Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-15
|ND|SCRET|ON OF
SECRETARY TAFT
Had a Cold and Made Matter
Much Worse by Castro
nomic Indulgence,
THEN HE QUOTED SCRIPTURE.
You May Bray Fool in u Mortar
Among Wheat With Pcstle and His
Foolishncss win Not Depart"

St Paul. Mimi, June A.-lt looked
for a time tonight AS II the banduct
which was given at the Auditorium In
honor of Secy. OF War Taft would not
be graced by the presence of the secte-
tary, who was taken suddenly i'll while
reviewing the troops at Fort Smelling
shortly after noon. The banquet was
billed to commence at 6 o'colck, bur Il
was not until 7:i5 that the secretary
reached the banquet hall. Looking
somewhat pale, but with his face
wreathed In smiles. the secretary Of
war STROBE down the long line of BAN
queters. and the 1000 seated al the
tables and as many more who occupied
seats in the boxes and balconies rose
to their feet and cheered Justify. To
the Associated Press the secretary stat
ed that he was feeling much better
and that his attack was merely Sc
we're attack of indigestion which has
been brought ON by the continuous SER
les of banquetS which had been ten
dered him since he left Washington on
his western trip.
The banquet tonight, which, except
for the visit to Fort Smelling, was the
only function which the secretary was
able to attend, was given on the inn
mense stage OF the auditorium, Plates
were laid for 1000 banqueters, while
the boxes and galleries surrunding the
stage were thrOnged with handsomely
gowned women, Palms and uotted
plants We're scattered In picturesque
profusion about the banquet hall, while
thousands of SILK American flags float
ed overhead.
When Secy. Taft spoke his voice was
strong and he was heard In all parts of
| the great auditorium He said:
t,Ya To H.. fFta 20
receive the hospitality from a great
many people: from those in the Philip
pines many hundreds OF miles away:
| from Panama, Cuba, Porto Rico and TO
| have with Senator Clapp at my right
| hand to run the risk OF several win
tiers in Washington: but It has re-
manned for me 10 surrender 10 the Twin
| Cities of the North.
Seriously. the condition in which
| find myself tonight is my own fault
and can refer to Arch bishop Ireland
for the truth of the saying that You
may bray a fool In a mortar among
| wheat with q pestle and his foOlishness
Will not depart from him l don't
| know whether that is the ST. James or
| the Douay version, but the substance
| Is correct. The fact is that ] caught
a cold and added to my indiscretion by
! eating too heartily OF the cheer pro-
| vided for me at my various stopping
| places, and l am confronted with a
! weakness that / ought not TO confess
] ought not to be here now, hut for a
| desire 10 come and witness the wonder
| full greeting, and | want to make this
| statement just as strong as II / were
| to make a speech for an hour, which
| an not going 10 do. / had hoped Ia
| invite your attention to what has been
accomplished In constructing the Pan
anna canal and 10 give you an idea of
| what We have been doing down there
on the isthmus, but ] must plead my
condition and simply give you an out
| line of what has been DONE
Secy. Taft then outlined briefly the
| plans which were made for the prosecu-
ton of the work. 1T is great evidence
of progress 10 get to such state that
| in April we excavated $4,000 cubic
yards. Then in May we had strike,
but that has been amicably settled and
we will take out a million cubic yards
a month. That would mean l2.000,Q0O
cubic yards a year, and at that rate we
! ought 10 complete the canal In four
| years, but do not want 10 hold out
that hope to you. II We complete the
canal IN seven years we will have dem
| onstrated in record time what Ameri-
can energy can do
After a few words OF excuse for cut
ting his address short. Secy. Taft said
good bye and then. before the cheering
had subsidized. he was out of the door
and Into an automobile on his way 10
the home Of j, c. Hill.