The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-03

tions of approval the enthusiasm OF
his hearers reaching its highest point
when he announced that President
Roosevelt intended TO visit the south
and that the chief executive was as
friendly to this section as to any other
portion of the country. The Chiefs
limited space will not permit the pub
LEGATION of Secretary Taft's speech 10
full, but it's substance and tenor will
be sufficiently indicated by the sub
Joined summary OF the Times Demo
Gratis report:
Gentlemen OF New Orleans-It has
been a great pleasure to enjoy your
famous hospitality. It is not an IN
expected pleasure, because we knew
what we might expect. When the dis
tinguished head of your Progressive
Union telegr a. hed to me to ask that
we go to Panama by way of New Or
leans, I answered him that it would
give us great pleasure, but [ asked
him to deal gently with us.
And this was because I have known
some things of New Orleans hospital
ity by it's reputation, as [ remember
the hospitality of a sister city at the
time of the opening of the Memphis
bridge. At 3 O'Clock in the morning,
at the conclusion of a weeks festivity,
George Z. Williams. then member of
congress from Massachusetts, arose
before his audience, and said he: "Men
of Memphis, we thank you for your
ferocious hospitality
Now, it is for you to mitigate some
VIII at the experience that we had there,
that venture to ask for a little less
strenuosity.
But it is an unmixed pleasure for me
be here. It is my first visit to this
great clJy. | can remember years and
years ago standing upon the levee, as
you would call it here, in Cincinn att,
and looking at the great vessels that
seemed to be great at that time,
which were marked sCincinnati and
New Orleans Packets. - / don't know
| whether they continue to run now or
not, but they did in those days, and
wondered in my imagin alton what
that great city was which guards the
! mouth of the Mississippi. And then
when l got to be upon the bench, it
fell to my lot TO take care of the Gin
cinnati Southern Railway by means Of
a receiver which formed a very large
and Important part of what was known
as the Queen and Crescent line. And
then thought that, having that line
under my control, mig ht be permitted
to visit your city, but it was denied
me; and now, coming here on my way
to Panama for the first time, [ visit
New Orleans. and I say that believe
that indicates this to be the natura al
pathway to the isthmian canal, the
great and progressive work of the
century, and that the line of transpor-
tation when it reaches New Orleans on
it's way to Panama will not bend
around to Pascagoula.
Through the courtesy of the Progress
sive Union have had the opportunity
Of seeing your great harbor. I did not
know about this, because | was ne
glectfully ignorant that You had such
magnificent. port here. did not know
that there might we'll ride safely in
your harbor all the merchant navies of
the world.
It is certainly great opportunity
for this country, that at the mouth of
it's greatest river there should be
harbor in which ships may ride to
carry the trade that we hope and pray
may go from here to the Pacific Orient
and to the west coast of North and
South America. 1t is perhaps because
of my experience-We are all more or
less influenced by personal considera-
tlons-but 1T seems to me th at the COM
mercial progress of the world in the
next hundred years is likely to be
more in the direction of the Pacific
Orient and the tropics than it has ever
been before, and if that be the case,
then certainly New Orleans occupies a
most forum ate stu alton.
And for that prosperity, when it
comes, | think there is no one, north,
south or west, that will grudge it to
you. We are all proud to have New
Orleans a part of the United States.
We are proud to have the people here
uniting all the virtues that we assume
for the American race added to the
yivacity and old fashioned manners
that come through the favor of France
and Spain.
Now, gentlemen, come to the toast
which you have assigned me. Tt is
double barre1ed toast, SO to speak. |
The first part is the president, and
upon that subject could talk long. I
have spoken upon it somewhat during
tie recent campaign. I found note
on my desk the other day when got |
to the Office, written by Wayne Nc
Veagh, mentioning the matter of bust |
ness that brought him, first, and shen |
saying: II had intended, had [ seen
you, to congratulate you on the recent
election and on the fact that your
speeches did not make any perceptible
diminution in MIR. Roosevelt's major |
ity.''
Nevertheless, / am going to say
something more about Mr.. Roosevelt. |
[ wish you could know him as I know |
him. | don't know whether you have
studied his career or have considered
how rem arkable that career will be,
when, being only fifty years of age, he
will have served two terms as presi-
dent of the United States, elected to
the Office by the greatest majority any
candidate has ever re-
ceived.
He was born in comfortable circum-
stances, ia a family that was Well-to-
10, one OF the good old Dutch families
Of New York. He was graduate of
1t too often happens that
10 be born and reared under those cir
,umstances makes a man useless for
ife. But he went west and entered the
most strenuous kind Of existence on a
.anch. He became acquainted with the
inest kind of people, the cowboys Of
he west. After three or four years of
hat sort Of life he went back again,
Ind then, with an intense interest ID
public affairs, although he had all the :
ime pursued his literary tastes, he
vent into ward politics, and rubbed
boulder and elbows with the butcher. {
be baker and the eand alzar. {