Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-03-12
PRESIDENT M'kNLEY AT CHURCH.
metropolitan Methodist Edifice Was
damned to the Portals.


Washington, March 7.-President Nc
day in Washington. So did about 5000
private citizens who wished to catch a
glimpse of him. Although 1t has been
settled that the president is to be reg
ular attendant at the Founder church at
Fourteenth and streets, his first church
going was by special arrangement to hear
a sermon by Bishop Newman at the Met
ropolitan Methodist church.
The church was packed with people
two hours before the regular time for
service, but anticipating the rush, only
pewholders were admitted up to 1880
o'clock. Then the crowd was let in grad
ually and filled every available foot of
standing room from triple row of
chairs in front of the chancel to the
back row of gallery. When there was
not room for another Individual inside
the front doors, the crowd turned to DR..
Talmage's church. the First Presbyter.ssa,
only nalf a block away, and .s..fs also
was soon filled to the doors while the
streets in front of both churches were
packed from curb to curb.
The president drove from the White
house with Mother Mckinley and General
Osborne. There was a double file of po-
licemen under Lieutenant Kelly, of the
Sixth precinct, at the door and these
cleared the way for the party which
entered the church. President Mckinley
supported his mother on his arm and
General Osborne followed.
A pew had been reserved near the front
of the church, and in this with the presi-
dents party were Secretary j. Addison
Porter and Mrs Porter. Mr. Mckinley
bowed his head for a few moments after
being seated and then leaned back in the
corner of the pew waiting for the service
to begin.
Rev. Hugh Johnston, pastor of the
church, assisted the bishop. making the
opening prayer and announcing the
hymns.
The first hymn was particularly appro-
pirate, beginning with the lines:
''Watchman, tell us of the night,
What its signs of promise are"
DR.. Johnston also specially mentioned
the president, cabinet and congress in the
petition for blessing in his opening
prayer.
Bishop Newmans sermon was on the
text in the gospel of st. Matthew, For
He came not to call the righteous, but
the sinners to repentance"
1t was rather a pointed sermon on the
regeneration of modern society, whose
hope, the speaker declared, lay not in
government, education, philanthropy but
in accepting the doctrine of philosophy
with Christ.
He warned statesmen to stand back
and not be deluded by the belief that any
form of government, autocratic, aristo-
cratic democratic or republican, could
suppress vice and foster virtue to the
ultimate health and well-being of the
nation"
When this warning was uttered there
came an audible and devout amen" from
the corner near the chapel.
The presidential party remained until
the singing of the final hymn, at the last
voice of which the party, preceded by two
ushers, left the auditorium and were
| driven back to the White house.
During the afternoon the president, in
company with Mr.. McWilliams of Chica-
go, went out for a short walk along
| Sixteenth street, one of the most fash
| ionable thoroughfares of the city. The
weather was charming, and the streets
were filled with pedestrians.
After a walk of about 20 minutes Mr..
Mckinley returned to the White house.