The Washington herald., 1913-03-03
PRESIDENT TAFT
BIDS farewell
TO ALL SOULS
Chief Executive Takes Pulpit
at Unitarian Church and
Discuss Departure.
VISITORS CHEER HIM
Nations Head Puts in Busy Day De-
ivering Addresses, Working,
and Saying Good-by.

to his Cabinet as a social body and to
the congregation OF All Souls Unitarian
Church. where he has worshiped
| throughout his residence here.
1t was a busy day for him. He began
| II by working an hour and a half in his
| study before church time. He went to
church at II o'clock and stayed through
the somewhat elaborate farewell exer-
cises. which Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce,
the pastor. had arranged.
From / until o'clock he was again at
| work in his study. signing letters. and
minor bills, and autographing pictures.
At o'clock he went to luncheon at
Secretary MacVeagh's. where his official
! family. with their wives. gathered for
the last time. At o'clock he went TO
musical at the home of Assistant Sec
retary of State Huntington Wilson,
where a number of Washington society
people had been invited. AT $50 he went
| to Georgetown University to deliver a
short address to the students and to say
\ good-by TO them and the university
| faculty. At night there was a small din
| ner party at the White House In honor
of Miss Alys Meyer. daughter of the
Secretary OF the Navy, and her nance:
| Lieut. Rogers. to which a number or
Miss Helen Taft's friends were invited.
After dinner the President remained in
his study at work upon minor matters
| which he felt obliged to finish up before
the special and final meetings OF the
Cabinet tomorrow morning.
Taft Escorted to Pulpit.
At All Souls Church the President
occupied the pulpit at the regular sun
day morning devotions. In marked
contrast to the usual demonstration
which is accorded a President. Rev. Dr.
L. q. Z. Pierce. the pastor, escorted MT.
| Taft from his pew TO the pulpit amid
silence which would have been broken
by the dropping of pin.
II was a most eloquent tribute TO
President Taft. and he was visibly az
fected by the revercntial demonstra-
tion.
My fellow-Cnitarians," the Presi-
dent said. "in the course of a life OF
varied experiences. l have never FOUND
myself in a position quite so embar-
RAISING as this. / have been used to
occupying the other side of the pulpit.
When our good minister came TO me
and asked me whether / would say
| word IN farewell the last time that l
expected to come to this church as
President. l said that I should be glad
| to say sood-by. but l had no idea of
an elaborate farewell like this. And.
therefore, I have not prepared myself
| to say anything but farewell.
IT do not feel embarrassed in this
presence because it is a Unitarian pres
ence. for. as Mr.. Pierce has said. my
| father was a Unitarian. my mother was
n Unitarian, my grandmother was a
Unitarian, and 1t has always been a
wonder to me why all the world has
not been Unitarians. and | think all the
world is verging in that direction.
think we preach the doctrine of sweet
reasonableness. of love of God, of love
of Jesus Christ. and of tolerance. for
every faith depends upon the great
principles of liberal Christianity. and
| that looks for progress toward moral
ity and higher religion.
And now. my friends. I am going to
leave you. ! leave you at time in the
history of this church when you are
just about to take most important
step, to enlarge your usefulness TO
add to the national standing of this par
ticular church in this Capital of our
nation. | think II is an excellent thing
to move and to build new and beauti-
full structure and to unite with il a
parish house bearing the name of Ed
ward Everett Hale. believe that that
cannot but call national attention to the
church as an important influence in ma
tional life. and give 1t a broader relation
to that life.
Zone OF the things that / have no.
ticed about this church has been the ex-
cellence of the Sunday school. sup
pose We are constantly running in life
across the things that we would like our
selves to have enjoyed as a mark of the
progress since We were children. hut II
seems to me that II I could have had
the benefit OF the thorough education in
Biblical study under conditions that
have existed In the Sunday school Of this
church, / would have been a good deal
better man, and / would have known a
good deal more. Therefore, I leave with
the sense of leaving a great and beau
tiful associa ton in religion, which |
hope will continue to grow and make
for better men and for better women in
Washington. and will widen its influence
so as to make for better and purer reli-
gion the country over.
'T thank You, my friends. for your
kindness during the last four years ]
have not been as regular. perhaps as
ought to have been. but Mr.. Pierce has
been good enough to suggest some of the
reasons why at times I have had to be
absent in worshiping in other churches
for various reasons. but always with the
hope that in so doing 1 could show that
We were all one brotherhood. and that as
We stood together We could accomplish
more in the name of God"
DIR. Pierce's Tribute.
The usual Sunday morning sermon was
omitted. and instead DR.. Pierce spoke
of the President He touched upon his
public and private life and his faith
1T has been a great joy and an un-
ending stimulus" said Dr. Pierce. ito
have one among us with a regularity
which ! fear would rebuke many of US,
identifying himself inwardly and out
wardly with the purest and simplest
form of religion which civilized man has
yet discovered. If there Is one thing
more than another which in the world
is to be admired. am disposed to think
that It is unpretending loyalty. I ad-
mire the man who stands by his colors.
It admire the man or woman who
stands by his church, whatever that
church may be. in honor and in dis
honor, in sunshine and in storm. And