The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-07-04

gress and to the leaders OF the re-
publican party. The president de-
clared that if the party which placed
him in power and so long ha1 con.
trolled the government fail-d to- live
up to it's promises and the eXpecta.
tions of the people. it would be rel.
egated to the position Of minority
opposition
MIR THft had been speaking ham
orously OF recollections of hi, own
college days which made his sudden
change to a serious tone If ne i'm.
portant utteranCes upon national af.
fairs all the more impressive. The
president spoke eXtempofaneously
and his utterances as to the duty OF
the party Of which he is nominally
the head seemed the result Of suu.
den impulse rather than of studied
intent
Mr. Taft made no effort to explain
his warnings The Yale men caught
his meaning and the significance 0f
the remarks at this time of the tar.
iff debate. however, and they stood
and cheered for several minutes II
had been speaking of Jacob VI. Dick.
inson. secretary of war. democrat
upon whom Yale today conferred an
honorary degree. He taunted democ.
racy with the best of good humor
as TO it's present day condition. and
this led him into the declaration as
TO his own party.
After paying tribute TO others upon
whom the university today conferred
honorary degree. the president cane
down to Secretary Dickinson and
said:
You went south OF the Mason and
Dixon line to get a secretary of war
to give a degree 10. It is well that
you did, because he Is going to build
the Panama Canal and other univer-
stiles viii follow where you got in
early. one OF the difficulties that
has confronted Brother Dickinson.
out in Chicago. where he has TEN.
porary residence, was discussion
as to what constituted an orthodox
democrat and when he really ought
to be counted as democrat, If he
allowed himself to go into a republi-
can cabinet.
We'll, when you come to discuss
what is a democrat these days. you
are presented with very much the
same difficulty that | have before
me now in giving certain rules for
the construction of the Pure Food
Law as to what whisky is. They saw
there is straight whisky. and then
there is imitation whisky. Now ]
speak with a good deal of hesitation
in saying whether my friend Dickin.
son is a straight democrat or n
'rectified' democrat | would not dare
TO say in his presence that he was
an imitation democrat.
The truth Is, and speaking seri.
ously, | consider myself fortunate
that / was able to obtain for that
important place in my cabinet. man
who represented the highest ideals
of the south; who knew no section in
his patriotism: whose coming into the
cabinet was significant OF the friend
liness OF large element in that
southern section, that It is in my
heart to bring close to the north.
Now my dear friends in suggest
ing differences among democrats
am far from ignoring some difflcu.
ties that there are on our side re-
Francis Adams gave what may call
a perfectly good Adams reason for
the election of the democratic candi.
date over the republican candidate
He said that one of the essentials
of a successful free government was
an able. patriotic and efficient Oppo-
sition and that as the democratic pai.
~ had utterly failed in reaching that
ideal he was in favor of putting the
republican party I'm that place Now,
| venture TO say that while that may
not be the reason, which shall move
the American people II is true that
II the republican party does not live
up TO its promises and what the peo-
pie expect OF 1t, II will be relegated
to position like that of his maiesty's
opposition And therefore | may say
by way of caveat that We have trou,
bleS OF our own"
The president had busy day as
the honor guest of the Yale com
mencement exercises. He attended a
meeting of the Yale corporation
spoke at the midday dinner OF the
alumni, presided over meeting held
for arranging a memorial for Yale
men who died on both sides in the