Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-16
Members of General Confer
enCe See the President.
ON UNIVERSITY GROUNDS
They Came Over From Baltimore for
the Function.
GREAT DAY IN METHODISM
Second Formal Appearance Of Ma
tion's Chief-Music by Marine
Band-Senator Dolliver Speaks.

6auQ-SenatOr DOlllVcr speaks.
This is the greatest day for Methodism
that the District Of Columbia has seen
for years. and for the time being the en-
tire general conference which is in ses-
sion this month in Baltimore. has been
moved to Washington. The occasion Is
really one of the features of the con
ference. as this date was set aside in the
program for a visit to Washington and
to reception by President Roosevelt. II
was by special arrangement with the
chief executive. however. that This event
should occur on the grounds of the new
American University. near Tenleytown.
instead of the White House. and thus
make the institution. which is intended
to be the greatest educational establish
ment conducted under the faith in the
country. the mecca for Methodists from
all corners of the world
For weeks the members of the Meth
odist council and faculty Of the institu-
tion resident in Washington have been
busily engaged in the preparations tor
the reception. and the final touches were
added this morning Besides receiving.
with Mrs. Roosevelt. all of the delegates
to the conference. and in the reception
clasping hands with workers for Method
ism from every country in the world the
President made an address. The formal
program also included an address by Sem
ator J. B. Dolliver of Iowa. besides an in
troductory by Bishop Cranston. resident
Bishop of Washington.
The conference held business session
in the Lyric Theater Baltimore this
morning. with Bishop Burt presiding but
adjournament was taken at 1870 o'clock,
IN time for the delegates to reach the
Union and Camden railroad stations that
city, and board two special trains. one on
the pennsylvania railroad. and the other
on the Baltimore and Ohio. for Washing
ION. Both trains reached the local Union
station shortly after noon. and the visit
ing clergy and laymen were met by
special reception committee and escorted
over the hills and dales intervening be-
tween the station and the lines of the
street railways. Fourteen special cars Of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company were in waiting and all of the
members of the conference were taken
Immediately TO the university grounds.
400 Visitors From Baltimore.
Especially for the occasion. the whole
auditorium Of the College of History. the
only fully completed building of the entire
group which will ultimately compose the
institution. was transformed into dining
hall. luncheon being served to the |. 400
the interim before the beginning of the
special program at 3 O'Clock hundreds Of
the guests took advantage Of the oppor-
tunity to inspect the new Mckinley Me-
moral College of Government. the second
Of the series Of college buildings which
IS under roof. but is yet far from COM
pletion.
1t was recalled that today marked the
second formal appearance Of President
roosevelt at the university. because il
was he who laid the corner stone Of the
structure which has been named a me-
mortal to the martyr President.
Facing the principal approach 10 the
university along Nebraska avenue. and
on part Of the future r;.rfptis bet we-rr
the College of History and College OF
Government. the committee in charge ar
ranged an Open-air ampitheater for the
afternoon exercises. with a stand for the
speakers. another for the Marine Band.
which furnished the music. and in A great
semi-circle in front of the speakers plat
form rows upon rows Of chairs. so that
there were seats for all visitors and Vet
standing room within easy hearing dis
tance for the thousands of Methodists
from local churches who participated
The program for the afternoon was
opened by a sacred concert by the Marine
Band between 2:30 and O'Clock. while
the audience was being seated. Chancel-
lor Franklin Hamilton introduced Bishop
Cranston chairman and the latter
made the first address. Bishop Henry W.
Warren pronounced the invocation. and
all joined in singing the good old Metho-
dist hymn. Faith of Our Fathers Ger
man members of the general conference
sang Martin Luther's hymn. after which
President Roosevelt delivered an address.
He said:
The Presidents Address.
The President spoke as follows:
1t is pleasure to be with you today
and to bid you welcome on behalf OF
the nation. here in the capital of the
nation. Important though the Metho-
dist Church is in many lands. there is
none in which it has played SO great
and peculiar part as here in the
United States. Its history is indissolu-
bly, interviewer with the history OF our
country for the six score years since
the constitutional convention made us
really a nation. Methodism in Ameri-
ca entered on its period of rapid
growth just about the time OF Wash
ington's first presidency. Its essential
democracy. it's fiery and restless en-
ergy OF spirit. and the wide play that
ii gave to individual initiative. all
tended to make 1t peculiarly congenial
to hardy and virile folk, democratic
to the core, prizing individual inde-
pendence above all earthly possessions.
and engaged in the rough and stern
work of conQuering a continent.
MethCdism spread even among tho
old communities and the long-settled
districts of the Atlantic tideW ater:
but its phenomenal growth was from
these regions westward. The whole
country is under debt of gratitude TO
the Methodist circuit riders the Meth
odist pioneer preachers. whose move
ment westward kept pace with the
movement of ehe frontier. who shared
all the hardships in the life of the
frontiersman. while at the same time
ministering to that frontiersmans Spir-
itual needs. and seeing that his press
ing material cares and the hard ana
grinding poverty of his life did not
wholly extinguish the divine fire with
In his soul. Such was your work IN
the past: and your work in the pres
ent is as great: for the need and OPP
portunity for service widen as the field
OF national interest widens. Ii is not
true in this country that the poor have
grown poorer: but il is true that in
many sections and particularly in our
large cities the rich have grown so
very much richer as to widen the gulf
between the man OF very large means
and the man who makes each days
livelihood by that days work. and
those who with sincerity. and eficien-
cy, and deep conviction. band together
for mutual help. are those who can do
most to keep the gulf from becoming
too wide
The Trua ReH0i0n