Arizona republican., 1909-02-23
.TAFT'S TALK
 ID PENNSY Pfesident-EIeCts Address al University Of Pennsylvania THE LEARNED PROFESSIONS
Their Relations to Political Governmental Place For All of Them in Uplifting Movement Even For the Press, If It's Not Yellow.

Philadelphia, Feb. 22.-Hon. William
 H. Taft, president-elect of the
 United States, today was the prin- cipal speaker at the exercises in the
 University of Pennsylvania commem- orative of the birth of Washington.
 He chose for the subject of his address the Present Relations of the Learned Professions to Political Government" He discussed at con- siderable length the influence which the learned professions, in this day, have upon national and municipal government. He outlined luminously the part each of the important pro- fessions plays in government by the people and compared their influence, one with another. He said:
 Ladies and Gentlemen:
 Tt is the duty of every citizen, no matter what his profession, business or trade, to give as much attention as he can to the public veal, and to take as much interest as he can in political matters. Americans gen. erally have recognized these duties, and the result is that we find active in political life, prominent in the legislature and executive councils of the government, men representing all professions, all branches of business, and all trades. Perhaps the express sion representing is not fortunate because they are not elected by guilds, or professions or crafts, and they do not represent their fellows in the sense of being required to look after their peculiar interests. What I mean is that among public men who enact laws and enforce them may be found those who in early life at least have had experience in every business, every craft and ev- cry profession. Nevertheless, as po- litical and governmental necessities change they have a tendency to in- crease the number taken from one profession or another for reasons that can be distinctly traced; and I pro- pose this morning to invite your att tention to the present relation of each of the learned professions to politics and government. It seems to me that such a subject may well have interest for those who have finished an academic career and are looking about to select a profession for themselves.
 THE CHURCH
 The first profession is that of the Time was in New England and in every other part of the coun- try under the influence of it's tra- ditions, when the minister of the Congregational church, in addition to that of his sacred office, exercised a most powerful influence which was of a distinctly political character. His views on the issues of the day were considered of the greatest weight in the community in which he lived, and he ranked everyone as it's first citizen. This was in the days when New England might al- most be called a 'theocracy;' 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 enforced. Great changes have come over our methods of life since that day. Then the ministry, be- cause of the rewards in the way of influence, power and prominence, at tracted the ablest of educated minds, and the ability and force of charact- CT were where power and influence resided. But the spread of educa- tion and independent thinking, the wide diffusion of knowledge and news by the press, the enormous development of the country, the vast increase in wealth, the in- crease in rewards and influence of other vacations, the disappearance of the simple village life, have all con- tributed to change radically the po-. sition and influence of the ministry in the community. Today it is not true that that profession attracts the ablest young men, and this I think is a distinct loss to our society, for it is of the utmost importance that the profession whose peculiar duty it is to maintain high moral stan dards 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 func tion. Of course the profession os