Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-27
CROWDS HEAR ROOSEVELT
), tbodists Celebrate Wesley's Life for the
IN Religious World,
PRtSiD> n PRAISES OLD MISSIONARIES
Claims Pm >rs Kept Pioneers
Straight amt Aided BackwoOds-
men to Open and Develop
Great Western Country.

ito do honor to the character and labors
Of John Wesley, the founder OF Meth !
odism, scholar. missionary, philanthropist, !
preacher, gentleman"
The meeting was held under the auspices
Of the New York thank offering commits
sion, which has had charge Of the local
work Of the Twentieth Century Thank Of
fering fund Of s20,000.00O that has been
raised by the Methodists to celebrate the
advent OF the twentieth century OF the
Christian era.
Samuel w. Bovine presided, with Pres
ident Roosevelt on his right, and on the
platform we're Bishop c. D. Foss. Bishop
Walden, Bishop Goodsell E. NJ. Willis,
Bishop F. C. Andrews. Dr. James r. Day,
Bishop c. H. Fowler. ]. Edgar Leaycraft,
Rev. DR.. e. S. Tipple. executive secretary
Of the New York Thank Offering commits
sion; Rev. DR.. ]. w. Johnstone, pastor Of
the Old John Street Methodist Episcopal
church; Rev. DR.. A. D. Leonard, secretary
of the Methodist Missionary society, and
Rev. J. B. Remensnider Of the Lutheran
church.
The hall was crowded to the doors and
hundreds we're unable to gain admittance.
President Roosevelt reached the hall,
escorted by a detachment Of mounted po-
lice, at $50.
= Struggles to See Roosevelt.
AS he alighted from his carriage he was
hailed by young man who was struggling
in the crowd and whom the police we're
trying to force back.
I'm Mike Cronin, Mr. President, and l
want to hear you speak, he shouted. Pres
ident Roosevelt instantly recognized him
as the driver who drove him on the last
nf No 4raUr Nn NAwfh 20
take the train for Buffalo, after being noti-
fed of the death of President Mckinley.
Delighted to see you," replied the pres
ident, who, addressing the police, said:
Let that man pass" Grasping Cronin's
hand, he led him into the hall and saw
that he had a seat near him on the plat
form. After the meeting the president in
troduced Cronin to the members Of his
party and told them the story of his furi-
Gus night drive, along the Adirondacks
roads to catch the train
Cheers and hand oIapping announced the
arrival OF the president, who advanced
from the rear OF the platform, accompanied
by the chairman. When he reached the
front Of the stage he bowed slightly and
then walked over to the seat reserved for
him behind the reading desk.
The chairman then announced the hymn.
BLOW. Ye Trumpet. Blow" by Charles
Wesley.
Mr.. Bovine, in. introducing the president
said Methodism is constantly growing, ex-
cept possibly in a few effete cities 'on the
Atlantic seaboard.
President Praises Wesley.
President Roosevelt spoke as follows:
| I am glad to have the chance of address
| ing this representative body of the great
church which Wesley founded. on the COM
! memoration of the two hundredth ami
| vers8ry of his birth. America has a pc
culiar proprietary claim on Wesley's
I memory, for II is on our continent that the
! Methodist church has received its greatest
In the days Of our colonial life Methodism
was hot on the whole great factor In the
] religious and social life Of the people. The
1 Congregationalists were supreme through
| out most of New England the Episco-
| palIans on the seaboard from New York
! southwark, while the Presbyterian congre-
cations were most numerous along what
| was then the entire western frontier. and
! the Quaker, Catholic and Dutch Reformed
| churches each had developments in special
| places. The gveat growth of the Methodist
| Church. like the great growth OF the Bap-
tist church, began at about the time of the
revolutionary war.
| has the Methodist church increased greatly
| in the old communities OF the thirteen
and prominent part " in s the ipioneer pgrowtb
| of our country and has assumed position
| Of immense Importance west OF the
| Alleghenies.
Preachers Aid Progress.
For century after the. Declaration of
] people was the work of the pioneers as
! they took possession of this continent. Dur
! ing that century we pushed westward from
| the Aileghenies to the Pacific, southward to
! the gulf and the Rio Grande, and also toOK
possession of Alaska The work of advanc-
| work of our nation, and the men who did
! II formed class by themselves. 1t was an
iron task, which none but men of iron
| soul and iron body could do. The men who
1 carried II to a successful conclusion had
characters strong alike for good and for
had those evil and dreadful tendencies
which are but too apt to be found in char
acters, Of heroic possibilities.
In the hard and cruel life OF the border,
with its grim struggle against the forbid
ding forces Of wild nature and wilder men.
there was much to pull the frontiersman
down, but together with the rest of the
pioneers went the pioneer preachers.
share in Common Toll.
These preachers were of the stamp of old
Peter Cartwright-men who suffered and
| overcame every hardship in common with
their flock, and who In addition tanned the
| wild and fierce spirits OF their fellow pio-
neers. 1t was not task that could have
been accomplished by men desirous 10 live
easily on lite journey. They had to pos
seas the spirit OF the martyrsi but not OF
martyrs Nlo Nouiu HleItiS SuiitIs - ne plO-
neer preachers warred against the forces
/ OF spiritual evil with the same fiery zeal
and energy that they and their fellows
| showed in the conquest OF the rugged con-
! tinent Great Is our debt 10 these men a nd
/ scant the patience we need show toWa rd
I their critics. AT times they seemed hard
/ and narrow tC those whose training and
! surroundings had saved them from Similar
/ temptations, and they have been critici ed
I as all men, whether missionaries soldiers
explorers or frontier settlers, are criticised
| when they go forth TO do the rough work
that must inevitably be done by those who
act as the first harbingers of civilization
/ These pioneers OF Methodism had the
strong militant virtues which go to the
accomplishment OF great deeds. Now and
then they betrayed the shortcomings
| natural 10 men OF their type, but their
! shortcomings seem small, indeed when we
place beside them the magnitude OF the
work they achieved
same Qualities Needed Now.
And now, friends in celebrating the won
derful growth ~ Methodism, in rejoicing at
mankind, 1 need hardly ask a body like this
10 remember that the greatness OF the
fathers becomes tn the children a shameful
thing II thew use IL only as an excuse for
inaction instead OF a spur 10 effort for
| noble aims. / speak 10 you not only as
MethOdists-I speak to you as American
citizens. The pioneer daVs are over. We
now all OF US form parts OF a great civilized
nation, with a complex Industrial and So
cial life and infinite possibilities for good
and evil. The instruments with which, and
I changed immeasurably from what they
| were In the daVR when the rough hack