New-York tribune., 1908-08-01
TAFT CLUBS FORMING
CANDIDATE ON PICNIC.
General Corbin Predicts Religious
,SIapder Will ProCe a Boomerang.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune.


Hot Springs Va July 31.-Judge Taft re-
ceived word to-day Of the formation of Tar
clubs in New York City Philadelphia Beau
mont Tex: California. Kendalville, Ind Knox
vile, Tenn. Cnegrol; East Orange. \. j.; Mo
dietown. Ohio; Lanesboro Mimi; West Milton
Penn: Phabus. Va: Cincinnati and Woodstock
Va.
This dispatch from Samuel L. Powers presi-
dent of the Middlesex Club, of Boston, was re-
ceived to-day:
Sitting by the shore of the loud. resounding
sea the Middlesex Club, at its annual holiday
banquet sends YOU assurances of its affectonate
regard and admiration and of its certainty OF
your overwhelming election
Many congratulatory letters on the acceptance
speech were received by Mr.. Taft to-day. He
has not yet indicated whether a reply will be
made to Mr. Bryan's comments the speech.
Mr. Taft spent two hours the golf links
this morning with Senator Bourne, Of Oregon,
and George Ingalls, and ]. H Hoyt, and in the
afternoon went horseback ride and picnic
excursion with Mrs Taft and their son Charles,
General and Mrs H. C. Corbin and Mrs. Hoyt
They rode up the bridepath TO the top or a
nearby mountain and spread their supper on a
grassy plot which commanded fine view of
Hot Springs.
General Corbn. who was in command of the
Department of the Philippines when Mr. Taft
was Governor General of the archipelago. is in
dignant at charge that the Republican can
didate is an enemy to Christianity.
THE charge viii prove boomerang to the
men that have started it, said General Corbin,
"'for all who know Governor Taft know very
well that he has deep religious convictions and
that he has done much for the Christian
cause any man in his generation. While he
was Governor General he did as much for
Christianity as the missionaries. for he aided
ov7d dc
possible for them to spread the Gospel Had 1t
not been for him many a church. schoolhouse
and hospital that is now doing great good for
the Bible and humanity would not even be in ex
tstence.
He not only gave the missionaries Of all de-
nominations ready encoura cement in their work,
but whenever he found them anxious to build a
church. schoolhouse or hospital in locality he
went to work with will and showed them how
TO do it, often finding financial means when
they were at the end Of their resources. The
missionaries Catholic and Protestant alike will
be the first to brand false and malicious the
charge now being made against the candidate.
Those who are spreading the charge will find
as soon they hear from the people at large
that our Constitution. which declares that
American citizens shall be allowed to worship
the Almighty according TO the dictates Of their
own conscience is no dead letter. and his vote
in November will he all the larger on account Of
This effort to smirch his character.
From present indications / would say that
the coming campaign is going TO be notable
one from the amount Of mud singing done by
the enemies Of the Republican candidates. But,
like most mud singing. 1t is more likely TO soil
the hands Of the throwers than the one at
whom they aim
Colorado wants AFR Taft in September. ac-
cording TO an urgent invitation which came to-
day from the management OF the Interstate
Fair and Exposition. TO be opened on Labor Day
in Denver, AS the acceptance OF the invitation
would mean abandonment Of Mr.. Tafts
present plan to conduct his personal campaign
without travel his regr,t were sent
Fond parents of three babies have sent word
10 Judge Taft that they have named the new
comers William Howard Taft They will re-
ceive autograph letters from Judge Taft.