Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-09
Declares Candidates Belief Not a
Proper Subject for Discussion.
SUCH AGITATION AN OUTRAGE
Doesn't Believe That Any Consider
able Number of the People Would
Refuse to Support a Catholic.

while it is claimed almost universally
that religion should not enter into politics
yet there is no denying that it does. and
the mass of the voters that are not Cath
olics will not support man for any office,
especially for President of the United
States who is Roman Catholic
Since Taft has been nominated for
President b. the republican party it is
being circulated and is constantly urged
as reason for not voting for Taft that
he is an infidel Unitarian and his wife
and brother are Roman Catholics. -
If 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 suffi-
Gent number of voters to defeat him.
On the other hand, if he is an iii tidel,
that would be sure to mean defeat
am writing this letter for the sole pur-
pose of giving Mr.. Taft an opportunity to
let the world know what his religious be-
lief is.
Inquiries During the Campaign.
II received many such letters as yours
during the campaign, expressing dissatis
faction with Mr. Taft on religious
grounds; some of them on the. ground
that he was a Unitarian and others on
the ground that he was suspected to be
in sympathy with Catholics.
81 did not answer any of these let
| tcrs during the campaign because 1 re-
garded 1t AS an outrage even to agitate
convictions with the purpose of infiu-
encing political election. But now
that the campaign is over, when there is
opportunity tor men calmly to consider
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 Unitarian. and also that he is sus-
pected of sympathy with the Catholics.
"You ask that Mr.. Taft shall let the
world know what his religious belief is.
This is purely his own private concern,
| and it is a matter between him and his
Maker, matter for his own conscience,
and to require 1t to be made public under
penalty of political discrimination is to
negative the first principles of our gov
| eminent. which guarantee complete re-
| ligious 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 If he had asked it, / should
| have emphaticaily advised him against
| thus stating publicly his religious belief.
The demand for statement of candi
dates religious belief can have no mean
ing except that there may be discrimina-
! ton for or against him because of that
| belief.
Effect of Religious Intolerance.
Discrimination against the holder of
one faith means retaiiatory discrimina-
| ton against men of other faiths The in
evitable result of entering upon such
practice would be an abandonment of our
| real freedom of conscience and rever
| sion to the dreadful conditions of religious
haS-a
proved fatal to true liberty, to true re-
| iigion and to all advance in civilization
ITO discriminate against a thoroughly
upright citizen because he belongs 10
some particular church or because, like
Abraham Lincoln, he has not avOwed
his allegiance to any church, is an
outrage against that liberty of con-
| science which is one Of the foundations
Of American life.
You are entitled to know whether man
seeking your suffrage is man of clean
and upright life, honorable in all his deal
ings with his fellows, and fit by qualifca-
ton and purpose to do well in the great
office for which he is a candidate; but
which lie purely between himself and his
Maker
IF 1t is proper or legitimate to oppose
man for being Unitarian. as was John
Rev. Edward Everett Hale, at the present
moment chaplain of the Senate and an
American of whose life all good Ameri
cans are proud. then it would be equally
proper to support or oppose a man be-
cause 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 ca
reer there is absolutely no limit at which
you can legitmately stop.
so much for your objection to Mr..
Taft because he is Unitarian. Now
for your objections to him because you
at, Il 1t, d
Catholics. As it happens, they are not;
but if they were, IL he were d Roman
Catholic himself, it ought not to affect
in the slightest degree any mans support
ing him for the position of President.
Believes It Foul SANDER.
You say that the mass of the vot-
ers that are not Catholics will not sup
port man for any Office, especially for
President of the United States, who is
Roman Catholic / believe that when
You say this you foully SANDER your
fellow-countrymen. I do not for one mo-
ment believe that the mass of our fell
number of our fellow-citizens. can be in
fuenced by such narrow bigotry as to re-
fuse to vote for any thoroughly upright
and fit man because he happens to have
a particular religious creed.
Not a Political Consideration.
Such a consideration should never be
treated as a reason for either supporting
or opposing a candidate for a political
office
Are YOU aware that there are several
states in this Union where the ma jority
of the people are now Catholics? Isshould
condemn i'll the severeSt terms the Cath
olics who In those states tor in any other
states refused to vote for the most tit
man because he happened to be a Protes-
tant. and my condemnation would be ex-
actly severe for Protestants who UNI
der reversed circumstances refused to
vote for Catholic.
I'm public life / am happy to say tina
/ have known many men who were
elected and constantly reelected to Of
flee In districts where the great major
II! of their constituents were of
different religious belief.
81 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 congre s.
men whom l know particularly well 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'cans.
Aim as President.
Il believe that this republic will endure |
for many centuries. Ii SO. there will |
doubtless be among its Presidents Protes- |
.iants and Catholics. and very probably. atk