Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-20
PRESIDENT Taft IS
HEARD BY ASSOCIATION
Chief Executive of United States Ad-
dresses Convention and DWells on
Great Need of Bible Training to the
Youth-Says Public School Sdu-
cation Not Enough.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 10
President Taft was the central figure
at today's session of the Works Sun
day School Association now in SEES
sion here. At tonight's mass meet
ing held in Convention Hail, which
was surrounded by a crowd fully as
large as the 5000 within the big struc-
ture, he acknowledged the Bible
school as a powerful force in the
moral and educational uplift Of the
world Again and again his utter
ances on this subject were cheered
TO the echo.
at is one of two or three great
instrumentalities," he declared, for
making the word better, more moral
and more religious. AS the twig is
bent so the tree is inclined; and youth
is the time to inculcate for results
moral and religious ideas. No mat
ter what views are taken OF general
education we all agree, Protestant,
Catholic and Jew, that Sunday school
education is necessary to secure moral
uplift and religious spirits
Race Question Arises
The race question has invaded the
convention. Local negro Sunday
oCHOOl lcdNClS arc DiOtCotiht, OCNouoN
members of their race are to be bar
red from the mems master Bible
class parade tomorrow.
Members of the local committee
say the negro Sunday schools of the
District of Columbia have had plenty
of opportunity to join the Sunday
School Association of the District
without taking advantage thereof, and
that therefore they have mo more
right in the parade. than if they were
members of labor union or any 9TH
CT unafiiliated organization
The local committee has entire
charge of the arrangements for the
convention, so that. the general COM
mittee declares itself helpless to do
anything in the matter.
Prays For President
Rev. b. F. MeRrs, of England,
president of the association, in intro
ducing President Taft. declared that
for the past twenty years he had
prayed for the President of the United
States every Sunday after prayer for
the king of England. And this" he
added. is a common custom in Eng
land"
Mr.. Taft replied to this by saying
that he hoped these prayers would
continue
My experience" he said, lis that
these prayers are needed"
Rev. Meyers thanked the President
for the noble cablegram which he
sent when King Edward died"
Referring TO this, Mr.. Taft said:
The reference to the death of the
late king and the feeling OF mourning
on both sides OF the world brings to
mind how much such a convention as
this means in perpetuation of the
peace of nations.
Need Sunday School Education.
Our public school education" he
said. has only secular teaching with
the teaching of morality in general
But that is not enough. There are
those. whose opinions I respect, who
feel that II is dangerous to have edu-
cation at all unless 1t is associated
with religious training But this has
not been found practical in this coun-
tyr. Therefore. there is need for
Sunday school education"
Speaking Of the rise OF &c Sunday
school movement and o; its growth
in the United States. ne declared
"a movement OF such strength should
be welcomed in every community for
the good Il Is doing"