The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17

tees OF the American university. in
course Of construction near this city.
today had as their guests President
Roosevelt, Vice President Fairbanks
and Senator DoIlfver OF Iowa. who were
scheduled. 10 deliver speeches. and up
wards OF a thousand Methodists at
tending the general conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal church now IN ses-
sion in Baltimore. The exercises were
presided over By Bishop Earl Grams
Ton. Following these exercises PreSi-
dent Roosevelt entertained at recep-
ton 10 the delegates TO the conference
IN the college building.
PRAISES SPIRIT OF sIETHODISM
After the reception President Roose-
veit delivered The following address;
1t Is a pleasure 70 be with you to-
day and 10 bid you welcome Oh be-
half OF tile nation, here IN the cap
ital OF the nation. Important though
the Methodist church is IN many lands,
there is none IN which Il has played
SO great and peculiar part IS here
in the United States. Its history is
fudissolubly interviewer with the his
tory OF our country for the six score
years since the constitutional conyen-
ton made Us really q nation. Meth
odism in America entered on its period
OF rapid growth Just about the time
OF Washineton's first presidency. It's
essential democracy. its fiery and rest
less energy Of spirit. and the wide play
rhat-it gave 10 individual initiative. all
tended 20 make il peculiarly congenial
10 hardy and Virile folk. democratic
70 the core, prizing Individual indie
pendence above all earthly possessions,
and engaged IN the rough and stern
work Of couQuering a continent Meth
ooism spread even among the old com
ruuuities and the long settled districts
0f the Atlantic tide water; but its phe-
nomenal growth was from these regions
westward. The whole country is under
3 debt OF gratitude TO the Methodist
circuit riders the Methodist pioneer
preachers. whose movement westward
kept pace with the movement Of the
frontier. who shared all the hardships
fn the life Of the frontiersman, while
IT the same time ministering to that
frontiersman's spiritual needs. and see
ing that his pressing material cares
and the hard and grinding poverty of
his life did not wholly extinguish the
divine FIRE within his soul
PRESENT WORK Is GREAT
such was your work IN the past:
and your work for the present is as
Ereat; for The need and opportunity
Tor service widen as 1ae field OF ma
in this country that the poor have
grown poorer; but Il is true that in
many sections. and particularly liz 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 ok that days work; and
those who with sincerity, and efficiency,
and deep conviction. band together for
mutual help, are those VINO can do
most TO keep the gulf from becoming
too wide True religion through
church organizations, through philaD-
thropic organizations IN all the field
Of kindred endeavor. can manifest it
SELF as effectively in the crowded and
complex life OF today as in the pioneer
yesterdays: and tie souls Of men need
The light now, and strive biindiy to-
ward It, as they needed * and strove
toward il in the vanished past.
1T is your task to do the work
of the Lord on the farm and IN the
mine. IN the counting room and the
factory, IN the car shops and beside
The blasting furnaces. just as il was
the task OF your spiritual forebears to
wrestle for the souls of the men and
women who dwelt on the stump dotted
clearings in tne wilderness.
NO nation in the world has more
right than ours to look with proud
confidence toward the future No
where else has the experiment oi
democratic government, Of government
by the people and for the people. oi
government based on the principle OF
treating each man on his innate wortl
as q man. been tried on so vast a scale
as with US: and on the whole the ex-
pertinent has been more successful
than anywhere else. Moreover, on th'
whole, I think It can be said that va
have grown better and not worse; fol
81 there IS much evil, good also greatly
sbounds, and If wrong grows, so l.
even greater measure grows the sterl
sense Of right before which wronE
must eventually yield. It would b
both unmanly and unWarranted TO be
come faint hearted or despairing abou
the nations future. Clear eyed and IA
sighted men who are both brave O
heart and cool OF head. while not for
moment refusing TO see and acknowl
edge the many evils around Us, mus
vet also feel q. confident assurance tha
in the struggle we shall win and no
lose; that the century that has Jus
opened VIII see great triumph for ou
people
MUST UPBUILD SOCIAL STRUCTURE
But the surest way 10 achieve thi
triumph IS. while never losing hope ans
belief in our progress, yet at the sam
time TO refuse TO blind ourselves e
what is evil IN the complex play Q
the many forces working through an,
with and against one another IN tn
upbuilding Of our social structure
There IS much that tends toward evi
as well as much that tends towar'
good; and the true patriot As that MAJ
who. without losing faith IN the good
does his best 10 combat the evil L
stamp IL out where that is possible
and at least to minimize its results
Prosperity such as ours, necessar.
though II be as the material basis o
national greatness, inevitably tends {
undue exaltation OF the merely mate
rial side OF the national character: an
we must largely rely on the efforts o
such men and women as those ar
addressing 10 build up the spiritua
life without which the material lif
amounts to nothing. As generation
succeeds generation the problem
change IN their external shape: oil
needs vanish and new needs arise: bu
st remains as true as ever that in tn
last analysis national greatness, na
tional happiness national success de
pend upon the character OF the iudi
vidual man and individual woman. "
need good laws; we need 10 have thes
laws honestly and feariessly adminis