The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-07-08
PRESIDENT FAVORs
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Would Let All Worship as They
Wish.
ADDRESSES NORWICH CROWD
Talks Of the Religious Belief Of New
England Ancestry and Declares
ThlrDs Have Changed
a, Now.


Taft was the chief figure in the cele.
bration Of the two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary Of this historic old New
England town. In an address to the
people, after fine military parade
and civic display, the president find,
ing theme in the church influence in
the foundation Of Norwich, took occa-
sion to express his views on the lib
erty of religious belief. -.
He pleaded that every man should
be allowed to worship God In his own
way. The president declared amid
laughter that the American forefa-
theirs came to this country ostensibly
70 escape religious intolerance but as
q matter of fact in order that they
might follow out their own religious
ideas in their own way and with a
large degree of intolerance toward
any other form of belief a
Passed Beyond That Now.
I'VE have passed beyond that now"
said the president, land are coming
more and more to realize the right of
the individual to worship God as he
may choose. ....-. ,..s ....lr.
Il think it was last year that / had
the pleasure of addressing a Norwich
audience. Then / talked to you on
the subject of the Panama canal and
promised to come. back here at the
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of your city's foundation, whether
was nominated and elected for the
presidency or not. / said that prob
ably you would not want me If was
not elected, but have not had an op,
portunity to test you on that"
You're all right, Bill, anyway" in
terrupted a voice In the crowd.
1T Is a great pleasure to come
back TO this beautiful town." con-
tinued the president well may 1t be
called the Rose of New England. Its
beauties to-day and its sweet mem.
cries of the past justify the use OF
that term and II were Norwich
man | should hug it to my bosom.
There Is something about the town
differing from most towns whose his
tory ! know 1t is the individuality of
the town itself There are other
towns that have had noted individuals
who have made history. r. b..
Freedom OF Their Own Religion.
We speak with great satisfaction
Of the fact that our ancestors, and
claim New England ancestry, came
to this country in order to establish
freedom of religion. Well, If you are
m a 30 a.
country to establish freedom of their
own religion and not the freedom of
anybody eise's religion. The truth is
that In those days such a thing as
freedom of religion was not under
stood. We look with considerable
horror and with great deal of con-
domination on those particular de-
nominations that punished our ances-
tors because our ancestors wished to
have different kind of religion, but
when our ancestors got here in this
country and ruled. they intended to
have their own religion and no other
"But we have passed beyond that
and out Of the friction, out of the de-
nominational prejudices of the past
we have developed freedom of re-
hgion that came naturally and logical
ly as we went on to free institutions
1t came from those very men who
built up your community and made its
character" ........- .'
Mistake on Free Government.
.'The truth is. my dear friends, we
have great deal of discussion OF
free government and references made
to the Declaration Of Independence
which this day celebrates. And some
people so construe that instrument
that they would make it mean that
amy body OF men or children or wom-
en- are born with the instinct of self.
government so that they can frame a
government as soon as they begin to
talk Now, that Is not true. Self-gov.
eminent has been fought out in the
history of this world and by certain
races has been hammered out by
thousand years of struggle Men have
taught themselves how to govern
themselves. They are not fit to gov.
ern themselves until they have sense
and self-restraint enough to know
what IL their interest and to give
every other man all that Is coming to
him according tn right and fusffca1