The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-18
HIS FOURTH SERMON.
President Taft Addresses a Union
Meeting in Texas.

San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 1S.-Presi-
dent Taft's travels have brought him
to the far south. After 81 hours OF
continuous journeying from Ell Paso
he arrived here at 1880 p. m. and de-
spite the fact that it was Sunday night
was given a cheering welcome.
After being received by the city Off
Gals, the president was driven to the
hotel with an escort of cavalry and
later in the evening proceeded to Fort
Sam Houston, where he assisted in the
dedication and accepted on behalf of
che government the chapel which has
been erected at the famous old army
post by the citizens of San Antonio.
Pre- sident Taft had much to do as
secretary of war with the building up
of Fort Sam Houston into a brigade
post and has always had a deep inter
est in it.
The presidents train passed through
the thinly settled part of the state and
made but few stops.
At Del Rio, Sanderson and one or
two other places the president made
brief speeches to the depot throngs,
which were made up in part of Next
cans, resid entS of the community, and
farmers who had driven many miles.
The sage brush and cactus of the far
the day advanced to mesquite bushes
and finally to the pasture lands and cot
tor fields for which the state is famed.
The presidents train was one Of
tonic ten minutes apart. Most of the
trains were filled with troops return
ing to Fort Sam Houston from duty at
the meeting of Presidents Taft and
Diaz
The president at the Pecos river.
passed over what is said to be the
highest railway bridge in the world.
The river runs in a rocky canon 325
feet below the rails The wind was
blowing a gale as the presidents train
passed over the slender steel structure
and the engineer ran at snairs pace.
His Fourth Sermon.
The president preached his fourth
sermon of the trip. Among those who
participated were Bishop Johnson of
the Episcopal church; Bishop Forest
Of the Catholic church: Rabbi Samuel
Marks and Rev. J. B. Cleaver, pres1-
dent of the ministers ASSOCIATION OF
San Antonio. The president took this
as further indication of his view that
the churches are growing closer to-
Fether, on the common ground of the
fatherhood of God and the brotherhood
of man. He also complimented the
work of the regular army.
In his speech at Del Rio the presI-
dent said:
TT is encouraging to go through the
country and find out how much has
been done by the energy and enterprise
of the people with conditions that
seem very discouraging at first
"a man has to travel about the
and in going about incidentally he is
able to show himself and let the peo-
pie of the country see the man they
temporarily have assigned to the posi-
ton of chief executive. I don't re-
member that there was a great many
votes in favor of assigning me to that
position by this state but am not en-
gagged in a partisan trip. I am not
here either as a Republican or Demo-
crat- I am glad to find that in Texas
as in other states 1 have visited, that
sort of welcome that comes to the
head of a nation of which 1 am certain
from your looks you are all proud.
'I suppose you are interested in ir-
rigation. This western territory has
impressed me deeply with the impor-
lance of irrigation. We are exhausting
the land of the east and the high price
of farm products and everything of
that kind is explained by the fact that
We are using up most of the land and
unless we can extend our territory by
making that which has heretofore been
desert useful, we are up against it,