The Washington herald., 1909-01-21
TAFT WANTS LOVE,
NOT SOUTH'S VOTE
Declares Politics Had No Part
in His Visit.
BIDS FAREWELL TO AUGUSTA
President-eIeet Declares New Admin
istratiOB Is Concerned fer Welfare
of All Sections Of Country Alike.
Grateful for Hospitality Received.
Never Missed Day at Golf.

Augusta. Ga. Jan. 20-AH that Mr..
Taft wants Of the South is that Il likes
him for SSi days in the year. lie does
not care what il does on the
SSth. OF election day. The Presi-
dent-elect made this plain in a speech
here this afternoon before I00eo Angus
tans. in the principal street Of the city.
The meeting was in the nature Of a for
NAL farewell 70 Mr.. Tat, who VIII leave
here on Saturday for Charleston.
a good many people seem excited, 3"
said Mr. Taft. "sbout the political effect
OF ny coming into the south. and about
what I may have said. am not troubled
on that score.
II / can convince The people Of the
South that this administration is as much
concerned for their welfare as for the
welfare Of the people IN every other Sec
ton Of the country, viii have accom-
plished al I can hope for. Votes and
political matters can take care Of them-
selves
Likes TO Make Friends.
7 remember that at a political conven-
ton a great candidate and a great Presi-
dent was attacked in this wise: they said
that he was the most popular man in he
United States every day but election
day Well I would a good deal rather
be the most popular man in the United
States for Ga days Of the year than OF
the 3s5th.
i tel this story to illustrate the fact
that I should Zee! proud TO have it said
10 me as it was said to President Roose-
welt in Texas. that that was a state in
which he had more friends and less votes
than in any other State in the Union-
Mr.. Taft complimented Augusta on its
hospitality its weather and citizenship.
Il am indebted to all the citizens OF An
gusts.' he said. for their kindly and
hospitable welcome have had the pleas
ure Of meeting your farmers and your
capitalists; your ministers and your Law
men: your lawyers and their clients. and
! Ike them all I have been barbecued: I
have been fshing-but didn't catch any-I
nave autom0biIed: have ridden. I
have played golf. and ] have met your
beautiful women. and enjoyed the wit and
sparkle Of your bright men. and I re-
joice that fate and circumstances brought
me 10 Augusta
Golf Every Day.
Mr.. Taft prided himself on the fact that
he had not missed a single secular day
of golf since he had been here A regular
daily turn on the links was one of the
things he had mapped out for himself
when he arrived here. Another thing he
had put at the head Of his programme
was 20 build Cabinet. Mr.. Taft sighed
as he mentioned this job.
Man after man has come TO me- said
he. with advice like this. Now what you
want is large men who viii fiji the public
eye and who win be suited to discharge
all the duties that fall upon them. -
Well" added the President-elect. Il
have been carrying a pad and a pencil in
my pocket and whenever I get this advice
I pull them out, hand them over and
ask to have the nine names written down
haven't found man equal to the
task.
Crowd Fills Streets.
Mr. Taft spoke from the same spot
where Mckinley delivered an address ten
years ago. The crowd in front of the
stand filed the street for two blocks and
hundreds were on the roofs Of nearby
buildings. A brass band and the cham
Der of commerce were out and the city
had done everything possible to make the
event memorable
The afternoon meeting. however. was
only part Of the eity's formal farewell
The chamber Of commerce gave a dinner
tonight in Mr.. Tafts honor at the
Hampton Terrace Hotel. on the South
Carolina shore of the Savannah River.
Interest N the dinner was enhanced
through the presence Of John D. Rookie
feller. who IS a guest at the hotel Bon Air,
here. He sat at the table with NJ L.
Speer and James 3. Kuhn, Gf Pittsburg.
and Robert g Ogden. of New York
COnguers the links.
This was Mr. Tafts happiest day in
Augusta. The only other day that can
compare with It since ne was elected was
the one on which he made the Hot Springs
golf course in IS. HeSdid the Augusta
links In the same score this afternoon.