Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-04
START MADE FOR SACRAMENTO

PORTLAND, Ore, Oct. 2-President Taft
today preached another sermon. The scene
had changed from the Mormon tabernacle
al Salt Lake City on Sunday last to the
cornerstone laying Of the First Universalist
church in East Portland.
The president handled the silver trowel
and worked hard to see that the stone was
properly adjusted His apparent earnestness
in setting the stone called out great ap-
plause 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 doc
trine Of true religion and true morality
will lack my earnest support to make 1t
more influential whenever opportunity
offers"
The presidents train left at e:lo p. m.
over the Southern Pacific railway for Sac
ramento Cal.
Mr.. Taft had a truly religious day, which
began when he attended the morning ser
vices of the First Unitarian church in
Portland and listened to sermon by Rev.
w. G. Eliot jr. Following this service the
president was the guest of honor at a
luncheon by Senator Bourne and which in
cluded the various state and city officials.
In the early afternoon the president
visited ST. Marys Roman Catholic school
and a made a five-minute address to the
school children, I'm which he declared that
LOYALTY to the church meant fidelity to
country.
Address at Church.
The line of march followed by the presl-
Dental party to East Portland was almost
as crowded as were the streets on Sunday
and there was hand clapping along the way
with some cheering by the more enthusias-
tic in the Sunday throng.
After the president had been introduced
at the corner stone laying by Rev james
Corby, pastor of the church. he SAID:
Il don't know that any one questions
the propriety of my being here and Of
fieiatI1a Oh suoh an occasion as this or
that an explanation of any sort is called
for But want to say that I believe 1t to
no the duty of the president of these United
states to welcome and to suggest every In
strument by which the morals and religlon
Of the community may be elevated and
maintained. Not long ago l officiated al
the cornerstone laying of an orthodox Con-
prregational church in Washington Iher
I appeared in the pulpit OF Jewish taoer-
nacle at Pittsburg. But few days ago
belped to lay the cornerstone OF Catholl'
institution at Helena, Mont
"Ans now It is my great pleasure to as
aist here today in laying the cornerstone OIL
this Universalist church, which like my owr
church, the Unitarian, is known as hpera
church. -,
"I am glad always to be present at sucn
occasions as these, for believe the corner
atone of modern civilization must continue
TO be religion and morality.
Experiences in philippines
The president told some of his experiences
with the Catholic church in the philippines
and then said that on the occasion OF ms
visit to Rome he ventured to say 10 lh'
popeI that while In American the sentimeh
Vas strong for the separation OF church ah'
state, there was nothing In the American
,,o,ernment or American people that op'
posed the church or It's highest deVelop
ment; that in no European country had th'
Catho,ie church flourished as 1t had II
America; that in this country the Catholl'
church received from the government ane
state officials only that treatment accorded
TO every other denomination.
'I added continued the president ina
this was not to be taken as an indication
that every government and state otiicis
was other than anxious to encourage th'
establishment and maintenance OF churche'
and that their influence might be broadehe'
throughout the land.
II think we have reached the time wher
churches are growing together, When ther'
IN lsss bitterness of denominatOnal dispute
and that no matter what creed We MAJ
follow, the churches are beginning 10 reaI
Ize that they must stand shoulder 10 shou'
Aer In the contest for righteousness; ina
we ali stand for the fatherhood OF GOOD Ah'
the brotherhood Of man
~ 4 believe are muCt
ho,tar today than we we're fifty years ago
-, Ia, man. l believe We are more allru
80 ana more interested in our fellow MAJ
nan ue have been at any time In the las
nfty years OF course you hear from liih
10 timA OF instances OF selfishness ah'
greed. but the only reason these instances
are giving prominence Is because we con
aemn them the more and believe that Il
calling attention TO them they will be MAD
more and more infrequent
..No church In this country, howeVe
.ruhls A. may be, which breaches the doc
trine of true religion and true moFalIS
will lack my earnest support to make
more influential wherever oppor'un''
offers"
visit TO Catholic school.
Il was on his way to the corner ston
laying that the president stopped by ST
Mary's catholic school and from the step
q that institution made brief address
- the boys and girls. Mr. Taft was pre-
sented by archbishop Christie and afte
congratulating the children on their rOs!
checks and "chubbiness" said:
Your church teaches that loyalty t,
God is the same as fidelity to country sn'
reverence for constituted authority; an,
SO do all good churches.
And We can be certain that those VIII,
are loyal to their church are certain to b
ioyal to their country; that those who ar
Agood catholics are good citizens, Just a
those who are consistent members OF othe
churches find In the doing OF their dut,
10 the churches everything that lead