The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-05-17
TO THE THOUSANDS ATTENDING
GENERAL CONFERENCE
TO The METHODIST CHURCH
Tells OF Growth OF Methodism In
Ameries-Says Whole Country is
Under Debt Of Gratitude TO
Methodist Circuit Riders.

Washington May l6-The trustees .
OF the American University, in course /
Of construction near this city, had as I.
their guests President Roosevelt, Vice T.
Pres dent Fairbanks. and thousands
of Mcthodists who are attending the
general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church at Baltimore. Pres
idcnt Roosevelt delivered an address.
U substance he said
1t 10 pleasure To- be with YOU to-
day aud to bid you welcome on be-
half OF the nation, here IN the ca !itdl
ol the nation Important though the
Methodist church is Ia many lands,
there is none in which il has played
30 great and peculiar a part as here
in the United States. Its history is
indissoiuDly interviewer with the his.
tory OF our country ior the six score
years since the constitutional COnyen-
ton made US really a nation. Metho
dism In America entered ON its pc
riod OF rapid growth just about the
time OF Washington first presidency.
Its essential democracy, its fiery and
restless energy OF spirit, and the wide
play that 1t gave to individual initia-
tive, all tended to make it peculiarly
congenial to hardy and yirile folk,
democratic to the core, prizing indi-
udual independence above all earthly
possessions, and engaged in the rough
and stern work of cOnquering a con-
tinent. Methodism spread even
among the old communities and the
/ long settled districts OF the Atlantic
/ tide water; but its phenomenal
growth was from these regions west
ward. The whole country is under a
| debt OF gratitude to the Methodist
/ circuit riders, the Methodist pioneer
ward kept pace with the movement of
/ the frontier, who shared all the hard
ships in the life of the frontiersman,
/ while at the same time ministering
| to that lrontiersman's spiritual needs.
and seeing that his pressing material
| cares and the hard and grinding pow
| erty OF his life did not wholly cXtin-
guish the divine fire within his soul.
Such was your work in the past, and
/ your work in the present is as great;
/ for the need and opportunity for sery-
| ice widen as the field OF national in
/ terest widens. 1t is not true in this
country that the poor have grown
/ poe. er. but ii is true that in many
sections, and particularly in our large
cities, the rich have grown so very
tween the man of very large means
and the man who makes each days
livelihood by that days work, and
those who with sincerity, and eff
cheney, and deep conviction, band to-
gethcr for mutual help, are those
who can do most TO keep the gull
. from ot'olhlHE 100 "lu'' i'"' ''"s
ion' through church organizations
/ through phllanlhropic ORGANIZATIONS
iu all the heId OF kindred 'huea'or'
can manifest Itself as eH'cuNeS III
the crowded and complex ne ol TO-
day AS in the pioneer yesterdays ana
the souls OF men need th' 'sh' now
81
and strive h'lud,y toward IT, aS 'heS
needed IL, and siroNe toward II IN tAe
vanished past II 'S your task To 40
the "orN OF the Lord ON the Ia'm ana
In the m me-, ln me countlhSrooh ana
the factory m the car shops ana be
side the blasting furnaces Just as II
Was the task OF your sPri'naI lore'
"'drs To WT'silr Tor the sous OF 'he
men ana women who dW'l' On 'he
SWmrdotl'd cirarings III the ""u'''