The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-07
INVITE, THE PRESIDENT
ALABAMA DELEGATES CALL AT
 THE WHITE HOUSE.
nGr. Roosevelt Declares That He Will Visit This State Before He Quits the Job He Now HoIdH.


 Washington, Jan. s.--(special. )-The visit to the White House of the Ala bama delegations from Birmingham and Tuskegee was all and more than had been hoped for 1t by all concerned. To the regret of the members of the delegation. Editor Rhodes of The Bir- mingham News was confined to his room by an attack of acute Indigestion and was prevented as chairman and spokesman for the delegation from pre- senting the invitation for President Roosevelt to visit Alabama.
 The delegates met before 12 o'clock the hour for going to the White House, and elected Fred M Jackson of Bir- M. V. Joseph, James weatherly was selected to present the invitation to the President.
 Soon after 12 o'clock, the delegation was at the White House. where all were most cordially received and granted prompt audience with the President. Mir. weatherly executed his mission tactfuily. gracefully and quite to the satisfaction of his col leagues, and during his five minutes address so well pleased Mr. Roosevelt that he several times interrupted with comments. showing his unfeigned pleas uIo HI tuc ScnulncSS OI tHt iuNtldtlOH and the apt terms in which 1t was con- veyed.
 MT. Weatherly lost no time to tell the President that the invitation was borne by representatives of a Southern community of S0.0o0 people. mainly from the Birmingham Board of Alder men, the Commercial Club and the Board of Trade. On his way here, MT. Weatherly said, he had been, with the others of the delegation, felicitated upon the worthiness of the mission by Representative Underwood, who was himself of Birmingham and former Secretary of the Navy Hilary A. Her. bert had particularly congratulated them upon their purpose.
 Here President Roosevelt broke in and said he was glad to hear that, be- cause his children and Colonel Her bert's grandchildren were then playin g in his (the Presidential back yard. Mir. Weatherly, resumlng, said he felt justified in saying that the dele gation was fairly representative of Alabama. He did not violate any reservation of conviction when he as- sured the President that AIabam had been impressed by the overwhelming vote of confidence which the people had conveyed in the verdict of the last
 
 volatile enough to let 1t rest at that Serious minded people in the state wished from President Roosevelt, in ris acceptance of the invitation now presented, some moral significance could be attached to his coming among them. They wanted his visit to mark an era of the kindest feeling between the Northern and Southern people, and mot the least of aI," said Mir Weatherly i've want that visit to con- vince the President that the Southern people fully and deeply appreciated his avowal that he means to be President of the whole people"
 We want him to know" continued MT Weatherly. that the masses of the people are entirely patriotic, that the sacred fires of love of country burn as deeply and consistently in the South ern States as any where in the land and never stronger since patriotism became a sentiment that builded and made nations great"
 President Roosevelt responded hear tily to Mir. weatherley's remarks. He said he did not know just when he could avail himself of tire invitation but assured the committee that il would be at an early date after next spring. He intended to go to Indian Territory and San Antonio. Texas. but fully intended to make the visit to Alabama, when he would at the same time take in Roosevelt, Ga, the home of his mother.
 T am going to make that visit to you" said the President, before l quit this job
 4 delegation of dozen citizens from Knoxville, Tenn. called upon the President and invited him to include their city in his Southern visit. They were headed by General John T. Wilder. a veteran of the Union army who settled in East Tennessee after the Civil War. R. H. Watkins.