The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-08
Carolinians Get Straight from the Shoulder Lecture About Evading Their Respon.
 abilities.
THEN S0UTHERNERS CHEER
Declares His Administration Has No lica of Forcing Upon South Dominance by Ignorant
 Whites or Negroes.

New York, Dec. -President-ele William H. Taft, who came to New York to-day to address the North car olina society of this city, was given tumultuous reception tonight hy the members of the organization and by prominent mon from all parts of the south at the annua, dinner of the North Carolinlans at the Hotel Astor. Five hundred members and guests of the society filled the brilliantly deco rated banquet hail. which was redo lent Of tao pines of the Tarheel state.
 In the course of an address which was confined nearly to the south and it's problems, Mir Taft did not hesi- tate to follow up what he regards as tho advantages of h's trip through the south during the recent campaign and urged again that the voters of that section should break away from the sentiment and traditions of their po- litita past and cast their ballots In accordance rather with their genuine economic and political beliefs.
 What Is it. ne asked that sets the south apart and takes from the southern people the responsibilities which the members of republic ought to share in respect to the con duet of tho national sovernment?"
 We can answer these questions as the historian would, and we can eX- plain the situation as 1t is; but l don't think we can justify or excuse a con tnuance of it
 "l am not going to rehearso the pain full history If reconstruction, or what followed it come at once to the pres ent condition of things, stated from q constitutional and political standpoint, And that is this. That in all southern states it is possible, by election laws prescribing proper qualifications for the suffrage, which square with the 18th amendment. and which shall be equally administered as between the black and white races, to prevent entirely the possibility of domination of southern state, county or municipal governments by an important electorate, white or black It is further true that the soon or such laws. when adopted are applied with exact equality and Justice to the two races the better for the moral tone of state and community concerned. Mir. Taft declared that nothing would give him greater pride during his com- ing term in the chief executive office than to so direct the policy of the national government with respect to the southern states as to convince the intelligent citizens of the south of the desire of his administration to aid them in working out satisfactorily the serl- ous problems before them and of bring ing them and their northern fellow clt'- gems closer and closer In sympathy and points of view
 During the last decade, said Mr Taft. lin common with all lovers o' our country, I have watched with de light and thanksgiving tho bond o union between the two sections grow firmer I pray that it may be siver to me to strengthen this movement, tc obliterate all sectional lines and leave nothing of difference between the nortl and south save q friendly emulation for the benefit of our common coun try"
 At the conclusion of practically every one of his pointed sentences. Mir Taf was interrupted by applause and cheer ing