The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-11-20
RELIGION IN POLITICS"
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Roman Catholics. As it happens, they
are not, but if they were, or if he were
Roman Catholic himself, it ought
not to affect in the slightest degree
any mans supporting him for the pO-
sition of president. You say that the
mass Of the voters that are not Cath
oiics will not support a man for any
office, especially for president Of the
United States, who is a Roman Cath
Ole I believe that when you say
this you foully SANDER your fellow
cOuntrymen. 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
10 refuse TO vote for any thoroughly
upright and fit man because lie hap
pens 10 have a particular religious
creed. Such a consideration should
never be treated as a reason for
either supporting or opposing d can
didate for a political Office. Are YOU
aware that there are several states
in this union where the majority Of
the people are now Catholics? I
should reprobate in the severest
terms the Catholics who in those
states Tor in any other states) who
refuse to vote for the most fit man be
cause he happened TO be a Protestant,
and my condemnation would be ex-
actly as severe for Protestants who,
under reversed circumstances. refus-
ed to vote for a Catholic. In public
life | am happy to say that | have
known many men who were elected
and constantly reelected to office in
districts where the great majority of
their constituents were OF a different
religious belief. I know Catholics
who have for many years represented
constituencies mainly Protestant, and
PrOtestants who have for many years
represented constituencies mainly
Catholic, and among the congressman
whom l know particularly we'll was
one man of Jewish faith who repre-
scented a district in which there were
hardly any Jews at all All these
men by their very existence in pOlit-
ical life refute the Islander you have
uttered against your fellow Ameri-
cans.
Il believe that this republic will en-
dure for many centuries. If so there
will doubtless be among its presi-
dents PrOtestants and Catholics, and
very probably at some time Jews. l
have consistently tried, while presi-
dent, to act in relation to my fellow
Americans of Catholic faith as l hope
that any future president who hap
pens to be a Catholic will act toward
his fellow Americans of Protestant
faith. Had l followed any other
course l should have felt that | was
unfit to represent the American peo-
pie.
In my cabinet at the present mo-
ment there sit side by side Cath |
Ollie and Protestant, Christian and
Jew, each man chosen because, in my
belief he is particularly fit TO exercise
on behalf of all our people the duties
Of the office to which | have appoint |
ed him. In no case does the mans re-
ligiOus belief in any way influence his
discharge OF his duties. save as il !
makes him more eager to act Justly |
and uprightly in his relation to all
men. The same principles that have
obtained in appointing the members
Of my cabinet, the highest officials I'M
der me, the officials to whom is en-
trusted the work of carrying out all
the important policies of my admin |
istration, are the principles upon
which all Good Americans should act
in choosing, whether by election of
appointment, the men to fill any office
from the highest to the lowest in the
land. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Mr. j. c. Martin, Dayton, Ohio"