Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-27
"A Soft Answer Turneth Away
Wrath" Taken for Text.
CHARITY FOR MEMS MOTIVES
Anglo-Saxon Can Learn Something
From Oriental.
OFTEN TOO BLUNT OF SPEECH
Later, President Attends Unitarian
Church and Then Goes TO Ogden
where He Takes n Drive
over city.

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept 26.-In the pull |
pit Of the famous Mormon tabernacle in |
this city, where four years ago Theodore
Roosevelt, then president preached long
sermon on right living and the duties of
good citizenship, President Taft faced an
audience which he said inspired him to
try TO follow in the footsteps of his pre-
decessor and deliver a preachment.
Mr. Taft did preach a sermon-text and
all. The immense audience in the
rag-draped edifice. the splendid musical
program of operate and patriotic seiec-
tions, the enthusiastic cheering as Presi-
dent Taft appeared and the quick response
of the audience to points which he en-
deavored to impress upon his hearers, in
spired him, the president declared, with
higher thoughts Of country and patriotism.
The presidents sermon was an appeal
for amity between people, for attributing
the best rather the worst motives to the
action Of others when possible to do so
and not to harbor hatred and animosity.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath, but
grievous words stir up anger" was the
text Mr. Taft selected from the book of
Proverbs. The sermon was homely ut
.erance. largely made UP Of = relation of
stories to give emphasis to the points.
From the tabernacle the president was
Iriven to review about 10000 school chill
hren At one point along the line 1000 or
more children had been arranged in a
living flag, red, white and blue caps and
rapes serving to outline the national en-
blem.
Thence the president proceeded to the
Young Mems Christian association, where
he made a brief address to an audience
composed entirely of men.
Lastly. the president attended services
especially arranged for him at the Uni
tartan church. After this unusually busy
Sunday morning he left Salt Lake at noon
for ogden, where he enjoyed an eighteen
mile ride through Ogden canyon and made
hts third address OF the day at Lester
park there
smoOt Introduces President.
When Senator Smoot introduced the
president to the audience in the taber-
nace the cheering was so great that Mr.
Taft could not begin his address for sew
eral minutes.
II thank you from the bottom Of my
heart" he said at last, "for this express
sion Of welcome and good will. l have
been impressed since coming into this
magnificent structure with the thought
that you have gathered here In part to
hear me and that had nothing to ad-
presence.
IT am told that my distinguished prede-
ccssor. under the inspiration Of an audi
ence like this. delivered an address In the
nature of a sermon upward OF two hours
in length. Now. he had the capacity; he
had the spirit; and ne had the mission to
make such a preachment OF moral force
and inspiration. He knew how TO appeal
TO the best that is in man and woman
and arouse them to lift themselves TO
higher standards and higher ideals
But II has not been given to me to
exercise that great influence which was
his and which shone forth from him as he
stood before men upon platform. And
vet | have felt that on this Sunday morn
ing IL was necessary for me to make such
effort as I could to follow him in some
thing that may sound a bit like sermon
And as sermons are begun with quota
tion Of text having more or less rela-
ton to what follows, l am going TO give
YOU the words from Proverbs: "A soft
answer turneth away wrath, but grievous
words stir up anger 1t is text that
has forced itself upon my mind during the
last ten years with especial vigor, because
have come into contact with oriental
peoples and with those descended from
the Latin races Of Europe and l have
had a chance to compare their views OF
life and their methods of speech and their
social conventions and amenities with those
OF the Anglo-saxon race
where AnElo-SaxOnH Can Learn.
we Anglo-saxons are, we admit a great
racS We have accomplished wonders In
hammeriuR out, against odds that seemed
insurmountable. the principles OF civil lib
erty and popular government and making
Them practical and showing to the world
a., a,fV md in "a
course OF our life II seems TO me, We have
ignored something that our fellows OF
southern climes have studied and made
much Of, and that is the forms of speech
and the methods of everyday treatment
bstween themselves and others. Al first
that seems superficial to us, who prefer
No and Yes and abrupt methods and
communications I'm the shortest and curtest
sentences: but. my friends, we have much
TO learn from people OF that kind Of court
esy and politeness.
The truth is that mans life In his
family with his wife, with his children,
with his mother, with his neighbor is not
made up OF grandstand plays and all sort
OF things. II is made up by a series OF
little acts and those little acts and those
little self-restraints are what 20 to make
up the mans character. agree that there
are many men, and a great many OF them
/ hope who are better than they seem to
their families, TO their wives and to their
children and to their neighbors, and that
when the exigencies arise they do betray
and show forth elements OF strength Of
character that ought TO commend them TO
their fellow citizens and TO their families.
But Il does seem as II they were depriving
their families and their neighbors OF some
thing in their not living up TO that stand
ard In little things as well as in big things;
aud the truth Is that we come 10 negli-
: gencs In ntue things IL we yield to the
q pomentary desire to be lazy and not at
inuve and not courteous to everyone
- d make everyone feel as comfort
-g,---.I,-,,.-S -, S-co-6 TS.-.