The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-09
FAITH OF TAFT;
BY ROOSEVELT
Continued From Page 1.

$50 much for your objections to Mr..
Taft because he is a Unitarian. Now,
for your objections to him because you
think his wife and brother to be Ro-
man Catholics. AS it happens. they are
not; but if they were. or if he were
Roman Catholic hereafter, it ought not
to affect in the slightest degree 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. espe-
cially for president of the United
States, who is a Roman Catholic.
II believe that when you say this
you foully SANDER your fellow country
men. / do not for one moment believe
that the mass of our fellow citizens,
or that any considerable number of our
fellow citizens, can be Influenced by
such narrow bigotry as to refuse to
vote for any thoroughly upright and fit
man because he happens to have a par
ticular religious creed Such a consid
Grafton should never be treated as a
reason for either supporting or oppos-
ing a candidate for political Office. Are
you aware that there are several
states in this union where the major
ity of the people are now Catholics? /
should reprobate in the severest terms
the Catholics in those states Cor in any
other states) who refused to vote for
the most fit man because he happened
to be Protestant: and my condemna-
ton would be exactly as severe for
Protestants who, under reversed cir
cumstances. refused to vote for Cath
Ollie. In public life / am happy to say
that have known many men who were
elected and constantly reelected to Of
flee in districts where the great ma or-
ity of the constituents were of a diff
ferent religious belief. I know Cath
olics who have for many years repre-
sented constituencies mainly Protest
ant. and Protestants who have for
many years represented constituencies
mainly Catholic; and among the con-
gressmen whom l know particularly
we'll was one man of Jewish faith who
represented a district in which there
were hardly any Jews at all. All of
these men by their very existence in
political life refute the Islander you
have uttered against your fellow Amer
leans. .
Religion Does Not Count.
II believe that this republic will en-
dure for many centuries II so, there
will doubtless be among its presidents
Protestants and Catholics, and very
probably at some time. Jews. / have
consistently tried while president to
act in relation to my fellow Americans
of Catholic faith as l hope that any
future president who happens to be a
Catholic viii act toward his fellow
Americans of the Protestant faith Had
l followed any other course. l should
have felt that | was unfit TO represent
the American people.
'in my cabinet at the present mo-
ment there sit side by side Catholic
and Protestant. Christian and Jew. each
man chosen because in my belief he is
particularly fit to exercise on behalf of
all people the duties of the office to
which I have appointed him. In no
case does the mans religious beliefs in
any way influence his discharge of du-
ties. save as il makes him more eager
to act justly and uprightly in his re-
lations TO all men The same prin-
ciples that have obtained in appointing
the members of my cabinet. the high
est officials under me. the officials to
whom is entrusted the work of carry
ing out all the important policies of my
administration, are the principles upon
which all good Americans should act in
choosing. whether by election or APP
pointment. the men TO fiilSany office.
from the highest to the lowest in the
land Yours truly. (Signed)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Mr. j. c Martin. Dayton. o.