Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Morris Whiton
President Roosevelt thanks James Morris Whiton for the letter. In response, he sets forth the provisions that authorize using “In God We Trust” on coins, which Congress repealed, but may now revive. Roosevelt hopes it is not revived, believing such use of the phrase “promotes levity and irreverence in the use of a beautiful and solemn religious sentiment.” He favors simple coin design without excess lettering. Including the phrase is a customary, not legal, practice instituted after Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-11-15