The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-08
TAFT TALKS ON
THF TOLERANCE
OF AMERICANS
Cites Negotiations With Vatican
as Example of Vanishing
Religious Prejudice
= New YOrk's Share in CeIebra-
ton of ChampIain'S DiscOv-
cry Reaches Climax

PLATTSBURG. \. Y. July New
York states share IN the tercentenary
celebration Of the discovery of Lake
Champlain reached its climax today.
Tomorrow the scenes Of pageantry. the
parades the speech making, the inter
change of compliments among France,
Great Britain and the United States,
who shared in the history making Of
the Champlain country. viii all be
transferred across the lake to Vermont
President Taft. Ambassadors Jusser-
and and Bryce, with Governor Hughes
and Governor Prouty, again today occu-
pied the center of the celebration stage.
Each made three speeches. and all were
al a brilliant banquet at the Hotel
Champlain tonight Senator Root was
added to the prominent guests today
and made an historical address at
Plattsburg barracks. Postmaster Gen
eral Rodolph Lemieux of Canada also
spoke at the barracks, and with Senator
Root and the others spoke again to-
night at the banquet, where the eX-
pressions of friendly good will among
The three great nations participating
IN the tercentenary were emphasized.
Jussersnd said; The spirit and all
that was best in Champlain lives again
in President Taft, and there is a people
in a distant archipelago who know II
and feel il and who for centuries will
bless his name"
CANADIAN TROOPS MARCH
Canada had large share in today's
celebration and on the American mill
l. tary reservation at Plattsburg barracks
this afternoon the president and the
other guests witnessed a parade Of
American and Canadian troops. An
Ottawa regiment of Highlanders in
scarlet coats, furry hats and kits, and
another regiment, the governor gener-
ais foot guards. also from ottawa, in
uniform Of almost equal brilliancy. par
ticipated.
Early in the day the president mo-
tored to Cliff Haven, half a mile from
Bluff Point where he addressed a large
gathering at the Catholic Summer
School Of America. Returning later 10
the Hotel Champlain. he received the
foreign ambassadors, Governors Hughes
and Prouty, members of the New York
state legislature and others of the
guests. While this was going on. the
Indian psgeants, which have proved an.
attractive feature Of the weeks cele-
brstion, were given on The floating
island.
Further plans for the day included
luncheon given by Smith NJ. Weed at
his residence in this city to the presi-
Dental party and about SO of the dis
tingUished guests including Ambassa-
dor and Nine. Jusserand, Ambassador
and Mrs. Bryce. Governor and Mrs.
Hughes, Governor and Mrs. Proutv. Ro-
dolph Lemieux and Nine. Lemieux, Sir
Alphonse Pelliter, Sir Lomer Gouin.
Senator and Mrs. Root. Secretary of
war Dickinson, Cardinal Gibbons.
SETH Low. and members of the New
York and Vermont Champlain com
mittee.
WELCOMED AT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
The presidents welcome at the Cath
Ole summer school was a hearty one
and the edifice was packed to the doors.
Al the presidents right on the plat
form was Cardinal Gibbons. while on
his left was Governor Hughes.
President Taft devoted his address
mainly TO his dealings with the Catho-
lie church in the Philippines s having
bearing on the present celebration.
am not a Catholic" said he. but
have had in the last 10 years a great
deal 10 do with the Catholic church. Ny
lot did not carry me into a part Of the
world that made me as familiar with
the French explorers. the French lead
ers OF civilization. like Champlain. as
il did into the regions of those leaders
that came from Spain into the Philip
pines. where the same influence that
carried Champlafn here and that same
influence that controlled him controlled
men equally brave and, in certain re-
spects, more successful Legaspi who
came out to the Philippines with four
or Eve Augustinian monks, converted
10 Christianity that entire archipelago
now having some seven or eight mil
Son
only community of people in the entire
orient that today as people are Chris
tians.
Il think we are reaching a point in
this country where we are very much
more tolerant of everything and every
body than ia the past, and where we
are giving justice where justice ought
10 be given.
No MARROW PREJUDICES
we are no longer cherishing this
narrow prejudice that comes from de-
nomination bigotry, and we are able to
recognize in the past these great prin-
ciples in religion and in Christian faith.
and appreciate the virtues they ex-
hibited and follow the examples they
set for US.
Religious tolerance is rather a mod
ern invention. Those of US of Puri-
ian ancestry have been apt to think
we were the inventors of religious toll
erance. Well, as a matter of fact what
they were in favor Of il 1 can speak
for Puritan ancestry, was in having a
right TO worship God as we pleased and
have everybody else worship God in
the same way. But we have worked
that out now, and there has been a
great change, ] am sure-and his emil
nence. the cardinal. viii agree with
me-even in the last 25 years. l have
had personal evidence of Il in some Of
the work that we had TO do in the
Philippines.
7 am gratified to say now that
every question between the church
and the state in the Philippines
which were so closely united that
1t seemed almost impossible to make
q separation OF the two. as it had to
be made under our constitution-has
been settled fairly and justly to both
sides and no bad taste or injustice
exists on either side with respect to
those questions.
Cardinal Gibbons addressed the gath
briefly when he nresfSenf he =