The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-12-09
.PRES|DENT-ELECT'S
SOUTHERN POLICY
Speech of MIR. Taft at the Annual
Dinner Of the North Carolina
Society In New York

William II. Taft, who came TO New
York to address the North Carolina
Society OF this city, was given tu-
multous reception last night by the
members Of the organization and by
prominent men from all parts of the
South at the annual dinner of the
society at the Hotel Aston.
| Five Hundred members and guests
OF the society filled the brilliantly dec
Grated banquet hall, which was redo
! lent of the pines of the Tar Heel
State. the cones and branches of the
resinous trees forming the back
ground for more fragrant blooms,
which were scattered everywhere over
snowy linens and fiag-draped walls.
interviewed ensigns of the states and
nation were conspicuous in the deco
ratiOnS of the banquet hall and larger
flags were displayed in front of the
hotel throughout the day and evening.
Mr.. Taft in the course of an address
which was confined entirely to the
South and its problems, urged again
that the voters of the South should
break away. from the Outlived Senti-
ments and tradition OF their past po-
iitical affiliations and cast their bal
lots in accordance rather with their
economic and real political beliefs.
Mr.. Taft declared that nothing
would give him greater pride during
his coming term in the chief execu
tive office than 10 so direct the policy
of the national government with re-
ispect TO the Southern states as to con-
vince the intelligent citizens of the
South of the desire of his administra
ton to aid them in working out sat
isfactOrily the serious problems be-
fore them and their Northern fellow
citizens closer and closer in sympathy
and point Of view.
At the conclusion of practically ev-
cry one of his pointed sentences Mr.
Taft was interrupted by applause and
cheering. He frankly expressed him
self regarding the so-cdlled negro
IQuestiOn." and declared that neither
he nor the Republican party had any
idea of forcing upon the people of the
South the dominance of an ignorant
class
Other speakers at the banquet were
President W. w. Finley, of the South
ern Railway Company, J. Y. Joyner.
state superintendent of public instruc-
ton of North Carolina, Hugh McRae
of Wilmington. ~ c.. DR.. JOS. H. Dill
lard of New Orleans and Junius w.
Parker of New York. Among the
more prominent guests were Clark
Howell of Atlanta. Ga; Henry w.
Taft, brother of the President elect:
President Nicholas Murray Butler of
Columbia University; Consul General
Midzuno of Japan; DR.. II. 3. F'rissell,
of Hampton Institute.
Others were: DIR. John A. Wyeth,
ipresident of the Southern Society;
Mai Edward Owen of the Confeder-
late Veterans Society: Thomas j. Nc
CURE, president of the Georgia So
Iciety; John G.. Carlisle, president Of
the Kentuckians; Rev. J. hewitt Steel,
ipresident of the Maryland Society;
John S. Crosby, president of the Mis-
souri, Society: Augustus Van Wyck,
president of the South Carolina So
ciety; Bruce l.. Rice, president of the
Tennessee Society. and DR.. George
Tucker Harrison. Governor of the Vir
ginians
Mr. Taft spoke last and when he
;arose TO respond as the guest of honor
of the evening the diners stood and
icheered for several minutes. Mr.. Taft
reached the city yesterday from Hot
Springs. Va. He spent the afternoon
at the home of his brother Henry w.
Taft. and while there was in consul
tatiOn win d number of friends and
political callers. Mr. Taft left today
for Washington.
After paying a tribute TO North Car
DINA. which. he said, presented an
admirable type of present conditions
in thp South the uuhlic Spirif Of it's
lcitzens. progress of it's Industries and
the charming companionship which
the Northerner always found there,
the speaker pointed out that the laws
were made for the North and South
and the functions of the government
iextended from the Canadian border to
the Gulf of Mexico and led up 10 the
iquestiOn:
What is il that sets the South
apart and makes from the Southern
people the responsibilities which the
members Of a republic ought to share
in respect to the conduct of the ma
tiOnal government
He continued: why is ii that what
is done a Washingtos seems to be the
work of the North and the West and
not of the South? Should this state
of affairs continue? These are the
questions that force themselves on
those of Us concerned with the gov
eminent and who are most anxious to
have a solid. united country. OF whose
will the course of the government
shall be an intelligent Interpretation
and expression.
The Slavery Question