Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
SEES GREATER TOLERANCE
Religious Organizations Hol,
Broader Views, Says Executive.
SPEAKS AT CLUB BANQUET
Reveals Campaign Requests That
He Deny His Religious
Beliefs.

ipNidiiiiihS lho advance ana the in
creased breadth Of view Of the churches
IN America today, and the willingness of
the members of the various churches to
stand together for the best principles of
American citizenship, President Taft ad-
dressed distinguished company at the
annual banquet of the Unitarian Club of
washington last night at the New Will
lard Hotel.
Such breadth Of view and tolerance
did not exist generation ago., said the
PRESIDENT. He declared that Unitarian
ism had played an important part in
bringing about the better conditions
Many of you are entitled to credit for
being Unitarians." said the President
There are those who gave up other
creeds and came into the church. But
L was born a Unitarian and trained all
my early life as Unitarian My father
and mother We're both Unitarians. and
cannot claim the credit for being a mem
Der OF the church, for L could not have
heiped being a Unitarian.
Campaign Requests.
1t Is interesting to come here and
see just who are the unitar1ans In
Washington" continued the President
with SMILE for there are some here
whom l do not see in church. It's true
indeed, that L sit somewhat far for
ward, and for that reason may not see
some OF you there
Not so very long ago there were per-
sons in this country who did not know
what Unitarian was. Indeed when
was running for election L received tele-
grams from persons in some of the less
advanced mountain districts. saying that
enemies of mine were circulating scan
dalous reports to the effect that l was a
Unitarian, and asking me to deny this
report by telegram. But I did not deny
it. If there is a religion and a church
which is truly American in It's spirit of
freedom and breadth. it Is Unitarianism
l am glad and proud to be Unitarian
and hope shall die good Unitarian"
Three Kinds of Business.
Maj. Gen. A w. Greedy. u S. A., re-
tired, acted as POSTMASTER, and pre-
sented the first speaker, Senator
Fletcher of Florida, who responded to the
toast, 'Idealism in Business
Like all Gaul, business may be divided
into three parts,'' said Senator Fletcher.
They little business, real business
and big business Little business he
described as the petty trafficing in which
so often frauds are perpetrated upon the
public. and which the government has
orders through the Post Office Depart
ment, and at others by confiscating short
weights and by the passage of the pure
food law.
Quoted by the men who make up the
great boards of trade and chambers Of
commerce of the country, must be given
credit for the commercial supremacy Of
the United States. said Senator Fletcher.
No other country. can equal or surpass
America in real business. He declared
that there was no occasion for gloomy
foreboding. The government was capa-
lating any monopolies that might exist,
he said.
Plea for Teachers.
DIR. Samuel Elliott of Boston, president
of the National Unitarian Association. re-
sponded to the toast, American Ideals
in Religion" He declared that Unitar-
ianism represented the democratic ideals
in religion, freedom and liberty under the
law.
Ideals in American Education was
the subject of a speech by DR.. William
NJ. Davidson, superintendent Of public
schools of the District of Columbia He
made an urgent plea for the teachers
of the public schools, declaring that
upon them depended the training of
education. he said, was not satisfied
with primary, or even high school edu-
cation, but insisted upon higher educa-
ton. He pointed out that in Kansas
out of every 120 persons one was in an
institution of higher education, in
Massachusetts, one in every 200 per-
sons and in the whole United States, one
person in every $50 had attended such
an institution.
Judge George c. Hazelton spoke on
"ldealism in the Home" Other speakers
were DR.. L. G. B. Pierce of All Souls
Church. who, after few words yielded
his time to others: Cyril H. Burdette, sec
rotary of the Laymens Association of the
Unitarian Church: G. Grosvenor Dave of
the Southern Commercial Congress, A. ].
Hoskins of Denver and W. NJ Post of
Elizabeth, n. j.
List of Guests.
Those present were:
President Taft, Arthur L. Bryant, H.
X. Bush-Brown, Cyril II. Burdette, New
York; George n. Brown, Gersham Brad
ford, I'd, E. II. Buchanan, j. w. Butter
field. ]. w. Clarke, Charles A. Clark,
Newton, Mass; Edward Collins, Leonard
s. Doten, DR. William n. Davidson,
Henry G. Danforth, D. E. Douty. c.
Grosvenor Dave. Richard B. Watrous,
Delbert H. Decker, Bliss n. Davis,
Robert w Dutton Tlr CannaI EI1iof