The Columbus journal., 1909-02-24

the Learned Professions to Political
Government Coupled with . EuIosy
Of the Life and Works Of George
Washinston-The First Presidents
High Character as q Mar.
Philadelphia, Feb. 22-Hon. William
H. Taft, president-elect of the United
States. was the principal speaker at
the exercises in the University of
Pennsylvania, commemorative Of the
birth of Washington.
He chose for the subject Of his ad-
dress the present Relations Of the
Learned Professions to Political Gov
eminent" He discussed At consider
able length the influence which the
learned professions. in this day, have
upon national and municipal govern
ment. He outlined luminously the
part each Of the important professions
plays in a government by the people
and compared their influence, one with
another. In brief part, he said:
1T is the duty Of every citizen to
the public veal, and to take as much
interest as he can in political matters.
Americans generally have recognized
these duties, and We find active in po-
litical life, men representing all pro-
LESSONS, all branches of business and
all trades. l propose to-day to invite
your attention to the present relation
of each of the learned professions to
politics and government.
Ministry Placed First.
"The first profession is that of the
ministry. Time was in New England,
and in every other part of the coun-
try under the influence Of its tradi-
tons. when the minister of the Con-
gregational church, in addition to that
of his sacred Office, exercised a most
powerful influence, which was of a dis
tinctly political character. His views
on the issues of the day were consid-
cred of the greatest weight in the COM
nunity in which he lived, and he
ranked everyone as its first citizen.
This was in the days when New Eng
racy:' when it was deemed wise and
politically proper to regulate by law,
to the minutest detail, the manner of
life of men, and as these laws were un-
derstood to be framed in accord with
moral and religious requirements, the
minister Of the community was the
highest authority as to what the law
should be and how it ought to be en-
forced. Great changes have come over
our methods of life since that day.
Then the ministry, because of the re-
wards in the way of influence, power
and prominence, attracted the ablest
of educated minds. and the ability and
force of character were where power
and influence resided. But the spread
Of education and Independent think
ing, the wide diffusion of knowledge
and news by the press, the enormous
material development of the country.
the vast increase in wealth, the in
crease in rewards and influence of
other vocations, the disappearance OF
the simple village life. have all con-
tributed to change radically the posi-
ton and influence Of the ministry in
the community. To-day it is not true
that that profession attracts the ablest
young men, and this, think, is a dis
tinct loss to our society. for 1t is of
the utmost importance that the profess
sion whose peculiar duty 1t is to main
tain high moral standards and to
arouse the best that there is in man,
to stir him to higher aspirations,
should have the genius and brilliancy
with which successfully to carry out
this function. OF course, the profess
sion of ministry is supposed to have
to do largely with the kingdom of the
next world rather than with this, and
many people expect to find in the rep.
resentatives of the profession only
an other worldliness and no thought
Of this. This, of course, is the mar
rowest view of the profession. What
ever the next world, we are certainl,
under the highest obligation to make
the best of this, and the ministers
should be the chief instruments in ma.
king this world morally and religious.
ly better. It is utterly impossible to
separate politics from the lives of the
community, and there cannot be gen.
eral personal and social business NOR.
atty and political immortality at the
same time. The latter will ultimately
debauch the whole community.
Has Made Improvement.
During the administration of Mr.
Roosevelt, and under the influence OF
certain revelations of business immor.
atty, the conscience Of the whole
country was shocked and then nerved
to the point Of demanding that a bet
ter order Of affairs be introduced. In
this movement the ministers of the
various churches have recognized the
call upon them to assist, and they
have been heard in accents much more
effective than ever before in half a
century. The greatest agency today
in keeping US advised of the condi
tons among oriental races is the es
Enlistment of foreign missions. The
leaders Of these missionary branches
of the churches are becoming some OF
our most learned statesmen in respect
Of our proper oriental policies"
Judge Taft, discussing teachers, said
that their relation to politics and gov
ernment is of the utmost importance
! though indirect" He went on:
| One Who Has Been Tried.
Once Charles Kingsley asked Turne
| how he came to oaint his famous nir