The Irish standard., 1908-11-14
REeUkEs elaorRv.
Tho Presidents Reply to a c"itio Of
Taft's Religion.


'ot matter for general discussion AMI
olitical discrimination" says President
Roosevelt in a letter he msde public
ast Sunday night in wht,n ne answers
numerous correspondents. The 2reei-
lent says he deferred tie rub.icat tion
If the letter until now 70 avoid any
'gitation likely to influence the elct.-
ion. The letter follow-:
Ny Dear Sir:
] have received your Letter runnip g
i part as fellows:
while 1t is claimel almost uri-
versally that religion shoula not
enter into politics, yet there is no
denying that 1t does, and the mass
Of the voters that are not Catholics
will not support mar for any
Office, especially for president of
the United States. who is a Roman
Catholic.
'Since Taft has bee. nominated
for president by the Republican
party. 1t is being circ .mtsI and is
constantly urged as reason for
not voting for Taft that he is an
inadel Unitarian aud his wife
and brother Roman Catn:,jc. *ss
If his feelings are in sympathy
with the Roman Catholic cr:urch
on account OF his wifi. AMI brother
being Catholics. that would he OBJ
iectionable to a sufhc.en: number
Of voters to defeat Kim. On the
other hand il he ia an int'del. that
would be sure to mean defeat.
1 am writing this letter for
the sole purpose of giving Mr..
Taft an opportunity to let the
world know what hi: religious
belief is"
received many such letters as yours
Turing the campaign expr> >..ing d;ss-
with Mr.. T.,ft on religious
some of them on the ground
hat he was a Unitarian anL others on
he ground that he was suspected ~
'e In sympathy with Catholics tid
lot answer any Of these letter" during
he campaign because ! regarded il as
II: outrage even to ag'tate such a
question as a. mans religious convic-
II Ina <.Fi i,~O
b political election. But now that the
is over. when there is cppor-
unity for men calmly to consider
such propositions as those
'ou make in your letter would ;cad.
:ish to invite them to crn..t Scr tl:em,
md have selected your letter to answer
&c ecause you advance bo.t, .he objec-
ions commonly urged against Mr..
raft. namely: That he is q Unitarian
md also that he is suspected of sym
oathy with the Catholics
His Private Conoerr.
You ask that Mr.. Tat. snail let the
world know what his religious belief
s." This is purely his ',wn private
and IT is mater hetwe. n
him and his Maker, meter for his
'wn conscience; and t, rcqui~e IT. 4,
,e made public under r"'na!-y Of roli-
ical discrimination is 1, negative the
irst principles Of our government
which guarantee complete religious
liberty, and the right IT, each man to
lct in religious affairs a. hts own c"N-
rience dictates.
Mr.. Taft never asked r,y advice in
he matter. but il he hal asked 1t. l
should have emphaticarv advised him
against thus stating pubiicly his re-
igious belief. The demar,: for a state
nent Of candidates religious belief
an have no meaning except tnat there
nay be discrimination tc- or against
,im because Of that beli,'. Discrin,i-
,ation against the holder Of one faith
means retaliatory discrimination
lCainst men Of other faiths. The In
'vitable result Of entering upon such q
practice would be an bandonment Of
,ur real freedom Of conscience and a
eversion to the dreadful conditions
If religious dissension witch in 80
many lands have proved fatal to true
liberty. to true religion. ard to all s,d-
,ance in civilization.
To discriminate against a Thoroughly
Upright citizen becaus. -he belongs TO
'ome particular church. or because.
ike Abraham Lincoln. he has not
vowed his allegiance to any church.
s an outrage against thu. liberty of
conscience which is one o: the founda-
ions of American lie You are en-
tiled to know whether 8. man seeking
,our suffrage is a man of cleun AMI
'pright life. honorable il. all his deal
rgs with his fellows. All ct by quail
ication and purpose to do we'll IN the
,reat ONCE for which he IS can
lidate; but you are moi entitled 70