The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-04
In Addition the President De-
IiVers Sermon tothe PeO-
pie Assembled
OPTIMISM is KEYNOTE
OF PRESIDENTS WORDS
During the Sunday In Portland Taft
Makes Two Addresses, Attends
Church and l5 Guest at
Luncheon.

Portland, Ore, October 3.-President
Taft today preached another sermon, this
time at the cornerstone laying of the
First UniversaIist church in East Port
land
The President handled the silver troweI
and worked hard TO see that the stone
was properly adjusted.
The President referred to his various
church experiences. and in concluding
said
No church in this country. however
humble it may be. that breaches the doc
trne of true religion and true morality
will lack my earnest support to make 1t
more influential whenever opportunity Of
fers."
The Presidents train left at 1910 D. m.
over the Southern Pacific for Sacramento.
Cal
Mr.. Taft attended the morning services
al the First Unitarian church in Port
land, and listened TO a sermon by the
Rev. W. G. Eliot. Jr. Afterwards he was
the guest of honor at a luncheon rendered
by Senator Bourne.
In the early afternoon the President
visited st. Marys Roman Catholic
school and made five-minute address to
the school children. in which he declared
that loyalty to the church meant fdenty
to country.
Line of March.
The line of march followed by the
presidential party to East Portland was
crowded and there was cheering all along
the way. At the cornerstone laying he
said
l don't know that any one questions
the propriety of my being here, and Off
elaang on such an occasion as this. or
that an explanation of any sort is called
lof. But j want to say that | believe il
TO be the duty OF the President of these
! United States to welcome and suggest
every instrument by which the morals
and religion of the community NAV ha
elevated and maintained. Not long ago
| oficiated at the cornerstone layinp of
an orthodox Congregational church in
Washington. Then | appeared in the pnl-
pit of a Jewish tabernacle at Pittsburg.
But few days ago I helped to lay tho
| cornerstone of a Catholic institution ar
Helena Mont
And now it is my great pleasure TO ax-
slst here today in laying the cornerstone
OF thls Untversalist church. which 1ilte
my own. the Unitarian church. is known
as a liberal one.
/ am glad always to be present at such
occasions as these, for I believe the cor
nerstone of modern civilization must con
tlnue to be religion and morality"
Experiences In Philippines.
The President told some of his expert
enees ell with the Catholic church in the
Fhlilpplnes, and then said that on the oc-
casion of his visit to Rome he yentured
to say to the Pope that while in America.
the sentiment was strong for the separa-
ton OF church and state there was Moth
ing in the American government or
American people that opposed the church
or its highest Development that in no
European country had the Catholic church
fiourished as it had in America; that In
this country the Catholic church received
from the government and state officials
only that treatment accorded to every
other denomination.
u think we have reached the time when
the churches are growing together con-
tinued the President. when there is less
bitterness of denomina ational dispute. and
that no matter what creed we may follow
the churches are beginning TO realize that
they must stand shoulder to shoulder in
the contest for righteousness that we All
stand for the fatherhood of God and the
brotherhood of man.
Il am an optimist. | believe we are
much better today than we were so wears
ago. man by man. We believe we are
more altruistic and more interested in our
fellowman than we have been at any time
for the last 50 years or course, you hear
from time to time of instances of SELFISH
ness and greed but the only reason these
instances are given prominence is because
We condemn them the more and believe
in IL.
be made more and more infrequent."
President Taft's special train tonight
began vending its way down the fertile
Willamante valley en- route to Sacra-
mento where the President will speak
Monday.