The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-04
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES LAYS CORNERSTONE
OF PORTLAND CHURCH.
DAY IS ONE OF RELIGION
Scene of Sunday Activity Changes
From Mormon Tabernacle to univsr-
saIist Edfiee-Nation's Chief Praises
Religious Organizations and Their
Plans for Good.

Portland, ore. oct. 3.-President
The scene had changed from the Nor
mon tabernacle at Salt Lake City on
Sunday last To the cornerstone lay
ing OF the First Universallst church
In East Portland. The president
handled the silver trowei and worked
hard To see that the stone was prop
erly adjusted. His apparent earnest
ness in setting the stone called our
great applause from the open air audi
ence.
The president referred to his various
church experiences and in concluding
his remarks said:
NO church in this country, however
humble ii may be. that breaches the
doctrine of true religion and true
morality will lack in earnest support
to make ii more influential whenever
opportunity Offers
A Religious Day.
The presidents train left Mt s.In
over the Southern Pacific railway for
Sacramento. Cal. Mr.. Taft had a
truly religious day, which began when
he attended the morning services at
the First Unitarian church in Port
land and listened to n sermon by Rev.
w. q. Eliot, Jr. Following this serv-
ice the president was the guest
honor at luncheon rendered by SEN
ator Bourne and including the various
state and city officials. In the early
afternoon the president visited St
Afa..
made a five minute address to the
school children in which he declared
that loyalty to church meant fidelity
to country.
The line of march followed by the
presidential party to East Portland
was almost as crowded as were the
streets on Saturday and there was
some cheering by the more enthusiasts
tic I'm the Sunday throng. When the
president had been introduced at the
eornerstone. laying by the Rev. james
ID. corby, pastor of the church, he
said:
Presidential Duty.
Il don't know that any one anes-
tions the propriety of my being here
and officiating on such an occasion as
this or that an explanation of any
sort is called for. But I want to say
that | believe ii To be the duty of
the president Of these United States
to welcome and tn support every in
strument by which the morals and
religion of the community may be
elevated and maintained. Not long
ago | officiated at the cornerstone
laying of an orthodox Congregational
church in Washington. Then l ap-
peared in the pulpit of n Jewish tab
ernacie at Plttshurg. But ii few days
ago | helped to lay the cornerstone
of n Catholic institution at Helena.
Montana.
And now IL is my great pleasure
10 assist here today In laying the
cornerstone nf this rniyersalist
church. which. like my own church.
the Unitarian, IL known rs n liberal
church. I am glad always 10 be pres
ent at such occasions as this. for
believe that the cornerstone of mod
ern civilization must continue to he
religion and morality
The president told some of his ax-
periences with the Catholic church in
the Philippines and then said that on
the occasion of his visit to Rome
some two years ago he yantured to
say tn the pope that while In America
the sentiment was strong for the
principle of the separation of church
and state, there was nothing in the
American government or the American
people that opposed the church or its
highest development: that In no Euro
pean country had the Catholic church
grown or flourishea as it had i'm ameri-
ca: that in this country the church
received from the government and
state officials only that treatment ac-
corded tn every other denomination.
Il added" continued the president.
that this was not II be taken as an
indication that every government and
state official WAS other than anxious
To encourage the establishment and
maintenance of churches and that
their influence might bo hroadenei
throughout the land.
Getting Together.
i think We have reached the time
when the churches are growing to-
gether. when there l. less bitterness
of dennminationat dispute and that no
matter what creed We 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 optimlst. / believe we
are more airruistle and mere interest
ed iii our fellow man than We have
been at any time in the last 50 years,