The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-04
Makes the Event the Occasion
for a Sermon.
ALL CHURCHES ALIKE
Will Receive His Aid and En-
cOuragemont, if Good.
Catholic Children in
the Afternoon.

Ing SCSHo 4letu CudnSeQ from the MOT
mon tabernacle at Salt Lake on the
previous Sunday to the cornerstone lay
Ing of the First Universalist church in
East Portland.
The president handled the silver
troweI and worked hard to see that the
stone was properly adjusted. His an
parent earnestness in settling the stone
called out great applause from the open
air audience.
The president referred to his various
church experiences and in concluding
said:
mo church in this country, however
humble 1t may be, that breaches the
doctrine of true religion and true NOR
atty will lack my earnest support to
make it more influential whenever on
portunity Offers
The presidents train left at $40 D. m.
Sacramento, Cal.
Mr.. Taft had a truly religious day.
which began when he attended tho
morning services at the First Unitarian
church In Portland and listened to a
sermon by Rev w. G. Eliot jr. Fol-
lowin~ this service, the president was
the guest of honor at a luncheon ten
dered by Senator Bourne and which
included the various state and city Of
fcials.
In the early afternoon the president
visited st. Mary's Roman Catholic
school and made an address to the
school children, in which he declared
ity to the country. The line of march
followed by the party to East Portland
was almost as crowded as were the
streets on Saturday, and there was
handclapping all along the way, with
some cheering by the more enthusiastic
in the Sunday throng.
When the president had been intro
quced at cornerstone laying by the Rev.
said: ' 80
The Sermon.
Il don't know that any one questions
the proprtety of my being here and Of
hc1at1ng on such an occasion as this
Or that any explanation of any sort X
called for. But I want to say that I be-
leve it to be the duty of the president
of these United States to welcome and
to suggest every instrument by which
the morals and religion of the COM
munfty may be elevated and maintain
ed Not long ago I officiated at the
cornerstone laying of an orthodox Con-
gregational church in Washington.
Then 1 appeared in the pulpit of a
Jewish tabernacle at Pittsburg But a
few days ago I helped to lay the cor
nerstone of a Catholic institution at
Helena, Mont.
And now it is my great pleasure to
assist here today in laying the corner
stone of this Universalist church.
which, like my own church. the Uni
tartan, is known as a liberal church.
am glad always to be present at
the cornerstone of modern civilization
must continue to be religion and NOR
atty
The president told some of his ex-
periences with the Catholic church in
the Philippines and then said that on
the occasion of his visit to Rome soma
two years ago he ventured to say to
the pope that while in American the
sentiment was strong for the separa-
ton of church and state, there was
nothing in the, American government or
American people that opposed the
church or tts highest development. That
in no European country had the Catho-
nc church grown or flouriShed as II had
in America; that in this country the
church received from the government
ard state officials only that treatment
to every other denomination.
Il aided" Continued she president.
that this was not to be taken as an
that every government and
state official was other than anxious
to encourage the establishment and
of churches and that their
influence might be broadened through
out the land.
II think we have reached the time
when the churches are growing togeth-
sr, when there is less bitterness of de-
rominatioLal dispute and that no mat
ter what creed we may follow the
churches are beginning to realize that
they must stand shoulder to shoulder
n the contest for Righteousness; that
we all stard for the fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man.
He Is an Optimist.
Il am an optimist. 1 believe we are
much better today than we were so
years ago. man by man. 1 believe we
are more altruistic and more interested
IN our fellow man than we have been
at any time N the last so years. OF
course you hear from time to time Of
Instances of selfishness and greed. but
he only reason these instances are
given prominence is because we con-
1emn them the more and believe that
IN calling attention to them they VIII
DC made more and more infrequent
mo church in this country, however,
humble it may be. which breaches the
1octrine of true religion and true NOR
Atty, will lack my earnest support to
make it more influential wherever op-
offers"
On his way to the cornerstone laying
IL the afternoon the president stopped
ny st. Mary's Catholic school and from
he steps of that institution made a
brief address 20 yard full of boys and
girls Mr. Taft was presented by Arch
bishop Christie and after congratulat-
ng the children on their rosy cheeks
and "chubbiness." said:
your church teaches that loyalty TO
Sod is the same as fidelity to country
7nd reverence for constituted authority
and so do all good churches.
"And we can be very certain that
those who are loyal to their church are
certain to be loyal to their country:
that those who are good Catholics are
good citizens, just as those who are con-
sistent members of other churches md
in the doing of their duty to the
churches everything that leads them on
to the uplifting of humanity and the
observation of all obligations to gov
arnment.''
The president was highly pleased with
his stop at Portland. the schedule raw
H. z been such that he was given oppor-
tunity for recreation and rest Tns
president continued as the personal
guest of United States Senator Jona-