The sun., 1908-05-17
president TO MEgHODlSTS
TALKS ON. CLEAN CITIZENSHIP
AND BIG FAMILIES.
Delegates TO the General Conference az
(. Baltimore Go to washington and Meet
nc the American University-President
4 Praises the Churchs Pioneer Work.

Z nj the American University-PresidenG
4 Praises the Churchs Pioneer Work.
x WARRINGTON May le-More than a
ahcusand Methodists who have been at
tanding the General Conference OF the
N-ethodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore
assembled at the American University,
near Washin gton, to-day as guests OF the
officers Of the institution. The visit was
primarily for the purpose OF hearing an
address by President Roosevelt.
The Methodists came over from Balti-
more early this afternoon in two special
trains. Bishop Cranston and other dis
fing1ished leaders OF the Church were in the
party and there were large number Of lay
men as we'll as ministers representing
churches in every part OF the country.
The university grounds. where the after
noon's exercises were held in the open air.
are on the heights west OF Georgetown,
and President Roosevelt drove out to the
place in the White House carriage. He
reached the grounds few minutes before
8 o'clock and was received with applause
by the assembled Methodists. He spoke
from temporary pavilion which had been
erected near the Hall OF History building.
4 The President said in part:
II Is a. pleasure to be with you to-day and
10 bid you welcome on behalf Of the nation,
here IN the capital Of the nation. Important
though the Methodist Church is In many
lands there is none In which It has played
20 great and peculiar a part as here In the
United States.
No nation in the world has more rig ht
than ours to look with proud confidence
toward the future Nowhere else has the
experiment OF democratic government. of
~-~. H.. a,~I Sor H.
pie, of government based on the principle
OF treating each man on his innate wort h
rs q man been tried on so vast a scale as
with US, and on the whole the experiment.
has been more successful than anywhere
else. Moreover. on the whole | think IL
can be said that we have grown better and
not worse, for II there is much evil good also
greatly abounds. and II wrong grows so In
even greater measure grows the stern sense
OF right before which wrong must eventually
yield, 1t would be both unmanly and un-
warranted to become faint hearted OF de-
spairing about the nations future. Clear
eyed and far sighted men, who are both
brave OF heart and cool of head. while not
for q moment refusing to see and acknowledge
the many evils around us must yet also feel
q confident assurance that In the struggle
we shall win and not lose. that the century
that has just opened will see great triumph
for our people.
But the surest way to achieve this trium ph
is while never losing hope and belief in our
progress yet at the same time refuse to
blind ourselves 10 what Is evil in the COM
plex play OF the many forces working through
and with and against one another in the up
building of our social structure. There is
much that tends toward evil as well as much
that tends toward good: and the true patriot
10 that man who without losing faith In the
good does his best to combat the evil, to
stamp 1t out where that is possible and at
least to minimize its results. Prosperity
such as ours. necessary though it be as the
material basis of national greatness, inevi-
tabiy tends to undue exaltation of the merely
material side Of the national character, and
we must largely rely on the efforts of such
men and women as those am addressing to
build UP the spiritual life, without which the
material life amounts to nothing.
A. gener alton succeeds generation the
problems change in their external shape:
old needs vanish and new needs arise: but II
remains as true as ever that in the last analysts
national greatness. national happiness, na-
ttonal success, depend upon the character
Of the individual man and individual woman.
We need good laws; we need TO have theee
laws honestly and fearlessly administered:
we need wealth; we ne-d science and art and
all tho kindred activities that spring from
the clever brain and the deft hand. But most
of all we need the essential qualities that in
their sun, make up the good man and the
GOOD woman most of all we need that fine and
healthy family life. the lack Of which makes
any seeming material prosperity but glitter
ing sham.
II the average man is brave and hard
working and clean living, II the average
woman has the qualities which make good
wife and good mother, II each has self-respect
and II each realizes that the greatest thing in
life IL the chance to do service-why then
the future of the nation is secure. We cannot
stand up for what is good in manhood and
womanhood without oondemning what is
evil. We must condemn the man who is
either brutal and vicious or weak and cow
ardly; the man who fails to do his duty by the
public, who is a bad neighbor. an idler. an
ieconsiderate and selfish husband. neglect
fui father. So also we must condemn the
woman who, whether from cowardice OF
coldness, from selfish love Of ease or from
lack OF all true wornanly quality. refuses to
20 Alright her great and all essential duties of
wifehood and motherhood.
We admire good man. but we admire a
good woman more. We believe in her more,
All honor is due the man who does his full
,iuty in peace. who as soldier does his full
duty In war; but even more honor Is due the
mother. for the birth pangs make all men
the debtors OF all women. No human being
has greater title to respect than the mother
who does her full duty, who bears and rears
plenty Of healthy children 80 that there shall
be national growth and not national de-
cadence, 80 that In quality and in quantity
our people shall increase. The measure OF
our belief in and respect for the good man
and the good woman must be the measure OF
our condemn nation Of the man and the woman
who, whether from viciousness or selfishness
or from vapid folly, fails to do each his or her
duty In his or her special sphere. Courage.
unseliehness, common sense. devotion to high
ideals, a proper care for the things OF the
spirit, and yet also for the things Of the body
these are what we most need to see in our
people: these are the qualities that make up
the right type OF family life, and these are the
qualities that by precept and by example
you here. whom I am addressing. are bound
10 do all in your power to make the typical
qualities OF American citizenship.
The audience applauded heartily. After
the gpeeohnaking the President and Mrs,
Hoogevelt were to have received the tnem-
bart Of the conference and their ladies' In
tho new Hall Of History. Tho President,
!; however. was obliged to return TO the
White House in time TO press an electric key
opening the charity fair in st. Louie,
II FOE SMALLER CONFERENCES.