Evening star., 1921-10-23
BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL,
Former Vice President Of the United
StatAas

States.
~ RDINARILY, have not
much confidence In con-
~ gressional investigations.
They usually result in di-
vided reports which 90 unread.
They do not remove prsoonceivsd
notions. But. whatever else hap
pens in America. church and state
must be kept separate and alls-
glance to this government must
mean renunciation Of allegiance to
every foreign prince, potentate
and power.
I. myself. am wholly uncon-
WINGED that any church or any
race 10 seeking to exercise an ul-
terior influence over our govern
ment. still. thought it might be
well in order to dispose Of what L
believed to be mere hobgoblins Of
the night to have an investigation
by the Congress Of the Ku Klux
Khan. I had = belief that the evil
dence would clear the atmosphere
that was befogsed and that all
doubts Of patriotism would be re-
moved.
No man has a right to complain
of religious interference in gov
ernmental affairs II he himself is
guilty Of the offense in behalf Of
his own church or denomination.
All my life have firmly believed
that the doctrine Of complete sep
aration Of state and church in
America was correct Whatever
OF good morals and high ideals
may have been implanted in me by
the principles Of the Presbyterian
Church I have sought to use In the
discharge of my duties as . citi-
zen. But I have sought to use
them as an individual in the inter-
est of my country and not as a
churchman in the interest Of my
church.
I have not forgotten. and it
would be we'll for all Americans to
remember, that this republic was
founded and its Constitution made
by Catholics and Protestants and
men Of every phase Of religious
thought. They were impressed
with the idea that In a govern
ment guaranteeing religious free
dom churches, IS organizations.
should keep their hands OF purely
civil Affairs. A large majority OF
our citisens still believe in this
doctrine and they will make 1t
odious for any church which tries.
currents in our national life. am
not writing from any sense Of ap-
prehension on my part, but to re-
assure timid-minded men who
may be doubling the perpetuity Of
this ancient doctrine and to utter
a word OF warning against any at
tempt to control the American re-
public in any other way than by
the free exercise of the individual
opinion Of its voters.
That there 10 no danger serious
ly to menace the republic by way
of an attempt either to unite
church and state or to control the
state Indirectly by religious or
ganizations Is made apparent not
only by historic incidents, but by
the trend OF modern thought. The
moment that any reasonable num-
ber Of men begin to know or
think or fear that there is to be
undue religious influence exercised
in tho affairs Of our government
strsightway organizations to COM
bat the idea will arise as In the
past These contending forces, de-
nying Interior motives. but sad
dening the hearts Of men like my
self who desire to live in peace
with our fellow men. Of whatever
religious faith they may be, will
neutralize each other.
The republic was founded by men
of not only diverse religious views,
but of radically different racial
characteristics. hope :! do not
offend when / declare that its sys-
TEN was the product of what 1 am
pleased to call the Anglo-Saxon
mind. BY this I would not be un-
derstood as thinking that It is
needfui for q man to be an Eng
lishman in order to be in conso.
nance with the principles of our
government. What is nsedful 10
that he shall understand that the
American republic was the last
flower to bloom on that sturdy
plant the rights of mankind"
which was nurtured through the
centuries by English-speakfng men