The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1908-10-03

because he is the highest type of
the Christian gentleman"
This is the way in which l heard the
pastor Of a Methodist church in south
ern Illinois end an argument with a
layman on the train coming to .Cincin-
natl from st. Louis, writes a staff cor
respondent Of the st. Louis Globe
Democrat The layman, paying due
respect to the cloth of his op-
ponent, was trying to convince him
that he should not support Mr..
Taft for the presidency, and instead
should vote for his Democratic oppo-
nent. The churchman defended the
principles Of the Republican party, and,
as indicated, defended the man for
whom he said he expected to vote, from
his personal standpoint of a churchman,
because he is the highest type Of q
Christian gentleman"
Bishop j C. Hartzell of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, discussing the
religious beliefs Of Bryan and Taft,
after calling on the latter, said:
(Which of these men l shall vote for
will not be decided by their religious
beliefs, but what they are as men, and
by the principles and policies they stand
for in the administration of the gov
eminent. l believe that in acting upon
this view, as an American citizen, l am
in harmony with the spirit and purpose
of the founders Of our republic, who
put into the constitution that there
should be no religious test as to quail
f1cations to any office or public trust
under the United States My convic-
ton is that the future safety of the
nation depends very largely upon our
people needing that constitutional pro-
hibition. Our nation owes much In
moral character, craftsmanship, litera-
ture, art and religion to those who
have not been in strict harmony with
some of the dOgmas Of the church. The
days of the inquisition are past
Remembering that Mrs. Taft is q
Presbyterian. but that Miss Helen Taft
was confirmed in the Episcopal Church
In Washington last winter at the same
time that Miss Ethel Roosevelt, daugh-
ter Of the President, was confirmed,
wondered as to Mr. Taft's church asso-
citation. When made the inquiry here
1 was answered through the columns
of the Northwestern Christian Advo-
cate, the great Methodist publication,
Just as it had given answer to hundreds
of inquiries from it's Methodist subscrib-
ers. 1t said:
Man of Broad Sympathfes.
Mrs. Taft and children are Episco-
palians, and the Secretary frequently
accompanies them to st. Johns Church,
where, also he has pew. While Mr..
Roosevelt goes to the German Reform
ed Church, his wife and family, who
are Episcopalians, attend historic st.
Johns Church, where they sit only one
or two pews removed from Mrs. Taft
and her children. Secretary Taft
spends his vacation at Murray Bay,
attended by the summer colonists of all
denominations. The Secretary of War
is one of the trustees of this summer
colony church, where people of many
faiths gather for worship"
This Methodist testimony indicated
to me the broad and liberal view of
Mr.. Taft in religious matters. In look
ing through the file of this same pub
Iication-the Western Christian Advo-
cate-I found discussion of both NOM
inees, In the course of which 1t was
asserted:
''The sympathies of both Mr. Taft
and Mr.. Bryan are very broad, and they
worship easily and naturally with any
Christian denomination. Whichever
man is elected, the country will have,
therefore, President of clean life,
lofty principles and Christian convic-