The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-13
iaIEid Prsl, TsIearaph reports,
E.Alp,.rIA oF-vlEw III RELIGION

sRsAnTH or VIEW IN RELIGION.
me following editorial ftom the
5difna and Messenger, strong ana
Conservative religious weekly newspa-
per. seems worthy Of repetition:
President Roosevelt has made pub
III d letter. written since the election,
Il reply to one received during the
canpaign concerning Mr.. Tafts relig-
icus views. Mr.. Roosevelt received
many letters, first charging Mr.. Taft
with being a Catholic; then with be-
ing In sympathy with the Catholics;
then with being u Unitarian. Many
ejich letters were received by religi.
Oiis papers, most of them evidently In
plred from the same political source.
If! Roosevelt replied to none OF these
letters during the Campaign, on the
ground that the subject Of ones re-
iigious views should not even be dis
cissed In a political campaign, and
hut II is an outrage even to agltate
Z such a question as mans religious
convictions, with the purpose Of in
ilaenclng an election" But now, that
the campaign IS over. he selects one
90 the letters for a reply, which covers
Them all. and the reply is characteriz-
led BY allof MI. Roosevelt's vIgor We
fully agree with Mr., Roosevelt in hold
ing that ones religious belief is u
qnestion between him and his Maker,
and ought limo case enter in politics.
me question is solely of candidates
character, and what sort OF Presi-
dent he Is likely to make-.what he
VIII do II elected. MI. Roosevelt just
ii says:
DISCRIMINATION against the holder
1f one faith means retaliatory discrim-
nation against men OF other faiths.
The inevitable result OF entering upon
such a practice would be an abandon
1nent OF our real freedom OF conscience
and a reYerson to the dreadful condt-
lions Of religious tlissensions. which
III So many lands have proved fatal to
tue liberty, to true religion and to all
advance in civilization.
II ts proper or legitimate to OPP
pose q man for being a Unitarian, as
MAS John Quincy Adams. for instance,
Isl Rev. Edward Everett. Hale, at
the present moment Chaplain of the
8 Senate sthen 1t would be equally
proper to support or oppose man be-
cause of5his views on justification OF
iaiths or the method of administering
the sacrament, or the gospel Of saliva
ION by WORKS. II you once enter on
such a career. there is absolutely no
limit at which you can 1egtttmately
stop.s
Nm. Roosevelt might have added that
such tests would tend to make men
iypocrites by leading them 10 nom
iinal connection with some large de-
aonilnation whose votes they sought.
Baptists have always stood for religi.
Gus liberty; and we may well resens
any attempt TO elect an official be.
cause he belongs to the Presbyterian
OF any othef church. What We have
p consider is his fitness for the du-
ties he Inns to perform. Nobody i'm
agtnes for instance that Mr.. Taft.
any more than Abraham Lincoln.
would in any way interfere with Bap-
list interests, or discriminate against
Baptists in appointments. 1t has been
settled i'm this country that ones re-
ligicns belief should not be taken into
aeecpnt in appointments or elections.
For this reason we naturally have Of
Metals Of all religious denominations
ana 1T none.