The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-09
President Says 1t Is Bigotry
To Condemn a Man PoIiti-
caIIy Because of His Re-
IgiouS Belief.
MAKES A REPLY TO
CAMPAIGN CHARGES.
Statement Made That Voters
Would Not Support Catholic
For President, SIander. He
Says.

Washington. Nov. 9.-President
Roosevelt has made public the follow
ing reply 10 one of the many letters
received by him during the recent
presidential campaign which cited va
rious religious objections to the cleo
tion of Mr.. Taft to the presidency:
MY Dear Sir: | have received your
letter. running in part as follows:
while it is claimed almost uni
versally that religion should not en-
ter into politics, yet there is no deny
ing that 1t does, and the mass OF vot-
ers that are Catholics will not
support a man for any office. espec-
tally for president of the United States
who is Roman Catholic
"'Since Taft has been nominated for
being circulated and is constantly
urged as reason for not voting for
Taft that he is an infidel Unitarian,
and his wife and brother Roman Cath
olics. III his feelings are
in sympathy with the Roman Catholic
church on account of his wife and
brother being Catholics, that would be
Objectionable to a sufficient number
of voters TO defeat him. On the 9TH
er hand, If he is an infidel, that would
be sure to mean defeat.
''T am writing this letter for the
sole purpose of giving Mr.. Taft an OPP
portunity TO let the world know what
his religious belief is
Il received many such letters as
yours during the campaign expressing
dissatisfaction with Mr.. Taft on re-
ligious grounds, some of them on the
ground that he was a Unitarian and
others on the ground that he was sus-
pected to be in sympathy with Cath
olics. / did not answer any of these
letters during the campaign. because
regarded It rs an outrage even to agi-
tate such question as mans relig
ious convictions, with the purpose of
influencing political election.
Awaited After-EIection Calm.
But now that the campaign is over.
when there is opportunity for men to
calmly consider whether such propo-
sitions as those you make in your let
lcI "ould icdus Il NlSH W tHtUt
to consider them, and have selected
your letter to answer because you ad-
vance both the objections commonly
urged against Mr.. Taft. namely, that
he is a Unitarian and also that he is
suspected of sympathy with the Cath
olics
You ask that Mr.. Taft shall let
| the world know what his religious be-
lief is This is purely his own pri-
vate concern; IL is a matter between
him and his Maker. matter for his
own conscience; and to require it TO
be made public under penalty Of polit-
ical discrimination is to negative the
| first principles of our government,
which guarantees complete religious
| liberty, and the right TO each man to
act in religious affairs as his own con-
science dictates.
| Mr.. Taft never asked my advice in
the matter but II he had asked n
should have emphaucally advised him
against thus stating publicly his re-
| ligious belief. The demand for a
! statement of candidates religious
belief can have no meaning except
! that there NAV be discrimination for
or against him because of that belief.
Dissemination against the holder
of one faith means retalatory discrfm-
ination against men of other faiths.
The inevitable result of entering upon
such a practice would be an abandon
ment of our real freedom OF con-
science and a reversion 10 the dread
full conditions of religious dissensions.
(which in so many lands have proved
fatal to true liberty. TO true religion
and TO all advance in civilization.
Not Matter for inquiry.
ITO discriminate against a thor
ougnly upright citizen because he be-
longs TO some particular church or be-
cause. like Abraham Lincoln, he has
not avowed his allegiance to any
church. is an outrage against that lib
erty of conscience which is one of the
foundations of American life.
You are entitled to know whether
man seeking your suffrage is a man
of clean and upright life. honorable in
all his dealings with his fellows, and
fit by qualification and purpose 10 do
well in the great office for which he
is candidate. but you are not en-
titled 10 know matters which lie pure
ly between himself and his Maker.
IF 1t Is proper or legitimate to op-
pose man for being Unitarian. as
was John Quincy Adams, for instance.
as is Rev Edward Everett Hale, at
1.-The present moment Chaplain of the
senate and an American OF whose life