The Irish standard., 1908-11-14
hink his wife and brother to be Ro-

man Catholics. AS it haopens, they
are not; but IL they wer- or IL he were
n Roman Catholic himself It ought not
affect In the slightest deg!ee any mans
supporting him for the position Of
president. You say that the mass Of
the voters that are not Catholics will
not support a man for any office es-
pecially for president of the United
States. who is Roman Catholic" 1
believe that when you saw this you
foully slander your fellow countrymen.
i do not for one moment believe
that the mass OF our fellow citizens,
or that any considerable rumber of
our fellow citizens, can be Influenced
by such narrow bisotry as to ,efuse
to vote for any thoroughly upright and
fit man because he haop,ns tn have
particular religious creed Sucn Il
consideration should ne2nr be treated
as reason for either supporting or
opposing a candidate for a Political Of
flee. Are you aware that there are
several states in this 1ion where the
majority of the people are row Cath
olics? should reprrbate in the
severest terms the Catholics wno IN
those states Cor in any ether sta.cs)
refuse to vote for the most At man
because he happened to he d Protest.
ant; and my condemnation would be
exactly as severe for Prnt~stants who,
under reversed circumstances, refused
to vote for a Catholic
In public life I am .,arpy l., say that
have known many ricn who were
elected and constantly re-elected to Of
nee In districts where the great ma
jority of their constituents were of
different religious belief know Catho-
lies who have for many years repre-
sented constituencies mainly Protest
ant and Protestants who have for many
years represented constituencies main
ly Catholics: and among the congress-
men whom know part eularly well
was one man Of Jewish faith who
represented a district in which there
were hardly any Jews ~! all. All Of
these men by their ver.. existence in
political life refute the slander you
have uttered against your fellow Am
ericans.
I believe that this republic will en-
dure for many centuries. II so there
will doubtless be among us presidents
Protestants and Catholt.,z and very
probably at some time. Jews. have
consistently tried Will: president to
act in relation to my fellow Americans
of Catholic faith as hope that any
future president who happens to be q
Catholic will act towards his fellow
Americans of Protestant faith. Had
! followed any other course should
have felt that was UNIT to represent
the American people.
In my cabinet at the present mo-
n,ent there sit side by si1e Cutholic
and Protestant. Christian and Jew.
each man chosen because In NY be.
lief he is peculiarly f1t t. exercise on
behalf Of all our people the duties of
the ONCE to which I have appointed
him. In no case does the mans religi-
Gus belief In any way influence his
discharge Of his duties. save as It
makes him more eager to act Justly
and uprightly in his relations to all
men. The same principles that have
obtained in appointing IN. members of
my cabinet. the highest officials under
me, the of'icials to whom is entrusted
the work Of carrying OFT al tho i'm
portant policies Of my administration
are the principles upon which all zond
Americans should act In choosing.
whether by election or appointment,
the men to All any Office from the
highest to the lowest III thu land.
Yours truly.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
MR.. ]. c. MARTIN.
Dayton, OH,