Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-09
WEALTH AND SPIRITUAL LIFE
Address By President Roosevelt at Celebra-
ton Of Church Anniversary.
CRttOs ARE KNOWS BY THEIR PRODUCTS
RELIGION In the Long Hun a.
Largely Judged by the Lives
of Those who Pro-
fess IT,.

OYSTER BAY, Sept S.-President Roose-
Welt participated today in the 20Oth ami
celebration of Christ Episcopal
church. which he attends during his sum
;..s.s here. .- -t
The keynote OF the presidents speech.
which occupied half an hour. and con-
cluded "A series of four addresses, was that
the wealth Of the nation must not be dis
regarded. but looked upon as the basis for
spiritual development, clean living and civic
virtues &c.,
The celebration was held in the church's
edifice, which bears the date of 1TO5 on lts
corner stone. Admission was by card and
limited to the church members and the
clergy. II was followed by a collation. In
the parish hall, OF which theh president
partook, and where he chatted freely with
the visiting clergy and church members,
The speakers preceding the president
were. Rev. F. II. washburn, pastor Of the
church, who gave q hstor~ sketch Of
the organization; Right Rev. Frederick
Burgess, DID,, bishop of Long Island. who
predicted one church for future genera
lions in America and that the episcopal;
Rev. W. Montague Geer Of New York and
Rev George r. vandewater OF New York.
Address of the President.
The president began his speech with
corroboration OF DR.. Geer on the essential
need of religion in its broadcast and deepest
sense. to the welfare of the country. fife
continued:
This country would not be an abode At
for covilized men IL II were not true that
terial prosperity, as the only base upon
which to build the superstructure OF the
higher spiritual life. Speaking here today
as layman, j wish to emphasize the vital
Importance of our people being taught to
realize that the highest value Of Chris
tianity manifests itself, in the conduct Of
verses from the end of the tirst chapter Of
James:
hearers only. deceiving your own selves.
For II any be nearer of the word and
not a doer, he is like unto man behold
ing his natural face in a glass.
For he beholdeth himself. and goeth
his way and straightway forgotten what
manner of man he was.
Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father Is this, to visit the father
less and widows in their affiiction and to
keep himself rnspotted from the world"
denotes at work among us today are evil,
but II is true also that there are plenty
OF other tendencies for good l am not
prepared to assent to the statement that
we are much worse than we used to be,
but II is not Of Importance whether; as a
things have grown better or worse.
Great Duty OF Christians.
What is of vital Importance is that we
should be resolved to do all In our power
no was well as in the future-to make them
better. and IL we are a unit in that belief
other matter. I feel that there has been
real growth in broad Christian charity.
the essentials in reality vital things. COM
ing closer all the time, because i think
theat they are grasping the fact that the
is not by warning against one another, but
by Joining hands In the great struggle
against unrishteousness in the, great war
for decency, for honesty, for clean living
IN the home no, less than In the nation;
me worth q aay eseS must tSs IN the long
those who profess IT, PSe most So ssiectiTe
servioe for Christianity that. eel possibly
be given is 70 show IN actual lfftsthat those
who profess II dor give In. their, conduct an
e q them: doubt 6 any Of Us win be
can each, OF us strivee in our conduct ito
show that the, Word Is alive In us that
Of syn e Ss to the
and the brotherhood Of. man as they are
taught in the Bible, as they are preached
duct of the average, Christian, not on sun
day, but on week days; not In the church
alone, but in his family and in his rela-
will more than anything else determine In
the eyes OF the general public the worth
OF the creed that man processes.
Gospel of Right Living.
This applies In little things as much as
IN big things, 1t applies in the little things
Is not good Christian II his domestic con-
duct is such that when he returns to his
easiness at his having. come, The man is
not good Christian who In his business
dealings fails 70 remember u,at II is in
cumbent upon him to- hold a higher stand
ard than hts fellows. that 1t Is incumbent
upon him. II he Is very rich man. to
make II evident alike in the way he earns
word of the Lord 80 him, a living truth
and not a dead doctrine. And, of course,
what ! say applies even more strongly 10
The nominal character. the man who has
attended TO all. the outward -observances
scrupuious care. who nevertheless embez-
zles trust funds Is more. not Tess. TO blame
or worthy than II he had never made pro-
We may Continue al, a republic. but we
cannot rise to- any true level of greatness,
81 SSh upon and
spiritual life. There is nothing we should
abhor more than the telling of an untruth,
whether conventional untruth or not.
Uses of Material wealth.
would on no account be understood as
81
To tell men TO disregard riches entirely Is
to preach TO them only doctrine which II
Is impossible for them TO live up to. Re-
gard the thirgs OF the body, but put them
below the things OF the soul. p Give to the
body what the body. is entitled TO, but do
not give II more than, Il is entitled to. The
multimifionaire generally is not harm,
but good, to the community II he appre-
ciates that he is a. trustee for that wealth.
that his use of IL must also be a use which
tells for decetcy IN private life, for honesty
and courage In both II and public life. =
We need material well being in this ma
ton as foundation, without which no SUI
perstrueture can be raised But upon that
founda ton we must 7sse to Il that we build
the superstructure of high individual and
national conduct, 50 that each man I'm his
relations to his Fellows shall actually be
Influenced by the nethicai standards which
teach us that the, thing, In life best worth
having will prove IN the end to be the sense
OF having 80 lived that others are better
and not worse on because we have lived.
BANK SCANDAL. CAUSES DEATH
Father OF, DefauItnE President of