Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-29
WORK AND HOOVER
IN REPUD|AT|NG
'ROMAN|SM' LETTER
Chairman States Circular
Was Not Authorized by Vir-
ginia CommitteeWoman.
HOOVER HITS INJECTION
OF ISSUE IN CAMPAIGN
Republican Nominee Reiterates
Declaration Against Religious
Controversy.

vehement reputation of a campaign
letter purportedly calling on Virginia
women to save the United States from
Romanism," Chairman Work of the
Republican national committee this
afternoon declared the letter was "un-
authorized" and added his personal
condemnation of it.
Work said he had been informed that
Mrs. M. M. Caldwell, national Republi-
can committee woman for Virginia, of
Roanoke, that the letter, sent over her
stamped signature to Mrs. Clara r.
Lyons of Virginia Highlands, "did not
authorize the introduction of a re-
ligious question" in the circular.
The chairman said the Republican
party docs not countenance any APP
peal of this character"
Statement by Work.
DR.. Works statement in full follows:
II now have had opportunity to in
vestigate the origin of a circular letter
containing reference to the religious
question which has been issued from a
local committee Office in Virginia. I am
informed that the national committee
woman did not authorize the intro
duction of the religious question, that
she has always opposed it as CAM
paign question. The Republican party
does not countenance any appeal of this
character.
81 stand for what Mr.. Hoover has
said. It is unnecessary for me to re-
peat those views. AS early as last June
I advised the members of the national
committee as follows:
"The campaign policy we propose
to follow will be informative and con-
structive only. The promptings of
conscience and personal liberty within
the law are not proper subjects for
political debate
Those of us who have the response
bility in the campaign are using every
endeavor to eliminate the religious
question"
Mrs. Caldwell was in conference In
Roanoke today with r. H. Angel,
chairman of the Virginia State Re-
publican executive committee. She an
nounced she was preparing statement
embracing "a comprehensive explana-
ton" of the receipt by Mrs. Lyons Of
letter over her signature containing the
repudiated statements.
Reiterates Denunciation.
Thoroughly aroused over the incl
dent, Hoover today reiterated emphat-
icaly his denunciation of the letter,
whether authentic or not, and an
nounced that neither he nor the party
he heads wants the religious issue In
jected into the campaign. The state
ment, In amplification of one made by
him last night. said:
II cannot fully express my indigna-
ton at any such circulars. Nor can
reiterate too strongly that religious
questions have no part in this cam
paign. I have repeatedly stated that
neither nor. the Republican party
wants support on that basis.
There are important and vital
reasons for the return of the Repub-
lican administration, but this is not
one of them"
Slemp in Conference.
c. Bascom Slemp, Virginia national
committeeman, went into conference
with campaign leaders at national head
quarters this morning, the presumption
being that the Caldwell letter was un-
der discussion.
In his statement last night, Hoover
said: ......
Whether this letter is authentic or
a forgery, 1t does violence to every in
stinct that possess. I resent and re-
pudiate it.
"Such an attitude is entirely opposed
to every principle of the Republican
party I made my position clear in my
acceptance speech when I said, In this
land, dedicated to tolerance. we still
find outbreaks of intolerance. 1 come
of Quaker stock. My ancestors we're
prosecuted for their beliefs. Here they
sought and found religious freedom.
BY blood and conviction ! stand for
religious tolerance both in act and in
spirit The glory of our American ideals
Is the right Of every man to worship
God according to the dictates of his
own conscience
II meant that then and I mean it
now"
The disputed letter was made public
last night by Mrs. Lyons in letter of
protest to the press. She said the let
ter apparently was sent to her under
the impression that she had accepted
as vice chairman. for her
precinct in the Republican campaign.
She explained that she had read in the
paper that she had been elected to
such a post. but that she had refused
to accept it because she was not a
She had been told her
name would be taken off the official
roster. she declared
Mrs. Caldwell told the Roanoke Times
by her secretary. whose name
she refused to divulge She said she re-
membered having given to the secretary
an outline of what should be incor-
oorated in the letter but indicated she
could not recall having used the word
'Romanism The letter, she said had
been shaped up by the secretary after
she had been told the gist Of what to
write. ....
Text of Letter.
The letter. dated September "a. on a
etterhead of the Republican national
committee. and bearing the stamped
signature, Willie w. Caldwell" follows
n full:
Dear Madam am pleased to know
hat yep have been named vice chair
(CoIBnued on Pa1e 2. Column a