The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-06
"A BUCKEYE
GOVERNOR
Ohio Society Banqueters Launch
the Boom for Secretary
of War Taft.

NEW YORK, March Tt is said
that veHed effort was made at the
annual banquet of the Ohio society to
give momentum TO the boom of VIII
liam Howard Taft for the presidency.
One Of the speakers referred to the
secretary Of war as "the governor Of
the east who has returned to govern
us, as he undoubtedly will do"
Few of the 400 present were quick
enough to catch the point of the re-
mark in time to give it force, but
among those who did see its meaning
was Secretary Taft, who had been In
troduced. He was on his feet in a
second, and before the applause had
started he began with his address.
After that, with much skill, he turned
the enthusiasm of the sons of Ohio in
10 an Endorsement Of the American pol
icy in the Philippines inaugurated by
William Mckinley and carried to
legitimate conclusion by his successor,
President Roosevelt" Mr. Taft's en-
AAAE ANlbuAh N Ntlt a hNAtllnE VI LAAE
present administration.
"The United States In the Philip
pines was the toast to which the sec
rotary of war responded AS governor
of the Philippines he had qualified to
discuss the subject, and he showed his
familiarity with the matter by going
into details as they never were gone
into before in any speech delivered in
this city.
He had the sympathy of his hear
ers, and often he was compelled to
pause that the applause might subside.
More than once he announced with
much force that the United States had
been forced into the Philippines by
fate and that il could not abandon its
position there.
Most pertinent OF all his remarks
was one regarding the attitude assum-
ed soon after the war with Spain by
President Mckinley. Talking with the
president, Mr.. Taft said that he had
expressed regret that the United States
had ever been compelled to send its
navy to Manila bay.
"You are not more sorry than am l."
was the response of the late president,
as quoted by the speaker But l
hope that we have acted for the best
No one is more conscious Of the re-
sponslbility that rests upon us than
am /. And no one can be more re-
gretful that we had TO assume it
than l."
In his speech the secretary of war
plunged al once into the subject of the
Philippines He gave brief review
Of the conditions in the far east previ-
Gus 10 the last decade Now, | think
you all know better than l can state
it," he went on, the dilemma in which
the United States found itself after
Dewey's victory and after the signing
of the protocol What were we to do?
Were we to turn the islands back to
Spain? Could we turn the islands over
to the insurgents?
Il know upon this point there is
great difference of opinion. do not
think there is any difference in the OBJ
legation which we We're under with re-
spect TO those islands. Were we TO
leave the islands and the protection of
that property drift into an internation-
al complication to some other nation?
at is concluded that we might have
formed a protectorate-tha is, we
might have seen a government formed;
that we might have stationed our ma
Wy in the bay; that we might have
said to the foreign nations; we will
see that Your property is protected
but we withdraw all power to protect
1t. We will assume the responsibility
for this government without retaining
the right to say that 1t is properly
conducted That course our govern
ment did not follow but it proceeded
TO administer the government of the
Philippine Islands for the benefit Of
the Philippine people"