Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-27
ROOSEVELT ADDRESS
Great Mass Meeting In New
York to Do John Wesley
Honor
THE PROGRESS OF MANKIND
Methodists Were Appealed to Not Only
as Members of Great Religious De.
nomination But as Loyal American
citizens--Must Face Facts Facts
Substance of Address.
THE PROGRESS OF MANKIND

| New York, Feb 27.-President Roose-
| Welt was the chief speaker last night
hall held 'No do honor to the character
and labors of John Wesley, the founder
of Methodism, scholar, missionary,
philanthropist, preacher, gentleman"
| The meeting was held under the aus
pices of the New York Thank Offering
| commission. which has had charge of
the local work of the Twentieth Cen
fury thank offering fund of $2O.OO0,OO0.
that has been raised by the Methodists
| advent of tine Twentieth century of the
Christian era.
Samuel w. Browne, presided. with
President RoosevA at his right. ana
ON the platform Were Bishop U. d.
Foss, Bishop Walden, Bishop Goodsell,
f. NJ. Willis. Sishop e. G. Andrews,
DIR. James II. Day, Bishop C. H. Fowler,
j. Edgar Leaycraft, Rev. DR.. z. S. Tip
pie, executive ecretary of the New
York thank offering commission, the
Rev. DR.. j. w. tombstone, pastor of the
John street NJ. e. church; Rev. DR.. A. D..
Leonard, of the Luthern church.
The hall was crowded to the doors
and hundreds We're unable to gain add
mittance. President Roosevelt reached
the hall escorted by an detachment of
mounted police at s: 80. AS he alighted
from his carriage he was hailed by Il
young man who was struggling in the
crowd, and whom the police We're try
ing to force back. I'm Mike Crcnin
Mr.. President, and I want to hear you
speak, NE shouted. President in
stantly recognized him as the driver
who drove him on the last stage of
his journey to North Creek to take the
train for Buffalo, after being notified
of the death of President Mckinley.
Delighted to see YOU replied the
president, who, addressing the police,
said, LET that man pass"
Grasping Cronin's hand he led him
into the hall, and saw that he had
seat near him on the platform. After
the meeting the president introduced
Cronin to the members of his party
and told them the story of his furious
night drive along the Adriondacks roads
to catch the train. Cheers and hand
clapping announced the arrival of Pres
ident Roosevelt, who advanced from
the rear of the platform, accompanied
by the presiding officer of the meeting,
MIR. Browne. When ha had reached the
front of the stage the president bowed
slightly and then walked over to the
seat reserved for him behind the read
Ing desk.
Chairman Browne then announced
the hymn BLOW Ye the Trumpet Blow
kpbsW:tf. ..hed.-Wo
by Chas. Wesley. Bishop Cyrus d.
Foss, Of Philadelphia, then led the
meeting in prayer, closing with the
Lords prayer, in which a mighty vol
ume of voices joined. Mr.. Browne
made a short address. in which he said
that Methodism is constantly growing,
except possibly in few effete cities
on the Atlantic seaboard Mr.. Browne
introduced President Roosevelt. the
audience rising TO greet him.
President Roosevelt said in part:
And now, friends in celebrating the
wonderful growth of Methodism in
rejoicing at the good 1t has done to
the country and to mankind, ! need
hardly ask body like this to remem-
Der that the greatness of the fathers
becomes to the children shameful
thing if they use it only as an excuse
for inaction instead of as spur to
effort for noble aims. speak to you
not only as Methodists-I speak to YOU
as American citizens. The pioneer days
are over. We now, all of us, form
parts of a great civilized nation, with
complex industrial and social life
and infinite possibilities, both for good
and for evil. The instruments with
which, and the surroundings in which,
we work, have changed immeasureably
from what they were in the days when
the rough backwoods preacher minis
tered to the moral and spiritual needs
of their rough backwoCds congrega-
lions. But If we are to succeed, the
spirit in which we do our work must
be the same as the spirit in which they
did theirs. These men drove forward
and fought their way upward, to sue
cess, because their sense of duty was
in their hearts, in the very marrow of
their bones. 1t was not with them
something to be considered as a mere
adjunct to their theology, standing sep
arate and apart from their daily life.
They had it with them week days as
we'll as Sundays. They did not di-
vorce the spiritual from the secular.
They did not have one kind of con-
science for one side of their lives and
another for another.
We'll, if we are to succeed as a ma
ton we must have the same spirit in us.
We must be absolutely practical, of
course, and must face facts as they are.
The pioneer preachers of Methodism
could not have held their own for a
fortnight ii they had not shown an in
tense practically of spirit, If they had
not possessed the broadest and deepest
sympathy for, and understanding of,
their fellow men. But in addition to the
hard, practical common sense needed by
each of us in life, we must have lift
toward lofty things or we shall be lost,
and collectively, as a ma
ton. Life is not easy, and least of all is |
1t easy for either the man or the nation
that aspires to do great deeds. In the
century opening the play of the Infinite
ly far reaching forces and tendencies |
which go to make up our social system
bids fair to be even fiercer in its activi- |
ty than in the century which has jus
closed. If during this century the men
of high and fine moral sense show |
weaklings; il they possess
only that cloiStarel yirtue who n |