The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-09-08

Z Mr.. Taft is beloved by the Filirinos
He has now with him a young Filipino
named Montico, who adopted the big
| war secretary as his father a year O..
so ago. This young fellow was a lin
rikisha boy when Mr.. Taft was gov
ernor of the Philippines. He used to
haul the big man around, and he fell in
love with Taft. The governor was 50
| kind and genial that the Filipino con-
| cluded he would make an ideal father
SO he came over to the United States
and formally adopted Mr.. Taft in that
| relationship. The young man calls him
! Father" according 70 the Filipino
custom, and is the willing and eager
| servant of the secretary.
| When Taft first went to the Philip
pines to become governor, he passed
Jan evening with a group of Americans
who had been in the islands some time
and knew the difference between Gin
cinnati and Manila. After the party
| broke up one of the men remarked.
1--WE ought to ship this splendid fell
low back. It's a shame to spoil his il
fusion that folks the world over aren't
just like the folks he knows out in
Ohio. lie makes me think of pies,
hominy, fried chicken, big red apples,
Mr.. DooleY, frosty mornings, oysters on
the half shell, the oaks and the pines.
New England town meetings, the little
red schoolhouse, cyclopedias on the in
stallment plan. the square deal and
home run with the bases full-out here
where man wears his shirt outside his
breeches to keep cool in midwinter
picks his dinner off a banana tree out
of the window. conceals his bolo and
his Mauser and his thoughts behind
the smile of friendship vanished with
Spanish manners and is in the -Four
Hundred if he can sign his name with
a scroll. Oh, won't he be easy for
themt"
But that homesick and cynical
American reCkoned without his host
when he predicted that Judge Tai
would be easy for the Filipinos. MI
Taft no doubt did suggest big red ap-
pies. fried chicken and other CHEEKY
things to the expatriated Americans.
but he was not an easy mark The
Taft face and voice and laugh radiate
homelike cheers. There is so much -
the man that it is no wonder the
American in Manila included pretty
nearly everything he could think Of in
his list of things suggested by the Taft
presence.
There is no one-not even Mr.. Bryan
who is more democratic than this
man. The last time the writer saw him
in the middle west Mr.. Taft was
obligingly lending his bulk to the pur-
pose of ramming trunk lid down. His
secretary had a whole trunkful Of SOU
venirs which had been presented tn
Taft on his western trip Of inspection.
ST can't get the lid shut" remarked
the man.
Couldn't you if sat on it?' beamed
the secretary of war
"Oh, certainly. sirI" And the hu-
nan ballast was applied.
Meeting Taft again after eight
months in his summer home at Muir
.ay Bay, Canada. he displayed the
same good natured democratic spirit
A photographer was present 10 take
his picture. when Mrs. Taft inter-
posed:
will you go right upstairs and
AXE off that old golf suit-you're al
ways wearing it," she said. Get or
nice"
He obediently disappeared and re-
urned in a Prince Albert and a plug
lat.
"Go back and take that off" said his
wife. 1.-THE ideai A July afternoon
It a summer resort in the mountains
n that costumeI"
Back went Cupid Taft and put on
his time plain business suit which
vas satisfactory to all concerned.
Women" he said in conclusion. ARE
lot any different from the rest Of the
World. They know what they want.
nd they intend to have il. and
line times out of ten they are right"
Which pretty well illustrates tire man
am writing about-Big Bill Taft