New-York tribune., 1908-02-11
TAFT WITH ROOSEVELT
SPEECH At KANSAS CITY.
L pholds Recent Message-Need of
Party HARMONY.
lRv Telegraph to TIE Tribune ;


Kansas City. Nc. Feb. 10.-Secretarv Taft
the guest Of honor and chief speaker to-
night at a dinner given in Convention Hall to
twelve hundred persons by the Association Of
Young Republicans OF Missouri Many of the
guests came from Nebraska. Kansas. Oklahoma
and distant Missouri cities. A great demon
straticn greeted Secretary Taft when he en-
tered the hall and again when ne arose to speak
The balconies of the hall flied by several
thousand spectators.
Mayor Henry II. Beardsley delivered the ad-
dress of welcome and E. f. McJimsey, editor of
the. Springfield CMoD Republican acted
foast17aste-. Herbert s. Hadley Attorney Gen
eraI Of Missouri: Judge Seldom P. Spencer. of
St Louis and other well known Missourians
also spoke.
The crowd was manifestly impatient 10 hear
NJ Taft's speech During the remarks of Mr.
McJfrsey II began 10 show signs of uneasiness
and Mayor Beardsey vas compelled to rise and
remind the galleries that the speakers We're the
cltzss guests. Order was instantly restored.
RoOSEyELT'S NAME CHEERED,
rr5Se Spencer was the first 10 mention the
rzr1e Of Theodore Roosevelt The result was
electrical The vast audience sprang to its feet
with yell Handkerchefs and napkins waved
--sntically while cheer after cheer filed the
hal Il was several minutes before the speaker
cond proceed Presently he mentioned the
Presidents name again. coupled this time with
Tsft's and again the audience responded. OF its
feet and with tossing arms and hsndkerchiefs
The temper Of the crowd was not doubtful lt
,-ae there to honor Secretary Taft and il did
-,- LEI ANYTHING pass that helped 10 demonstrate
the fact
Secretary Taft's speech general defence
~ The Republican party, and especially of the
rolicies brought to the fore by the administra-
ton Of President Roosevelt Speaking Of the
recent panic and the Presidents late message to
Congress. the Secretary said
The message contains an answer 10 the
charges made that the administration is respon-
sible for the industrial depression. and the
.7s--nes= and emphasis with which this un-
founded attack is met. have heartened the great
body Of the people husle call TO renewed
support of the policies Of the administration
E,z,IoSizirs Lincoln, Secretary Taft said he
v-es a parry man. as all men must be who expect
- leave their individual innpress upon the poit-
icsI character OF the nation" He said party
cannot be useful uniess those who are members
n 7. Yield their views on some issues and unite
with respect 10 the main policies TO be pursued
Ee continued:
Though a party has fits platform and on the
faith OF IL has been elected TO power many Is
E1Ies NAV Unexpectedly arise in the course or
~ administration not controlled by the party $
declared principles. The disposition OF such
INNS
of the party leaders A party may DIVIDE on
new issue until by . process OF educatfon the
enlInder view prevails and that party becomes
united again IN the enforcement Of the new
y-t-cirle As party shows itself homogeneous,
able TO grasp the truth with respect 10 new
issues able TO discard uniulportant differences
cr opinion. sensitive with respect 10 the sue
cessful maintenance Of government and highly
charged with the responsibility of its obligation
- the people at large it establishes its claim
- the confidence of the pubic ana 10 It's con-
tiaUance IN political power
THE THREE WAR AMENDMENTS.
Secretary Taft spoke Of the three war amend
rrents Of the Constitution-the Thirteenth. Four
,Aenrb and Fifteenth The operation of the
Fifteenth Amendment. that which forbade any
state 10 DEPRIVE the negro Of his vote
count Of his color or previous condition Of
Ee-vitude had not he said, been as successful
sE that Of the Thirteenth and the Fourteenth.
TIE leaders Of the South had in many states,
however cast about TO make the law square
with the existing conditions by property and
educational qualifications. which should exclude
most Of the negro vote Secretary Taft went on;
This very desire TO avoid the violent methods
which were wont TO overcome the coioTed vote
IN The South itself indicates turn for the
better. II is said however. and with truth. that
these election laws are intended 10 be enforced
by means Of the discretion vested IN election
of1cers so as TO exclude the ineligible colored
men with rigOr and 10 allow the ineligible whites
who ought also 70 be excluded, 10 the injury Of
the franchise. DeplorabIe this is. still the
situation is BY no means a hopeless one Ior Ine
Southern negro.
The great friend the Southern negro is likely
- have IS the broadest minded Southern white
man vgfo synpa thizes with the coiored man and
knows his value the South Nor IS IT unTea-
bile hope that the men who have already
solIghr 10 come within the law and avoid Vlo-
ience will ultimately see the wisdom and right
.ogIsness OF the equal enforcement Of the law Of
eligibility against white and black
Secretary Taft said that he confident that
in he end the Fifteenth Amendment will prove
70 be a bulwerk equally beneficial with that Of
she Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments ID
az unfortunate downtrodden struggling race"
The speaker enumerated the various policies
@ the party in the past and said;
Only ta,ice in all that remarkable history Of
.orty-eigfa- years have we lost the confidence OF
The raorle Of the United States to the point or
their turning over the government to Demo-
cratic Executive
~ reason Of circumstances need not detail
the Influence Of the Republican party has been
little felt south. Of Mason and Dixons line IL
s. true that in Maryland. West virginia heh-
tucky ard Missouri the Republican parry has
beer often in the ma jority. but in the other
Sourhern states a contest has seemed hopeless
The time has come. in my judgment When II Is
Toe duty Of our party 10 make an earnest eholI
Il 70 our support the many Soufherrlers VINO
Ehtuz with Us on every living national issue and
have only been kept from our ranks by fhe ghost
~ ire past.
CORPORATE ABUSES.
s.cretsr- Taft referred to abuses thst had
Ken Erac-ised by corporations and declared that
convection had seized the people that there were
mary engaged ia the management Of corporate
wealth who regarded the statutes as dead let
ters and themselves as a privileged class he
sad