Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-09
Not a Question for General or
Political Discrimination.
AGITATION IS AN OUTRAGE
Practice Would Mean Destruction Of
Real Freedom of Conscience.
FATAL TO TRUE RELIGION
Prescription of This Kind would
Mean RevcrsiOn to Dreadful
Condition Existing in
Other Ages.

| ''@hbAhiANI O4Ns NOV D. secretary IaIi
religious faith is purely his own private
concern and not matter for general dis
cussion and political discrimination" says
| President Roosevelt In a letter to j. c.
Martin Of Dayton, o. made public tonight,
In which he answers numerous correspond
ents
Tho president says he deferred the pub
lication Of the letter until now to avoid
any agitation likely to influence the cleo
tion. The letter follows:
November g. l9OS-My Dear Sir: I have
received your letter running in part as
follows: While 1t is claimed almost uni
versally that religion should not enter into
politics, yet there is no denying that II
does and that the mass of the voters
that arc not Catholics will not support
man for any office especially for presi-
dent Of tho United States who is a Roman
Catholic
Since Taft has been nominated for
president by the republican party Il s 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 Catholics II his
feelings are in sympathy with the Roman
Catholic church on account of his wife
and brother being Catholic that would
be Objectionable to a sufficient number
hand II he is an infidel, that would be
sure to mean defeat ."
81 am writing this letter for the sole
purpose Of giving Mr. Taft an opportunity
of letting the world know what his re-
ligious belief is
Agitation en- Outrage.
IT received many letters such as yours
during the campaign, expressing dissatis-
faction with Mr. Taft on religious ground;
some the ground that he was a Uni
, tartan and others that he was suspected
to be in sympathy with Catholics. did
not answer any of these letters during the
campaign because ! regarded II as an out
rage even to agitate such question as a
mans religious convictlons with the pur,-a
: pose OF influencing n political election, But
! now that the campaign is over. when there
is opportunity for men TO calmly consider
whittier such proposition as you make in
your letter would lead. ! wish TO invite
them to consider them and have selected
your letter to answer because you advance
both the objections commonly urged against
Mr.. Taft. namely: That he is a Unitarian
and also that he is suspected OF sympathy
with the Catholics.
Blow 90 All Liberty.
: You ask that Mr.. Taft shall let the world
! know what his religious belief is. This Is
purely OF his own private concern and It
is a matter between him and his Maker,
a matter for his own conscience and 20 re-
quire IT TO be made public under penalty
of political discrimination is to negative
the first principles of our government
which guarantees religious liberty and the
right to each man TO act In religious af-
fairs as his own conscience dictates.
'Mr. Taft never asked my advice in the
matter. hut II he asked should have en-
phatcalIy advised him against thus stat
ing publicly his religious belief. The de-
mand for statement OF a candidates re-
} lgous belief have no meaning except
{ that there may be discrimination for or
against him because of that belief. Dis.
elimination against the holder OF one faith
means retaliatory discrimination against
I men of other faiths. The Inevitable result
of entering upon such practice would be
an abandonment of our real freedom Of
conscience and reversion to the dreadful
conditions OF religious dissensions which
In many lands have proved fatal TO true
liberty, to true religion and all advance in
civilization.
Publications of OmciaIs.
ITO discriminate against a thoroughly
, upright citizen because he belongs to some
1 particular church, or because, like Abra-
, ham Lincoln, ho has expressed his dis
: avowsl to any church. is an outrage
p against that liberty of conscience which is
one of the foundations of American life.
You are entitled TO know whether a man
seeking your suffrage is a man Of clean
and upright life, honorable IN all his deal
: iEgs with his fellows. and fit by qual!f-
cation and purpose to do well In the great
office for which he is candidate, but you
e are not entitled to know matters which lie
s between himself and his Maker II It is
: proper or legitimate to oppose for
2 being Unitarian, was John Quincy
# Adams. for instance as Is the Rev. Ed
II ward Everett Hale, at the present moment
4 chaplain OF the senate and hn American
of whose life ali good Americans are proud
d then it would be equally proper to sup
, port or oppose man because on his justl-
q fication by faith, or the method OF admin
! istering the sacrament. or the gospel of
II salvation by works. IL you once enter
4 upon such a career there is absolutely 10
! limit at which you can legtlmstely stop
= so much for your objecticns 10 Mr. Taft
n because he is a Unitarian Now, for your
II objections TO him because you think his
$ wife and brother TO be Roman Catholics,
% AS 1t happens. they are not but IL they
were " he were Roman Catholic himself.
it ought not to affect In the slightest de-
Q gree any mans supporting him for the po-
y sitop 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 Catholic
N BiEOtry Not General.
A. II believe when you say this you fouy
slander your countrymen / do not for one
moment believe the mass Of our fellow
citizens, or that any considerable number
OF our fellow citizens. can be influenced by
such narrow bigotry TO refuse 10 vote for
- any thoroughly upright and M be-
I. cause he happens to have particular re-
e ligious creed. Such a consideration should
Is never be treated as reason for either
y supporting or opposing a candidate for a
political office. Are you aware that therA