The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-06-08
TRIBUTE TO CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Over Fifteen Thousand People At
tend the Celebration In baltimore
In His Honor-Presidens Taft and
Colonel Roosevelt Pay Tribute TO
the Cardinal.

III years, one OF the very few in the
twenty-five years that he has been
the only prince OF the Catholic
Church In the United States. he miss
ed that afternoon stroll over the
streets Of Baltimore where he listen
ed TO banker and beggar and took 10
heart the troubles Of his people"
Instead OF the walk that had be-
come a feature OF that part OF the
city in which he lived, the Cardinal
sat this afternoon on the temporary
stage in the Fifth Regiment armory
and listened to the great men OF the
nation speak In eulogy Of his life.
The Great Men Present.
President Taft, Vice President
Sherman, Chief Justice White, farm
Bryce OF Great Britain, Speaker
Clark, Senator Root of New York,
Governor Crothers of Maryland, for
mer Speaker Cannon and Mayor Pres
ton Of Baltimore sat with the Cardi-
nal and all OF them except the Chief
Justice spoke In praise of him.
Among the six hundred guests seat
ed On the platform behind the Presi-
dent, the Cardinal and other speak
ers, were members Of the House Of
Representatives Probably a more
distinguished g altering was never
held in this country, outside of Wash
ington, and the wheels of Govern
ment came pretty near a stop while
those who sit in charge over them
paid honor to the Cardinal.
The armory holds 5000 people,
it's builders say, and it was crowded
to the doors.
The Cardinal sat in a red plush
chair in the center Of the stage. To
his right was president Taft; then
came former President Roosevelt
and Chief Justice White and on the
Cardinals left were Governor Croth-
ers, of Maryland, Ambassador Bryce,
Speaker Clark and Representative
Cannon.
The ovation that greeted Mr.. Roo
sevelt as he came up the steps with
Chief Justice White was remarkable,
but that which greeted the Cardinal
as he climbed the stairs with Presi-
dent Taft was far more remarkable
The Cardinal wore the red robe,
the skull-cap of red and the deep
green ring of Office. Through all
the speeches he sat, smiling, every
changing expression of his wrinkled
and kindly face and his bright eyes
attesting to the pleasure that this
tribute afforded him.
He smiled like a boy when Presi-
dent Taft introduced him to Mr..
Roosevelt. He laughed with glee
when the Chief Justice shook his
hand, and the ghost of a grin flicker
ed over his face when Speaker Clark,
mixing for moment politics with re-
ligion, declared that he had been a
potent force for good among both
Catholics and Republican"
The Presidents Speech.
Following Governor Crothers, who
presided, President Taft made the
first speech. He said, in part:
''This assembly, 1 venture to say,
can find few counterparts in history.
We are met as American citizens to
congratulate the American primate
of one of the great Churches of the
world upon the twenty-ffth anniver-
sary of his accession to the highest
Office in his Church, but one and up
ho 0f &c
tering the Church as one of its
priests. We are not here as members
of any denomination. We are not
here in any official capacity. But we
are here to recognize and honor in
him his high virtues as patriotic
member of our political community
and one who through his long and
useful life has spared no efforts in
the cause of good citizenship and the
uplifting of his fellow-men.
LAS American citizens we are
proud that his prominent part in the
church brought him twenty-five years
ago the rank of cardinal. The rarity
with which this rank is conferred in
his Church upon bishops and priests
SO far from Rome is an indication OF
the position which he had won
among his fellow churchmen. But
what we are especially relighted to
see confirmed in him and his life is
the entire consistency which he has
demonstrated between earnest and
single-minded patriotism and love OF
country, on the one hand, and sin
cere devotion to his Church upon the
other. One of the tenets of his
Church is respect for constituted au-
thority and always have we found
him on the side of law and order, al
ways in favor of peace and good will
to all men, always in favor of relig.
ious tolerance, and always strong in
the conviction that complete freedom
in the matter of religion is the best
condition under which churches may
| thrive.