The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-28
Secretary Silent Upon Political Matters, Speaks Reminiscent
 y of the College Spirit
BUT YOUNG BUCKS TALK
 WAR AND DO SCALP DANCE
Signs of Presidential Campaign PIentl- ful at Cincinnati Banquet, But the Death of Foraker's Brother
 Prevents Debates.

Cincinnati, April 27.-Smoking the pipe of peace with vigorous whiffs. but with his friends carrying war bonnet within his easy reach, Secretary of War Taft to- day returned to his home reservation. His public utterances were devoid of political import, and his private words were those of harmony and good will. During the afternoon, however, he sat in council with the wise men, and throughout the dozens of belligerent young bucks did scalp dances and made much political war talk
 The secretary himself was consistently silent upon all matters relating to the presidency. Senator Foraker. the leader of the political faction opposing the Sec retary of War in this state, sustained today deep personal sorrow in the death of this brother, James R. Foraker, and 1t is therefore certain that there be during the present western trip of Sec retary Taft no political argument or de- bate between him and the senator.
 Friends Demonstrative.
 The friends of the secretary were more demonstrative than he, and chief among them were the men from Yale who came here, as did the secretary, to attend the annual convention of the Associated Western Yale Clubs. Secretary Taft as president of the organization held the gavel at the business meeting in the morning, and again at the banquet in the evening.
 Although the secretary announced upon his arrival in the city that he would not in any manner allude to politics during his visit to the west, tfere~was no such restraint upon the young men from Yale. They hailed from nearly every state in the union between the Alleg.henies and the Mississippi and many were present from the south. Their allusions to the Next President of the United States' were fre- quent and popular. The enthusiasm would not be downed for the secretary, and although the ignored his name in this position 1t was impossible to pass it by The first outbreak while the secre- tary as presiding officer announcing the personnel of nominating committee and mentioned the offices they were to fill. He heard a voice from the throng offer ing the amendment of "and also l name the next President of the United States. spontaneous yell came from the con- vention. but the secretary was unmoved. "The gentleman is out of order,' he said with such definite lack of apprecia- tion that the men who had cheered the words tried to make up for their own mis- conduct by glaring with strong disap- proval at the man who had led them astray He sank into his seat looking A.abashed and silly, although it is to the searetarys credit he had made less noise than anybody in the room.
 Signs of Campaign.
 At tonights banquet the signs were on every side of the coming presiden- tial campaign. The secretary himself was unmoved or jocular at the fre- quent. allusions and the continued ap- plause which followed them. He was at all times non -committal," but for the men from Yale the bow of presi- dential promise was already arching the sky and it formed for them noth- ing less than a political halo for the head of Secretary Taft of Yale. So they rendered great glory to the school, in that it had sent forth the man and gave much honor to the man because he had entered the school
 Secretary Taft, as presiding officer and toastmaster, delivered the first ad- dress of the evening. It was substan- tially as follows:
 Tafts Speech.
 "The humor of an occasion like this is chiefly reminiscent" said the secre- tary, and it is not inappropriate, therefore, to invite your attention to the fact that in this city in December, 1884, in a law office in the Masonic temple, was organized the first Yale club that was formed anywhere in this country of the graduates of alma mater, and that in this company are tottering and venerable alumni of the classes of 1863 and 1864 who were ., prominent at the first meeting Secretary Taft then pointed out that the formation of clubs of college grad h n he briefly outlined the idea which led to the formation of the western fedora tion of Yale clubs which had it's first meeting in Chicago two years ago.
 The effect" said the secretary, 'of an association which spreads the evan gel of the Yale spirit throughout the country by bringing to the university students from all over the country con tinues and adds to the cosmopolitan character that Yale has always en- toyed.
 Another benefit which follows from the organization of club or associa- ton ot clubs like this is the fact that it furnishes an opportunity for the specialization of opinions by the alumni of the university upon the t broad policies to be pursued in the jprogress which the university makes. v Hazine and Drunkenness.
 .Is it not true that because hazing has disappeared, because drunkenness is very much less, that therefore men may de- velop rugged physical qualities, fitted to resist temptations of after life? All of us ought to rejoice that the material growth of Yale since we were there has been paralleled by an improvement in the moral tone of the student body and in he standards set by that public opinion which is even stronger as an influence in ', the college community of New Haven that in the body polite at large. Thef | change has affected the spirit of inde-