Evening star., 1927-04-18
TEXT OF GOV. SMITHS REPLY

The text of Gov. Smiths reply to
Charles c. Marshall follows:
Charles c. Marshall, Esq,
Dear Sir: In you open letter to me
in the April Atlantic Monthly you
'impute' to American Catholics views
which, if held by them, would
leave open to question the loyalty
and devotion to this country and
its Constitution of more than 20.-
900 900 American Catholic citizens,
[ am grateful to you for defining this
issue in the open and for your cour-
teous expression of the satisfaction it
will bring to my fellow citizens for
me to give "a disclaimer of the CON
victions' thus imputed.
without mental reservation | can
| and do make that disclaimer. These
convictions are held neither by me nor
| by any other American Catholic, as
| far as / know Before answering the
argument of your letter, however. ]
must dispose of one of it's implica-
tions. You put your questions to me
in connection with my candidacy for
the office of President of the United
that was fully stated in my last
inaugural address as governor, when,
on January /, 1927 i said:
i have no idea what the future
has in store for me. Every one else
in the United States has some notion
about it except myself. No man could
stand before this intelligent gathering
and say that he was not receptive to
the greatest position the world has to
give to any one. But / can say this.
that | will no nothing to achieve it
except to give to the people of this
State the kind and character of serv-
ice that will make me deserve it.
Answers as Citizen.
II should be a poor American and
a poor Catholic alike if / injected re-
ligious discussion into political cam
paign. Therefore, / would ask you
to accept this answer from me not as
candidate for any public office, but
as an American citizen, honored with
high elective Office. meeting a chal-
lenge to his patriotism and his intel
lectual integrity.
Moreover, / call Your attention to
the fact that | am only layman.
The Atlantic Monthly describes you
as an experienced attorney who has
made himself an authority upon canon
law / am neither a lawyer nor
theologian. What knowledge of law
l have was gained in course Of my
long experience in the Legislature and
as chief executive of New York State.
I had no such opportunity to study
theology.
"My first thought was to answer
you with just the faith that is in me.
But 1 knew instinctively that your
L xrs,.I
false. 1t seemed right, therefore. to
take counsel with some one schooled
in the church law, from which l
learned whatever is hereafter set
forth in definite answer to the theolog-
ical questions your raise.
Noted for Patriotism.
'I selected one whose patriotism
neither You nor any other man will
question. He wears upon his breast
the distinguished service cross of our
country, the distinguished service
medal, the ribbon of the Legion of
palm of the French republic. He
was the Catholic chaplain of the
almost wholly Catholic 165th Regi-
ment in the World War-F'ather
Francis p. Duffy, now in the military
service of my own State.
Taking your letter as a whole and
reducing 1t to commonplace English,
you imply that there is conflict be-
tween religious loyalty to the Catholic
faith and patriotic loyalty to the
United States. Everything that has
actually happened to me during my
long public career leads me to know
that no such thing as that is true. |
have taken an oath of office in this
State 10 times. Each time / swore
to defend and maintain the Constitu-
ton of the United States. All of this
represents a period of public service
in elective Office almost continuous
since 1908. / have never known any
conflict between my official duties and
my religious belief. No such conflict
could exist"
Recognize No Conflict.
Certainly the people of this State
recognize no such conflict. They have
testified to my devotion to public
duty by electing me to the highest
office within their gift four times.
You yourself do me the honor
in addressing me to refer to your
fidelity to the morality you have adj
vocated in public and private life and
to the religion you have reyered; your