Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-17
.0f New York Entertains
President Elect Taft
And Some Of The Most Nota-
bic Of American Financiers.
Mr.. Taft Talks Politics and Gov.
Hughes Praises Mr.. TAFT.

New York, Dec. 16.-In bringing his
stay in New York to close tonSht'
President Elect w. Fl. Taft, was the
guest of honor at one of the most not
able banquets ever held in this city.
1t was the .23d annual dinner Of the
Ohio Society in New York, but around
the 100 tables palced in the grand ball
room and Astor Gallery OF the wal
dorf-Astoria hotel We're men gathered
from every section of the country ana
leaders in manv walks Of life.
Mr.. Taft took advantage of the oc-
casion. in a speech filled with more
earnestness than any he has delivered
since his election to pledge his admin
istration and his party so far as he
can control it to loyal adherence TO
the Chicago platform. He dWelt al
most wholly upon the revision OF the
tariff, which he singled out as the most
important declaration made at the last
national convention and after having
previously referred to the veto power
of the Chief Executive, said, with all
the emphasis Of which he was cap
able:
"Retter no revision at all; better
that the new bill should fail, unless we
have an honest and thorough revision
, on the basis laid down and the pfln-
ciple outlined in the party platform.
Mr. Taft also referred again to the
Sherman anti trust law, and declared
for it's enforcement as one OF the
policies of President Roosevelt which
the party pledged itself to carry for
ward.
Seated at the presidents table
with Mr. Taft were the vice PreSl-
dent Elect Sherman; Gov. Charles T.
Hughes of New York, who paid
glowing tribute to Mr.. Taft during the
evening; Henry W. Taft, president 81
the society, and Toastmaster Charles
P. Taft of Cincinnati; Horace N. Taft
Of Watertown, Conn; DR.. Arthur L.
Hadley. president of Yale University;
Former Senator John c. Spooner, one
of those who responded to the toasts;
J. Pierpont Morgan; Paul Morton;
Gov. Franklin Fort of New Jersey;
Secretary Strauss; Frank II. Hitch
cock: General H. c. Corbin; Admiral
Casper Goodrich and others.
At cre of the tables near that Of the
guest of honor was perhaps the most
notable group Of financiers ever gathered
together at q dinner in this country. All
the diversified interests and so-ca'led
Wall Street "crowds" were represented
There were L. H. Hartman. James }.
Hill. George i. Baker, president Of the
First National Bank; George w. PERKINS
of j. p Morgan & Co.; E. II. Gary
chairman of the board of the Unlteo
States Steel Co; Jonn Claflin, Frank A
Vanderlip, vice president OF the National
City Bank; Darwin p. Kingsley, president
of the New York Life Insurance Co; }.
P MORGAN. Jr.. z. r. Stoesbury and
Charles Steele of J. P. Morgan 4 Co.
At another table and rivaling in the at
tention of the diners. the -four Tafts' at
the Presidents table. were four Rookie
fellers-John D., John D.. Jr., William
Rockefeller and F. A. Rockefeller. With
them sat John D. Archbold. the active
head of the Standard Oil Co.. ana Johr
G. Milburn, the special counsel OF the
company Frank B. Kellogg, who mas
been prosecuting the Standard OH 20.
and William Nelson Cromwell so prom'
nently brought to the front in the recent
Panama canal discussion, were neal
neighbors to the Rockefellers.
Thomas F. Ryan sat at a table WITT
r. +. Yoalulm, James Speyer, Lord Eevel-
stoke and others.
Paul N. Cravath, John W. Gates, Mel
Vile L. Ingalls,, Vale Fl. Ellis. Leslie NJ
Shaw. Myron T. Herrick, Justice WI
liam A. Day, Robert c. Clowcry. Charles
RI Treat and Delevan Smith We're others
among the more than 900 diners. The gal
nd ha1 where the
speeches we're made. were filled with ar
asscmblage of beautifully gowned worler
who Joined with the men below In tho
enthusiastic tributes of cheers AND ap
plause paid to Mr.. Taft and in but slight
" lesser degree to Governor Hughes
Toastmaster Henry Taft called attention
to the fact that in the last 40 years New
York and Ohio have furnished all the
occupants of the White House.
The President-elect was the last
speaker of the evening. having beer
preceded by Gov. Hughes, Mayor Nc
Clellan of New York City; Senator
Spooner and Patrick Francis Murphy.
II am going to talk a little politics
tonight" said Mr. Taft, land 1 want
! to invite your serious attention to some
of the peculiarities which we have tc
deal with in our form of government
as compared with the governments OF
other nations. Ours is essentially 8
government of parties. England also
| has parties, but there they fix the re-
| sponsibility of the party on one man
| They do not divide the responsibility
as we do here under several different
| heads. The division of authority in oul
| parties sometimes makes it extremely
difficult to carry out the promises sc
! frankly made in the course of a cam
paign
"The President is the Executive OF
the nation, and while in the White
House is rightly regarded as the head
| of his party. for in the campaign which
/ follows his term of Office he is in c
sense made responsible for what has