Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-21
Talks % CH|)RCANEN
President Roosevelt Addresses
Presbyterian Assembly on
Home Missions.
Is Given an Ovation When He
Takes His Seat on Plat.
form.
Conquest Of the Continent Due
Largely to Work OF Mis-
si0naries.

New York, May 21-Carnegie hall
was crowded to the doors last ev-
ening with an audience eager to hear
! the address of President Roosevelt in
the interests of Presbyterian home mis-
sions, the occasion marking the close
of the centennial celebration.
| the parquet sat the commissioners
of their friends as could be crowded in
| Two tiers of boxes were filled with men
and women who are leaders in metro
politan Presbyterianism, and Others
interested in the meeting. There were
about 400 men and women on the
platform. There was not vacant seat
entire auditorium. Hundreds We're
turned away.
When President Roosevelt appeared
he received q great ovation.
A choir of 125 voices from the diff
ferent Presbyterian churches sang the
hymn, Eye Servants of God Your Mas
ter Proclaim and the president sang
with them.
Every true American" said Rev. DR..
Stuart Dodge, who presided, in his OPP
ening remarks, lis grateful that his
country was founded by men and wo-
men who feared God; and today this
nation is receiving it's chief strength
and support from God fearing men and
women On this occasion, our centen-
NAL celebration of our home mission,
it os our chief reason to keep rejoicing
that our church still supplies sum men
and women to keep up the good work =
A great wave of applause greeted
the statement, as also DR.. Dodge's re-
view of the bright prospects of the
church, which he said lis about to re-
ceive a creed that plain people can un-
derstand and accept"
In introducing President Roosevelt
DR.. Dodge said that no man knew bet
ter than the president the Importance
to the nation of the good work of the
home missions.
When President Roosevelt stepped to
the front of the platform, and began
Mr.. Chairman he was Interrupted by
the aashlight Of a photogra pher. AS the
smoke blew across the stage he laughed
and said: There goes the mystery
now" referring to the mystery OF the
creed. He continues:
1t is pleasure, on behalf of the
people of the United States, to bid you
welcome on this hundredth anniversary
OF the beginning of organized home
missionary work by the Presbyterian
church. In one sense, OF course, all
fervent and earnest church work is
part of home missionary work. Every
earnest and Jealous believer, every
man or woman who is a doer of the
word and not nearer only, is a life
long missionary in his or her field of
labor--a missionary by precept, and by
what is thousand-fold more than pre-
cept, by practice. Every such believer
exerts influence on those within reach,
somewhat by word and infinitely more
thru ceaseless. yet well-nigh unseen
pressure, all the stronger when its ex-
ercise is unconscious, Of example, of
broad, loving charitable neighborli-
ness.
But tonight we celebrate hundred
years of missionary work done not in
cidentally, but with set purposes; a
hundred years of earnest effort to
spread abroad the gospel, to lay deep
the moral foundation upon which true
national greatness must rest The CEN
tury that has closed has seen the con-
quest of this continent by our people
To conquer a continent is rough work.
All really great work is rough in the
doing. tho 1t may seem smooth enough
to those who look back upon 1t, or who
gaze upon 1t from afar. Thoroughness
is unavoidable In part Of the doing of
the deed. We need display but scant
patience with those who. sitting at ease
in their own homes, delight to exercise
a querulous and censorious part OF
judgment upon their brethren, who
whatever their shortcomings, are doing
mems work as they bring the light of
civilization into the worlds darkest
places. The criticism of those who live
softly, remote from strife, is of little
value; but 1T would be difficult to over
estimate the value of the missionary
work of those who go out to share the
and while sharing it, to wage
war against the myriad forms of bru-
tally. 1t is such missionary work
which prevents the pioneers from sink