The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-09

cept that there may be discrimination
for or against him because of that be-
| lief. The inevitable result OF enter
| ing upon such a practice would be an
abandonment of our real freedom of
conscience and a reversion to the dread
| full conditions of religious dissens1on
which in so many lands have proved
fatal to liberty, to true religion, ana
to all advance in civilization
To discriminate against a
thoroughly upright citizen because he
belongs to some particular church or
because, 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 liberty. You
are entitled to know whether man
seeking your suffrages is a man of
clean and upright life, honorable in
all his dealing with his fellows, and
fit by qualification and purpose to do
well in the great office for which he
is candidate, but you are not entitled
to know matters which lie purely be-
tween himself and his maker. If it is
proper or legitimate to oppose a man
for being a Unitarian, was John
Quincy Adams for instance, as the
Rev. Edw. Everett Hale at the pres
ent moment chaplain of the senate,
and an American of whose life all
good Americans are proud, then 1t
would be equally proper to support or
oppose a man because of his views on
Justification by faith or the method
of administering the sacrament or the
gospel of salvation by works If you
once enter on such a career there is
absolutely no limit at which you can
legitimately stop.
Brother Not a Catholic.
So much for your objections to Mr..
Taft because he is Unitarian. now
for your objections to him because
you think his wife and brother to be
Roman Catholics.
As it happens they are not, but if
they were or if he were a Roman
Catholic himself it ought not to affect
in the slightest degree any mans sup
porting him for the position of presi
dent You say that 1.-The mass of the
voters that are not Catholics will not
support a man for any office especial
ly for president of the United States
who is a Roman Catholic"
1 believe that when you say this you
foully SANDER your fellow country
men. do not for one moment believe
the mass of our fellow citizens or that
any considerable number of our fellow
can be influenced by such a
bigOtry as to refuse to vote
for any thoroughly upright and fit
man because he happens to have a
particular religious creed. Such a
should never be treated
as reason for either supporting or
opposing a candidate for political Of
fee. Are you aware that there are
several states in this union where the
of the people are now Cath |
olics.
1 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 a protestant; and my /,
condemnation would be exactly as Sc |
we're for protestants who. under re- |
versed circumstances, refused to vote |
for a Catholic. In public life 1 am |
happy to say that 1 have known many |
men who were elected, and constantly |
reelected, to office in districts where |
he great majority of their constitu-
ents were of different religious be- |
lief
1 know Catholics who have for many |
years represented constituencies mainly |
protestant. and professionals who have for
mainly Catholic; and among the congress-
men whom knew particularly we'll was
district in which there were hardly any |
Jews at all Al OF these men BY Their very
der you have uttered against your fellow
/ believe that this republic
there will doubtless be among its presi-
dents, protestants and Catholics and very
n relation to my fellow Americans of
course. I should have. felt that I was
lnfit to represent the. American people.
here sit side BY Side Catholics and Pro
.estant. Christian and Jew, each man
iarly fit to exercise on behalf of our
people the duties of the office to which
have appointed him. In no case does
he mans religious belief in any way in
.luence his discharge of his duties save
Is it makes him more eager to act justly
md uprightly in his relations to all men.
The same principles that have obtained in
appointing the members of my cabinet,
he highest officials under me. the Off
,ials to whom is entrusted the work of
arrying out all the important policies of
ny administration, are the principles upon
which all good Americans should act in
hoosing, whether by election or appoint
nent. the men to fill any office for the
highest to the lowest in the land. Yours
ruly,
Signed THEODORE ROOSEVELT
dr. ]. c. Martin, Dayton, Ohio.