Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-11-12

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 tioD, you have no tnore authority to show preference for Judaism or Chris tianity or any other faith therein than you have 10 show preference for the Democratic or Republican Or any oth- cr political party in a state document. You arc the goycrnor O? all the cit izeps of Arkansas. no matter what their political or religious belief, and you are deprjving the citizen of the liberty and enjoyments to which ne is justl yentitled when you in any say discriminate against him, even 1 Y Ii Dc only by ignoring him in your ; official documents as executive of his state. use the phrase depriyias hjm of liberty" sir, because as the great jurist Cooley says in his Con Tttutional Limitations There is l..t complete religious liberty where an; one sect is favored by the state and gi'e all advantage by law over other Sects. Whatever establishes dstinc- ;io11 against one class or sect is, to the extent to which the distinction ! ope"ates unfavorably. q perseeutiol; :; aIo If based on religious grounds. T ieGgious persecution. It is no. nern tt ation which is established in our system, but religious equality"
 o.;. anu not writing this letter ip tAe spirit of hostility to Christianity. { nave too much regard for the greei laughter religion of the faith Which J profess to be guilty of such iii lll- ! holy motive; and even if, God for,id, , l "tre animated by such low deslrs, i should not be so foolish & to pre- ; sume that any attack that l might .ake Oil that noble faith would hay , ; aE% effect save that of rcccili1g on a@e But l am merely appealing to tie American principle of fair play, 2sGlu2 that a square deal be given 10 tas' minority as well as the majo,lt lty The Jewish citizens of his state ant: this country have a just claim ta all lie rights accorded any ota cit zens not only by virtue : their hold : in- the franchise but also because they have earned these riglt; b, ardu. o,s labor and tender Ge -3t;on to our ted country. From the time when Columbus landed on Anericap sai with five Jews in his sew, one of v.,ioT, Luis de Torres. vas the frs. European to step on American soil, b.ti> the present day, the Jewish cit izsns have served the co,o,.no wealth faithfully in all the aven X of activ- ity. In every war, .as the figures show, they have contributed more than their prOportioDate snare If tn: tion's champions anl defenders. Du.lns the trying times, 'f t'ls Reyo- .t ol. many of them e. ! gave uN { eir entire fortunes to ra1 nish thn exhausted treasury. Tn legislative hall, CT the bench, in the professions in the counting room, in 'F3 'ksohp ani Id, in philanthropy ..rd the sci ences, 5he Jews in Americl have eye acne their duty and oftei more ti,;,n thelr duty
 It is just because they have earned their rights as citizens Dy the sweat of their brow that they value them so highly and would gua zealousIy against any infringement on them such as your proclamation involves.
 Contrast your procla ration, sir, u.h the letter of President Raose- yeit in reference to Mir Tafts re'i<-
 T made public by a curious coin cldt ut the day after the promulgation cf your proclamation IS if p.aputll to challenge your position. That let ter written in the broad arc gencr- ous spirit of Washineton, Jefferson ard Lincoln, and far removed from the sectarian viewpoint which pre- v9iIs in your proclama>,J1, voices the tue American principle e absolute equality to all classes of citizens, in sistins that mans religious belief is "purely his own private concern: :: t is matter between him and his maker" In language that admits of no equtvocaI meaning, it maintains emphatically that to discriminate against thoroushly upright man be- cause he beIon@s to some particular church Or because like Lincoln, he las not avowed his allegiance to any church, is an outraea against that liberty Of conscience which is one Of the foundations Of American life
 Sir. the founders of this great re- public having been taught by history and experience that the slightest ap- proach toward the establishment of inequality in the civil or political rights of citizens, based upon differ