New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-28
Praises Grants Policy
as Crowd Cheers
"Next President"
WOULD FIGHT
FOR HUMANITY
Roosevelt Introduced as
Man Who Made Flag
Respected,

Colonel Roosevelt was hailed as the
next President OF the United States
when he arose TO speak on peace with
Honor" before the Methodist Social
Union at the Hotel Biltmore last night.
As Walter X. Comfort arose TO intro
duce him, some one in the back of the
room also rose.
"Three cheers for our next Presi-
dent" he yelled, and the entire audience
shouted for Roosevelt.
When the noise had died away, Mr..
dent Of the United States as "the ex-
President who made our flag 10 be re-
spected through all the earth" The
chairman also pointed out that while
Methodists were for peace. they were
not for peace with dishonor."
"If the old Methodist circuit riders
had considered peace the chief of all
earthly goods the Colonel began,
they would never have gone west Of
the Alleghanios."
Refers to General Grant.
He then referred 10 the fac, that the
evening was the close OF the anriver-
sary OF Grants birthday. General
Grant" he asserted, "never hit if he
could possibly avoid IT, Bat he hit
hard. No one is grateful when he is
hit. He is as ungrateful when he is
hit soft AS when he is hit hard. lie
is just as ungrateful when he is hit
soft and he is more dangerous"
Colonel Roosevelt's speech followst
81 accepted gladly the invitation to
address this body on the subject OF the
old frontier pioneer Methodist preach
ers; for those old Methodist circuit rid
ers who spread Methodism west Of the
Alleghanies typiiied TO a peculiar de-
gree what we like to regard as essen
tia in the American spirit
at is of little use 10 praise the men
of the past or 10 commemorate their
services by mere speechmaking. We
must apply the lessons OF their lives
to US in the present. II we do not
ourselves try TO act in the spirit in
which they acted. If we merely indulge
our emotions without resultant action.
we do harm rather than good. 1t is
still worse If we misread and mis-
apply th&Teachings of their lives, and
it is worst of all if we misuse good
words TO cloak and falsify weak and
dishonorabe deeds.
at has been a matter OF grave con-
Germ to see of recent years so many
clergymen. amiable and we'll meaning
men, misled into movement 10 deaden
the national conscience ard dim the ma
tionsl ideal by putting the Church in
the position of favoring peace beyond
righteousness.
Peace and Old Circuit Riders.
"lf these old Methodist circuit riders
had considered peace the chief Of all
earthly good they would never have
gone west of the Alleghanies. II Peter
Cartwright and his fellows had feared
TO face trouble, If their zeal for the
faith had been less than their dread of
disturbance. there would not have been
single Methodist church west of the
Alleghanies.
They believed in keeping the peace.
But they believed even more in keeping
the faith. They strove for the peace
that comes through righteousness. They
were not only good Methodists. good
Christians, but they were sound, stall
wart American patriots. They knew
that there is a peace which is the peace
Of cowardice, and that the peace of
eowardice becomes in the end the peace
Of death.
"They knew that the. peace which
comes through the abandonment OF
duty, through the shrinking back when
the forces OF evil advance, through put
ting ease and material wellbeing and
soft sentimentality above stern devo-
tion 70 unpleasant duty. may mean, and
in all probability will mean. the loss of
Continued on page 4. column