Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1908 — God to Be Restored to Nation’s Coins [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

God to Be Restored to Nation’s Coins

THE- motto “In God We Trust” will be restored to the gold coins from which it was removed by President Roosevelt's orders. The house committee on coinage, weights and measures has reported a bill providing for restoration of the motto and its permanent retention. Indications are that It will pass both houses. President Roosevelt win not veto any measure ' of this kind, and has so told several of his callers. - Representative James, who Introduced one of the bills to restore the motto, said hundreds of letters were •till coming in protesting against the •bolishment of the motto. Immediately after the new gold pieces of the Saint Gaudens design ■were received from the Philadelphia mint early In November last year, the discovery was made that the motto "In God We Trust” had been omitted.

The responsibility for the omission was placed at the door of President Roosevelt, for only through an executive order can a change be made In designs for coins. This responsibility the president readily assumed, but, when adverse criticism began to come from all quarters of the country and religious and patriotic societies took up the matter, he decided to issue a statement setting forth his reasons for the action. In this statement the president said there was no warrant of law for the Inscription. Also he said that his own feeling in the matter was due to his “very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use It in any kindred manner, not only does bo good, but does positive harm, and 1b in effect irreverence which comes dangerously close to sacrilege.” The president was firm that he would not order the motto to be replaced unless directed to do so by congress. The president’s statement failed to stem the tide of adverse criticism, and when congress convened numerous bills and resolutions were Introduced and proposed to make it unlawful to issue coins without the Inscription.