The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-01-06
VISIT TAFT TO
BOOM HERR|ck
President-EIect Discusses Relations
of Church and State in
Government.

Augusta, Ca. Jan g. = Horace e.
Andrews, a prominent citizen OF
Cleveland, o., and Editor Robert
Wolf of Columbus, o.. saw Mr.. Taft
and discussed Ohio politics. Mr.. Taft
said that both made hearty indorse-
ments of Myron T. Herrick for a cab
met position. He added that he had
the highest regard for the personal
judgment of his callers, especially
Mr.. Andrews. whom he hal known
long and favorably.
Senator Knox and Frank Hitchcock
arrived today for consultation with
President-elect Taft in reference to
cabinet and administrative affairs.
To the Protestant ministers of Au-
gusta, President-elect Taft expressed
his views regarding the influence OF
the church upon civilization and its
usefulness in aiding governmental de-
7elOpment His talk might be re-
garded as an addition to the general
discussion which has been indulgeds
in regarding his religious beliefs.
The ministers had extended Mr..
Taft cordial welcome and expressed
a desire to arrange a reception for
him, their manifestation of friendli-
ness being concluded with prayer.
Mr'Taft began by thanking them
for their good will and their prayers,
adding: I'm carrying on the burden
of a government which with its in
creasing usefulness; necessarily en-
tails greater tasks, they VINO are
charged with it's execution need
every assistance and sympathy"
In his experiences in the north and
south and in the Philippines, Mr..
Taft said. he had been able to study
many different phases of life, espe-
cially in the matter of church infiu>
ence. In leaving the sectional dis
tinctions.s he continued, 1.-The indis-
pensable presence of church influence
in the Improvement in our ciyiliza-
ton no one can be blind to who has
shared In the slightest the response
bility for government and the respon-
sibility for improvement in a people
as have. That was responsibility in
respect 70 a race that is now in a
state Of Christian tutelage and must
be uplifted, in my judgment, by us,
and through our guidance, before we
shall have discharged the obligation
And in the study of the development
it has been made known to me the
enormous influence that the church
must exercise in order to make our
progress there effective. The Roman
Catholic church was there for years,
and preserved that state of Christian
tutelage to which l have referred.
Now, the ban has been removed from
other denominations, and they are
all in there on an equality in the
spirit of Christian emulation, at,
tempting to uplift those people, and
we, for the government, by a system
of secular education, are aiding that
uplifting; but without the moral in
fluence of the churches there we
could not accomplish anything. 1t is
that sort of experience by which
there is borne in upon us the impor-
lance OF the maintenance of a church
and its influence at all hazards.
ct is difficult sometimes to explain
to one who has been used to the
close union of church and state, such
as was preserved in Spain, such as is
preserved in some other countries,
the real attitude of the American
government toward the church. He
assumes that if we separate the
church from the state it means that
the state does not favor the church.
l had the honor to represent this
country in transaction of business
character with Leo XIII, at the vati-
can, and there l pointed out to him,
with all the emphasis possible, that
the separation of church and state
was in the interest of the church and
that in America he could count on
the sustaining of the rights of the
church and it's encouragement by
every legitimate means on the part OF
the people without its assuming any
governmental function, or havin9 any
governmental right, such as it has in