Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-10-14
TAFT breaches
ON SELF CONTROL.
Text: lie Who Conquereth Him
self Is Greater Than He Who
Taketh a City"

Fresno. Cal, Oct. 1o--From the
nowcappcd Sierras Yesterday presi-
.ent Taft plunged to-day into the
hummer heat of the san Joaquin val
ey and arrived here shortly after
ZOO p. m. with the Thermometer hoy
ring about the ninetes. He was
yreeted by practically the entire pop
,lation of the city and surrounding
country and after n short automobile
"Trip through the business section ad-
dressed a gathering of many thousands
m the court house square.
The Presidents speech was in re-
Atty another Sunday sermon, the
ihird since his trip began.
Hts text, quoted from memory. was
He who conquereth himself IS great
pr than he who taketh cit'." and
from 1T the President dre'r he los
son that popular government must
always be a failure unlcse il f. based
upon sound common sense and the
self restraint that goes to make the
good loser
on his way here. President Taft stopped
nj MERGED for three hours and attended
morning service at the Presbyterian
Church.
His greeting at Fersno came from prob
Rhly the most cosmopolitan community
he has met in all his travels.
JAPANESE PRESENT ADDRESS.
a feature of the Presidents visit 10
Fresno was the presentation Of an adj
dress OF good will from the japanese
residents
The President left here at $50 p. m.
for Los Angeles.
The meeting held in the court house
square was arranged by the Ministerial
association OF Fresno The President said
IN part:
81 like to dwell upon the Importance
of little things in life.
III is shown In the conduct of the hus-
band as he comes home from a tired dav
In restraining himself when he is not b.
his e1gcr, curious wife who wants 70
know how he has been living durin.; the
day and what has happened that does not
please him or that he does not like to
refor to, and he cuts her off with short
answer. Oh. I know it and so do you.
You have done 1t. So have 7.
Now It Is the overcoming Of hat dis
position, the keeping constantly in your
minds and heart her happiness that
makes YOU greater than taking a city.
POLITICAL SELF-CONTROL.
But l am supposed to look 1t things
from political and governmental stand
point and the text applies to me more
strongly in that regard possibly than III
my other, because OF some very acute
experiences | have had in political mat
,ers.
you cannot have a decent popular
government unless that majority can
conquer itself; that Is unless trat major
ity exercises the self restraint that men
with great power ought to exercise.
And why? l am not going into the var
!ous parts of the world. but | can call
your attention, If it was not that / am II,
responsible position now with respect
to foreign countries, and ] have got to
speak with care, ! would call your at
tention to good many instances of those
who are IN favor of popular government
ard who, If ! may use the expression.
pull the tail feathers out OF the eagle III
defying liberty and aposrophizins
everythinc that we think dear ana yet
just as soon rs they become MAJOR
lty think that gives the right to control
the minority absolutely and if the min
GRITTY show any disposition to question it
they send them to jail
MINORITY TAKES TO WOODS.
What is the effect Of that? They say
this is popular rule; this is the rule OF
the majority. So what does the minority
DO? why the minority says We will
take To the woods and they do take To
the woods. And so we have that sys-
TEN that alternates between an election
and a revolution, If you call that popular
government
"Now, why is it that it works that
way? IT is because the majority and the
minority do not govern themselves and
do not exercise that self restraint with
out which popular government is
absolutely impossible. The minority are
not good losers and the majority are nov
good winners"
CATARltTI OF THE THROAT.