The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-11
SERMON NO.THREE
President Taft breaches to Big
Congregation
In the Court House Square at
Fresno, Calf.
TOKEN OF GOOD WILL
Is Presented by the Japanese
Residents of the City.
He Makes a Rear Platform
Speech at Bakersfield.


snowcapped Sierras, President Taft
has plunged into the. summer heat of
the San Joaquin valley and arrived
here shortly after 8 p. m. Sunday,
with the thermometer lowering about
the nineties. He was greeted by prac-
tically the entire population of the
city and the surrounding country and
after short automobile trip through
the business section addressed a gath
ering of many thousands in the court
house square.
The presidents speech was in real
ity another Sunday sermon, the third
he has preached since his trip began.
His text quoted from memory, He
who conquereth himself is greater
than he who taketh city," and from
it the president drew the lesson that
popular government must always be a
failure unless it is based upon sound
common sense and the self restraint
that goes to make the good loser. He
drew an analogy between the Ameri-
can people in this respect and those
peoples who in their attempts at self
government follow an election with a
revolution.
On his way here President Taft
stopped at MERGED for three hours
and attended morning service at the
Presbyterian church. His greeting at
Fresno came from probably the most
cosmopolitan community he has met
in all his travels. In the throngs that
lined the sidewalk was a co-mingling
of Chinese, Japanese, Armenians,
Portuguese, and a dozen other nation
alities. In fact, it was told to the pres
ident that in one of the public schools
&c nationalities are represented
One-half of the Armenians of the
entire country are said to be gathered
here.
From the Japanese.
A feature of the presidents visit to
Fresno was the presentation of an adj
dress of good will from the Japanese
residents. This address read:
Mr.. President:
eve, the japanese residents of
Fresno City and surrounding country,
have the great honor to offer to you
our sincere and most friendly greet
ings and to accord you most joyous
welcome to our community. We hail
you, sir, as the honored chief of a
great nation which we are glad is on
the friendliest terms with ours and
we also rejoice that our beloved
great privilege Of EFeciproeating such
fraternal regard.r
The president left here at $40 p.
m. for Los Angeles. He stopped at
Bakersfield for few minutes to make
a car-end address Mr.. Taft was a
little stiff from his long mountain
walk, but declared he would like to
have a similar experience every day
square was arranged by the Minister
ial association of Fresno and nearly
all of the churches of the city were
represented. The president spoke for
the first time since last Wednesday
noon. He was introduced by Mayor
Howell and said, in part:
TT has not been my part until I |
began this trip in religious exercises |
to do other than form one of the au-
dience, but have found it impossible |
ha fri n1iTiS- I,
tiers of the gospel, who occasionally |
desire a lay substitute, to keep from !
taking their place and attempting to !
preach a sermon.
IT want to say first, with respect to |
the audience, that the presence of the |
veterans of the Civil war is always a |
great inspiration to high thoughts, to |
higher moral standards and to every |
thing that goes to make our country |
worth living for.
Takes His Text.
There is a text. I don't know that I
can quote it exactly. but to these gentle !
men before me who have taken part in |
the battles of the war. it will come, by |
nif1cance: That he who cOnquereth |
himself is greater than he who taketh |
a city
Now. the home application to the in
dividual of that text l need hardly
point.
There are so many instances in lit
tie things. I like to dwell upon the i'm |
portance of little things in life, for life
grandstand plays. It is made up of the |
little things that go either to make |
others happy or to make them unhappy. |
cit is the conduct of the husband as
he comes home after a tired day in re-
straining himself when he is met by his |
eager, curious wife. who wants to know
how he has been living during the day
and what has happened. Perhaps some
|, 49, ,1I%
him. and he does not like to refer to it,
and he cuts her off with a short answer.
Oh, 1 know it, and so do you You
have done it. So have it. Now, it is /
the overcoming of that disposition, the |
keeping constantly in your minds and
heart her happiness. and yet your COM |
fort and your disposition. That is what |
makes you greater than taking a city. |
But I am supposed to look at things
from a political and governmental
and the text appeals to me
more strongly in that regard, possibly,
than in any other. because of some very
acute experiences have had in poht1-
cal matters.
Popular government we all approve
of, though some times do not think we
know exactly why do approve it. think
We mistake frequently ends for means
We talk about liberty. as something to
be accomplished as an end. We think |
% popular government as something to |
be accomplished at an end. Well, Meth
er is true Liberty Is d means IN the
pursuit of happiness. Popular govern
nent we have because we believe in the |
long run it is the best government, that |
L is the government that makes most
people happy.
Majority Control.
But you can not run a popular gov
eminent merely by calling it so. You
have got to have some means of de-
.ermining what shall direct the course Of
government; what shall decide. That
S the majority. 1 don't know any other
method in a popular government. We
10 have checks. We do have indirect