The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-29
Secretary Taft's Address.
At to-day's ceremony Secretary Taft

AT to-day = CeECluuuy toSSiCluiy AoL
said:
"rhe great advantage OF the insti-
tuition is that, after long experience, 1t
has come to be conducted on the most
approved business principles. Another
characteristic of the association is its
nonsectarian religious quality. We are
all more tolerant to-day than formerly.
never was as fully conscious of this
fact as when the question arose. which
had become intensely acute in the Phil
ippinc Islands. In regard to the con-
tinued ownership Of q large body of
agricultural lands by certain religious
orders of tho Roman Catholic Church.
The solution which offered itself was
that tho government should buy these
lands from the friars and then sell
them on easy terms to the present ten
ants. 1t was thought wise to send d
representative to Rome to confer with
Leo XIII. upon this question, III order.
If possible, to bring about friendly
and amicable solution.
The President, after cOnversing
with representatives of the leading
Protestant denominations, counted
upon the good sense and the religious
tolerance of the people of the United
States, and concluded to follow the
ordinary business principle that when
one wishes to accomplish a result he
should deal directly with the person
having the power effectually to agree
upon the result desired, and a repre-
sentative was sent. The business af
ter much negotiation both at Rome
and Manila, was finally concluded, and
no persons were more considerate of
the difficulties presented and sympa-
thetic with the policy adopted to meet
them by the President than the Prot
estant denominations, whose opposition
had been feared.
More Tolerant Now.
Il venture to think that hfty years
ago such a result would not have fol-
lowed, and that the motives OF the gov
eminent and of the President would
have been misunderstood or miscon-
strued l regard that as one striking
instance of the greater brotherhood
that now exists between the great
Christian denominations and a brother
hood that finds no more eloquent proof
than the continued prosperity and the
growth in influence and power of the
Young Mems Christian Association
which dedicates this building to-day.
Nowhere is the opportunity for use
fitness of the Y. NJ. C. A. greater than
among Americans in the Philippines,
Porto Rico, Cuba, and on the lsthmus
of Panama. 1t is Inevitable that Il
great many of the Americans who go
first to our tropical dependencies, q
long distance from the United States,
should be wandering and irresponsi-
BILE"
He pointed out that even staid and
upright men of good habits at home,
often yielded. when in the tropics, to
the temptation to drink and otherwise
to dissipate, due in measure, lie
thought, to the fact that there We're
few places of amusement the libra
ries were insufficient, and home sur
roundings were lacking.
Nothing contributes" said the sec
rotary, more to the support of the
views of opponents of our plans OF
progress than the presence in Manila
and other cities and towns OF dissoiute
Americans, whose example is anything;
but edifying, and who form an object
lesson to enforce the claim made by
our opponents that there Is nothing
of value in American civilization for
them to follow. Their people are gen.
orally a temperate people. as most
tropical peoples are, while Northern
peoples in the tropics are not infre-
quently given to ntemperancc
NOW, the way to avoid this result