The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-03
WELCOMED 70 LOUISIANA
Secretary Taft and Party Brilliantly En-
tertained in New OrIeans-Nota-
BILE Speeches Delivered
at the BANQUET.


Chief last week that Judge VIM. Il.
Taft, formerly governor Of the Philip
pine Islands, but now secretary of
war in President Roosevelt's cabinet,
spent Saturday, Sunday and part of
Monday, November 10, 20 and q, in
this state, mostly in New Orleans,
having stopped over on his way to
Panama, whittier he goes on an i'm
portant government mission; and it
was promised that a more detailed ac-
count of the eminent officials visit
would be given in this issue. AS pre-
viously mentioned, Secretary Taft was
accompanied by his wife and the fol-
lowing gentlemen: Admiral John g..
Walker, president of the Panama
Canal Commission; Judge Charles E..
Magoon, counsel for for the commits
sion; Capt. Sidney A. Cloman, aide
de-camp; Fred. W. Carpenter, pri-
vate secretary to Judge Taft; Senior
J.tDomingo, Panamaian minister to the
United States; Nelson w. Cromwell,
counsel for the republic of Panama,
and r. L. Franham, his first assistant;
and the program of the party's enter
tainment comprised civic and mill
tary reception at the depot on arrival,
an informal greeting at the St. Charles
Hotel, harbor trip on the govern
ment steamer Gen. Newton, banquet
in the palm garden of the hotel, a trip
to the Leon Godchaux Company's Re
serve sugar plantation and factory.
and dinner at the palace Of Arch
bishop Chapelle. The archbishop and
Secretary Taft had been thrown into
close official and personal relations
in the Philippines, resulting in the
form alton of afriendship tn at promises
to be lifelong, hence the function at
which the venerable prelate figured as
host was by no means the least enjoy
able of the series of pleasant enter
tainments devised in honor of the
distinguished visitors.
Perhaps the most formal and brill
liant event of the series was the ban
quet Saturday night in Boniface
Blakeley's attractive palm garden,
and the affair was rendered doubly
notable by the speeches Of Secretary
Taft and the other gentlemen chosen
to respond to the various toasts.
The chairman and POSTMASTER was
NJ. ). Sanders, president of the New
Orleans Progressive Union, and no
happier selection for such a place
could have been desired. His remarks
in presenting the principal guest of the
evening were SO we'll chosen that we
are pleased to be able to quote them in
full:
That great arm of the public service
which is represented in the person OF
our honored guest has ever held q
warm place in the hearts of the Amer
lean people.
It's efficiency, its devotion, its heroic
achievements upon thousand fields,
have commanded the gratitude Of our
people, but that which has most truly
evoked our sympathy is the knowledge
that the military power has never been
invoked in repression Of the liberty OF
citizenship, it has never been a men
ace, but a Well-organized system, de-
fensive, not offensive.
The ceaseless work Of its justly re-
nowned engineer corps in the develop
ment and improvement Of physical
conditions for the direct welfare OF our
people, is IN constant evidence. We
do not fear our military; we do not ex-
perience the derogatory and pernlc1ous
influences which frequently result from
gigantic military systems; ours IS but
the necessary guarantee of our liberty
and equality under the law, and part
Of the guarantee OF peaceful relations
with other nations.
Notwith landing the entire lack of
military pressure or influence, our a.
ton, ia the natural process of its de-
velopment, has followed the appar-
emily Inevitable law which impels all
great peoples to territorial expansion
and added possibilities.
Whether we read the history OF our
country during the past decade with
satisfaction, with doubt or with fear,
we all recognize that the proper gov
ernment of these added territories and
the welfare of their peoples brought
before our administration new and
serious problems, which must OF ne
cessity be carefully and rightly solved. |
To evolve from a chaotic condition
a overnment for millions of ignorant |
and difficult people was the problem
placed before our honored guest OF |
this evening, and not only our own ma
ton, with unanimity most remarka-
BILE, but the whole world rings with the |
highest praise Of the great work ac-
by Gov. Taft in the Phil
lppines.
The progress of our country de-
velops increasingly difficult problems,
administrative, economical and diplo
matte, and there is constant crying
need OF men of trained intellect, of high
patriotic impulses, capable of devo-
ion and self-sacrihce in the interest of
he public, seeking only the reward of
public appreciation; but SO long as
Ire to be found in our midst men of
he stamp OF our guest, there need
lever be fear or despair in the hearts,
# the American people regarding any
which humanity can satisfac-I
orily solve.
New Orleans is tonight proud Of the
of recognizing in our
.uest one Of the best examples OF the
ighest modern type of the American
training, a man i'm
ued with an energy and sincerity, a
eviction to truth and justice, which
lakes the ideal man Of affairs one
HON the nation can justly be proud
f, and one upon whom the nation can
afely rely in any time OF need.