Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-10-04
NOTABLE DINNER
ON Bic STEAMER
President Sits With Fifteen
Governors of as
! Many States.
SPEECH NOT FOR PUBL LEGATION
Permits His Endorsement of Ship
I Channel, However. To Be
Announced.
Voyage Down the River from st. Louis
to Cairo-President Is Enthus-
iastically Welcomed at the
Latter City.


welt and party arrived at the Cairo
wharf boat promptly at 8 o'clock
M, and were saluted by the Danville
battery and hundreds of steamboat
and other whistles as they entered the
Cairo harbor. The presidents party
was met by the reception committee
headed by Mayor George Parson and
fifty carriages, all drawn by white
horses, conveyed the party along the
line of march to st. Mary's park.
+ Deneen Introduces the President.
| a squad of police and the Fourth
regiment of Illinois national guard
headed by the Fifth regimental banC
led the procession. On arrival at the
park Mayor George Parsons intro
duced Governor Deneen, of Illinois
who addressed the people briefly and
then introduced President Roosevelt
who began speaking at $40 and con
tinued until 1850 after which the par.
ty returned to their boats and re
mained in port until II o'clock, when
the fleet made the start for Memphis
amid the booming of cannons ana 9th
er popular demonstrations. Over 10,
900 people listened to the presidents
address at the park.
New Policy as to Fleets.
In his speech President Roosevelt
reiterated his contention that the
United States must maintain firm
policy In world affairs and denounced
the international milksop." In this
connection he announced for the first
time that the transfer of the Atlantic
fleet to the Pacific represents merely
the Inauguration of new policy by
which the feet will alternate between
the two oceans each year. Referring
to the domestic affairs of the country
The president declared strongly that
the government alone has the power
and jurisdiction to regulate the busi
ness of interstate corporations.
; Notable Gathering on the Alton.
! Before President Roosevelt left st
Louis the previous night he was the
guest at dinner on the steamer Alton
of the Business Mems League of st
Louis, and with that entertainment
and the speech-making and conyersa.
ton that followed the dinner his time
until almost II O'Clock was fully taken
up. The dinner was regarded by all
as an event Of rare occurrence and
when the president had said his final
farewell not few were heard to re,
mark that it would become historic.
The important feature was the fact
that the scheme of ship channel
from the gulf to the lakes received an
impetus which all believe will be
much towards Insuring the earnest
pressing Of that enterprise.
Fifteen Governors Present.
The occasion was also notable In
that In addition to the president 1t was
attended by no fewer than fifteen gov.
ernors and members Of the~inland
waterways commission and several
representatives Of the business, world
of st. Louis. The governors attending
were: Conner. Of Alabama; Broward
of Florida: Deneen. of Illinois,; Cum.
Minis, of Iowa; Hoch, Of Kansas.
Blanchard, of louisiana; Folk. Of Mis-
souri,; Sheldon, of Nebraska; Curry, OF
New Mexico; Burke, of North Dakota;
Frantz, Of Oklahoma; Chamberlain, of
Oregon; Crawford. of South Dakota
Davidson, Of Wisconsin,; Brooks. OF
Wyoming, and Governor Elect Noel. OF
Mississippi.
President Indorses Ship Channel.
The dinner was presided over by
President Smith of the Business
league. and President Roosevelt was
the principal speaker. He requested
that his speech be not reported, but
consented that the statement might be
made that he had announced une.
quivecally his Endorsement Of the gen
eral principle involved in the scheme
for the creation of ship channel up
the river and to the great lakes. As
he stated the case he would have q
loop in the gulf at New Orleans. that
would practically create an arm of
that body Of water to the lakes
Points Out Obstacles.
At the same time he was most care
full to say that he would not give his
assent to any particular scheme of i'm
provement. He also pointed out many
Of the obstacles Of carrying into effect
any plan of such vast proportions and
Involving so much expense and while
promising all the assistance he could
give, he told his hearers that the only
way to make success certain was to SC
thoroughly prepare themselves as ia
render their arguments unanswerable
Governors Pledge Support.
The speech was greeted with pro
longed applause and this Endorsement
took the shape of words when Govern.