Manchester Democrat., 1908-11-18
ROOSEVELT ON RELIGION.

The letter. which is addressed to Il
G. Msrtin, of Dayton, o.. is as fol-.
lows
My dear sir: received your let
ter running in part as follows:
While 1t is claimed almost univer-
sally that religion should not enter.
into politics, yet there is no denying
ii does, and the mass of the voters
that are not catholics will not support
a man for any office. especially for
president of the United States, who
is Roman Catholic.
Since Taft has been nominated for
president by the republican party. IT
Is being circulated and is constantly
tIised as a reason for not voting FOR
Taft, that he Is an infidel (Unitarfan)
and his wife and brother Roman Cath
olics. 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 sufficient number of voters to
defeat him. On the other hand, if he
/. an infidel, that would be sure to
mean defeat. am writing this letter
for the sole purpose of giving Mr..
Taft an opportunity to let the world
know what his religious belief is.
Shouldn't Be Used In Politics.
lnftnrc
yours during the campaign expressing
dissatisfaction with Mr.. Taft on re-
ligious grounds, some of them on the
ground that he was Unitarian and
others on the ground that he was
suspected to be in sympathy with
Catholics. did not answer any of
these letters during the. campaign, be-
cause regarded it as an outrage
even to agitate such question as
mans religious convictions with the
purpose of influencing a political
election.
But now that the campaign is over
when there is opportunity for men
calmy to consider whether such prop
ositions as those you make in your
letter would lead, wish to invite
them to consider them, and have
selected your letter because you ad'
vance both the objections commonly
urged against Mr.. Taft-namely: thal
he is Unitarian and also that he is
! suspected of sympathy with the Cath
olics.
"You ask that Mr.. Taft shall LEI
the world know what his religious be
lief is' This is purely his own pri
yate concern and it is matter De
Tween him and his Maker, matte'
4 for his own conscience; and to re
lnuire it to be made public unde
|penalty of political discrimination
Ito negative the first principles OF ou
government, which guarantees CON
'iplete religious liberty and the rign
to each man to act in religious a
Hairs as his own conscience dlctate'
q Mr.. Taft never asked my adVls
in the matter, but If he had asked
should have emphatically advise
him against thus stating publicly n
y religious belief. The demand for
statement of a candidates rellgio'
he,ief can have no meaning excel
n that there may be discrimination Il
or against him because of that Deile
s Halt to True Liberty.
e DISCRIMINATION against the hold
e of one faith means retaliatory a'
x elimination against men OF oth
u feiths. The inevitable result OF e
= tering upon such practice woula
20 an abandonment of our real freede
u of conscience and reversion TO
is dreadful conditions of religious u
Tn sension which in SO many lands nd
IS proved fatal to true liberty, to u
cd religion, and to all advance in ci
'p lization. :.
sh ITO discriminate against tn
Is oughly upright citizen because ne
to longs to some particular church
Nv because, like Abraham Lincoln,
mt has not avowed his allegiance to
church is an outrage against q
ce liberty Of conscience which is