catho-
lies, that would be Objectionable to
a sufficient number OF voters to de-
feat him. On the other hand, If
he Is an infideI, that would be sure
to mean defeat. s5 e y I am writ
ing this letter for the sole purpose
Of giving Mr.. Taft an opportunity
let the world know what his religi-
GUS belief might be. III, !:
81 received many such letters dur
ling the campaign as yours. express
ling dissatisfaction with Mr.. Taft on
religious grounds; some OF them on
! the ground that he was a Unitarian
and others on the ground that he
was suspected Of being in sympa-
thy with the Catholics did not
answer any of these letters during
/ the campaign for 4 considered it an
i outrage even to agitate such a aues.
j tion as a mans religious convictions
/ with the purpose Of influencing a.
political election. But now that the
campaign is over, and there is time
for men to calmly consider whittier
such propositions as. you make in
your letter would lead, j wish to in
vite them to consider them, and Is
have selected to answer your letter
because you advance both the OBJ
iections commonly urged against!
Mr.. Taft. namely: that he is a Uni
| tartan. and that he is suspected of
Ebeing in sympathy with the Catho-
/ lies. 4
You ask that Mr.. Taft shall let
! the world know what his religious be-
i lief is. This Is purely his own pri-
4 vate concern. and it is a matter be-
tween him and his maker, a matter
4 for his own conscience; and to re-
quire 1t to be made public under
penalty of political discrimination
| Is to negative the first principles
of our government, which guaran-
tees complete religious liberty, and
4 the right OF each man to act in reli-
gious affairs as his own conscience
dictates. Mr.. Taft never asked my
advice in the matter, but if he should
have asked 1t / would have emphati-
caily have advised him against thus
stating publicaliy his religious belief.
The demand for a statement OF can
Ididate's religious belief can have no
meaning except that there may be
be discrimination for or against him
because of that belief. Discrimination
against the holder Of one faith means
retaliatory discrimination against
men OF other faiths The Inevitable
result Of entering upon such q prac-
tice would be an abandonment Of our
/ real freedom of conscience and d
reversion to the dreadful conditions
/ Of religious dissension which in so:
many lands has proven fatal to real
1 liberty, to true religion, and all ad-
vance in civilization.
To discriminate against a
| thoroughly upright citizen because
/ he belongs to come particular church
or because like Abraham Lincoln.
he has not ayowed his allegiance to
any particular church, is an outrage
against that liberty Of conscience
i which is one OF the foundations Of
American liberty You are entitled
Il tsto know yyI1effspr d man enaIiy,s, xs,xs,x.