The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-02-03
JUDGE JOHN w. DODGE SPEAKS
WORDS or WISDOM

WORDS OF WISDOM.
Judge John W. Dodge. n wolf
known Jacksonville attorney. desires
that the committee should revise
those resolutions and discusses the
matter in a long letter addressed to
that body. our space will not permit
a reproduction Of this splendid let
ter. but we give the three concluding
paragraphs, which are worthy Of your
careful reading:
ut is one thing to say that the re-
lieious belief Of candidate shall he
required as n qualification for office.
but It IS an altogether different prop
oSition to say that an Individual vot-
or viii not be influenced on account
Of the religious belief Of a candidate.
The candidate has a right to office
only I'm the event that a sufficient
number Of tho people think he is the
best man. He cannot be deprived Of
that office solely by reason Of his
religious belief, and his religious he
lief cannot he the sole test Of his
qualification for office. The candidate
has a right to any religious belief he
may choose the voter has a like right
and the voter in coming to his con.
clusion as to the candidate who nos.
sesSes the best qualifications has n
right to consider the religious belief
Of the candidate, ms well as any other
belief Of the candidate. The candi-
date Is not disqualified from holding
office by reason Of his religious belief.
but the candidate gets office by rea-
son Of the votes OF the individual vot-
ers. No candidate has a right TO at
tempt to coerce n voter on account
Of the religious belief Of the voter.
While candidate is not disqualified
for office by reason Of his religious
belief, he may fail 10 he the choice
Of the people on account II their re-
ligious belief, ana tho people are not
to he denied the right to have re-
ligious belief. The theory Of our gov
eminent Is that the people by a ma
iority are the ones who control. II
tho candidate for any reason does not
measure up to the beliefs and Opin-
lens Of majority Of the people. re-
CARELESS Of how they arrived at their
opinion, then the candidate cannot
succeed in securing office although
he Is not disqualified from holding
office.
II belong 10 no secret organization
aimed at by the executive committee.
am Pspousing the candidacy Of no
one. My religious beliefs are guaran-
teed freedom under the laws of the
United States and of the state Of
Florida: I am influenced by my re-
liglous beliefs. and I cannot see for
the life Of me how any man can real
~ have any kind of religious belief
and not he influenced thereby, and. be-
lcving that all candidates are inhu-
creed by their respective beliefs to
some extent, at least, I shall expect
to consider their religious beliefs, to
be Influenced thereby to some extent
in arriving at my conclusions as to
their fitness for office however, not
it necessarily the sole test of
their fitness. My freedom Of opinion
on religious matters and my life in
duenced thereby does not disqualify
me as a democrat. My democratic /.
vote is sacred to me, and no set Of
men can tell me as a democrat that
my religious belief is not free or that |
he religious belief Of a candidate
must not influence me in the slightest
leGree.
eff a mans religion teaches him to
Worship the sun or moon or fire or
dolls or beasts or what not, 1 will
most certainly he influenced by his
eligous beliefs in determining his fit.
Stss for holding public office, to
make laws to govern me. The demo-
ratio executive committee says can
ot be so influenced. Religious free
ON has been guaranteed to me by
igher law than a democratic eXecu-
i've committee in Florida. l sincerely
ope the committee will rcconvene
nj ignore all religious questions"
,OVFRNOR TRANINIFIJ,