The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-07
Taft, Roosevelt, Clark, and Root Eulogise the
 Churchman
ASSEMBLY FIRST OF
 ITS KIND IN HISTORY
Gathering of Men of All Religious Be- liefs in Honor of Religious Lead CT Marks New Epoch in Ad-
 vance of Civilization

Baltimore, June 6---Iames Cardinal Gibbons missed his afternoon walk to- l day. For the first time in years, one or l the very few in the 25 years that ne
 has been the only prince of the Cath-
 ollie church in the United States ne 2 missed that afternoon stroll over the F streets of Baltimore, where he listened & to banker and beggar and took to heart # the troubles of This people, Instead of the walk that had become feature of that part of the city in which he lived the cardinal sat this afternoon on the temporary stage in the Fifth regl-
 ment armory and listened to the great
 men of the nation speak in eulogy or
 his life President Taft Vice President
 Sherman, Chief Justice White former President Roosevelt, Ambassador Bryce
 of Great Britain, Speaker Clark, Sena- !. tor Root of New York, Governor Croth- " CTS of Maryland, former Speaker Can non and Mayor Preston of Baltimore sat with the cardinal and all except the E chief justice spoke in praise of him. Among the 600 guests seated on the platform behind the President, the car
  4 more than score of senators and mem z hers of the House of Representatives. Probably more distinguished gath E ering was never heard in this country Z outside of Washington and the wheels { of government came pretty near to stop
 while those who sit in charge over
 them paid honor to the cardinal. The
 armory holds l5,000 persons, its builders s say, and 1t 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 Fl White and on the cordinal's left were N Governor Brothers of Maryland, Ambas- sador Bryce. Speaker Clark and Rep rescntative Cannon The ovation whlch greeted the cardinal as he climbed the stairs with President Taft was remark able.
 The cardinal wore the red robe, the skull cap of red and the deep green ring of office. Through all the speeches l he sat smiling, every changing expres 4 sion of his face and eyes attesting to the pleasure this tribute afforded him. Cardinal Smiles
 He smiled like boy when President Taft introduced him to MT. Roosevelt; ne laughed with glee when the chief justice 2 shook his hand and the ghost of grin Il hickered over his face when Speaker x Clark. mixing for moment politics with & religion, said that he had been potent z force for good among both Catholics ana republicans"
 T Following Governor Brothers, who pre-
 sided, President Taft made the first # speech He said in part
 "This assembly. l venture to say, can # find few connterparts in history We are 4 met as American citizens to congratulate NJ he American primate of one Of the great
 cllurches of he2world upon the twenty Al nffh anniversary of his accession to the
 highest office in his church, but one. and
 pon the fiftieth anniversary of his en-
 .ering the church one of it's priests. X s'We are not here as members of any
 denomination. We are not here in any 5f Official capacity. But we are here to rec ognize and honor in him his high virtues
 as a patriotic member of our political
 community and one who has through his long and useful life spared no efforts N in the cause Of goed citizenship and Inc
 uplifting of his fellow-men.
 AS American citizens are proud 6 tbat his prominence in the church brought K him, 25 years ago, the rank of cardinal. The rarity with which this rank is con- ferred in lis church upon bishops and priests so far from Rome is an indication of the position which he had won among lis fellow -churC-~ But what we are | especially delighted to see confirmed in | him and his life is the entire consistency witch he has demonstrated between earn | est and single-mnded patriotism and love of country, on the one hand, and sincere ! devotion to his church on the other. "One of the tenets of his church is re- spect for constituted authority, and we
 have always found him on the side of law and order, always in favor of peace and l good will to all mon. always in favor of religious federation and always strong in the convinction that complete freedom in the matter of religion is the best condition under which churches may thrive With pardonable pride he points to the fact that Maryland under Catholic control was among the first to give complete religious tolerance.
 A Great Character
 "Nothing could more clearly show the character of the man whose jubilee we celebrate than the living testimonial thai this assembly is to his value as a neigh bor in the community of Baltimore I. you would find what man is go to his | home and his neighbors and there, if ev- erything that he does and says rings true, and shows his heart-whole interest in the welfare of men and women ana ! children near about him. you have tllt strongest proof of his virtues as lover of mankind
 Born in Baltimore, educated in Ire land, made priest in Maryland, cura te 1 in North Carolina a bishop in Richmond a coadjutor in Baltimore, Archbishop ol
 Baltimore and successor of Archbishop l Carroll and Archbishop Kendrick in tho | primatial see of this country, he was | called to the high position of cardina | June '. 1886, by Leo XIII.
 "In spite of the burden and responsi bilities of his high position in the church he has taken part in the many greai movements for the betterment of man | kind and has shown himself not only { | good Catholic in the church sense, but ht has been broadly catholic in the secular sense of that word so that the affection | felt for him by his co-relgionists ha spread to all denominations and to all tn,
 people who are quick to perceive dis
 inteseeted friend.
 That he may long continue active il
 his present high position, that he ma.
 continue in secular movements to talk,
 the high place he always has had il
 works of usefulness, is the fervent praye
 of Catholic and Protestant, of Jew an'
 Christian."
 VT am here.' the vice president said
 ''to speak for the greatest legislativ | body in the world. and speaking fo
 them, to feicitate you upon this day am | occasion and to offer to you our loyal re l apect and heartfelt good will
 ''While the American people may diff