The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-24
Voice Is HoarsG As He Speaks
 At Houston and Dallas
PRAISE OF TFXlS SPIRIT
Taft Lauds the Enterprise That He Finds, Not only in Texas, But in All States Through Which
 He Has Passed.
BY WILLIAM ROSTER.

BY WILLIAM ROSTER.
 Dallas, October 2s-President Taft to- night is finishing his roundup of Texas After a speech at the fair grounds and a banquet tonight he went to sleep aboard his private car and at S:9O to- morrow morning will begin the A-hour run to St. Louis, where the steamer will be boarded late on Monday afternoon for the run down the Mississippi river.
 Twenty thousand people heard the ad- dress at the fair grounds tonight. For the first time since he began the long tour the President is having serious trou- ble with his throat. Compelled to ad- dress five acres of people," as he ex- pressed 1t, from the balcony of the Rice hotel in Houston this morning he strained his voice striving to make himself heard Against the advice of Dr. Richardson he insisted on making rear-end speeches at short stops on the journey to Dallas and only a complete rest and careful treat ment betwe cen here and St. Louis will put him in shape to carry out the remainder of his speaking programme.
 His voice necessirated a shortening of the programme here.
 The Dallas reception was on a par with those which the President has received all through Texas since he entered the state at Fl Paso a week ago today.
 Big Crowd at Houston.
 Huston turned out a big crowd this morning and crowds welcomed him at atotiou ar, rot1t9 tO Dallas.
 Taft is once more In the real south, and the old policy of solidifying the sec tions has been again brought into play.
 The south as usual Is meeting him half way.
 T remenber." said he at Houston this morning, ,''that they told MT Roosevelt when he came down here that he had more friends and got fewer votes in Texas than in any other state Well, IT we can preserve the Irlenusnlp we cah await the votes"
 At Houston he was introduced to the crowd after a street parade by Mayor Rice. who welcomed him in behalf Of the city Then Miss Kate Daffan, pres ident of the Taxas branch of the Daugh- ters of the Confederacy. was introduced, and she welcomed him in behalf of the
 women of Texas. Taft made hit In the opening paragraph of his speech by say ing:
 it is worth much, but to be assured of the confidence and the cordial re- ception of those who govern Houston Is worth very much more.'
 "cut Out the Taffy." The men could not forget an op- portunity to put over sly dlg at tne president a few minutes later, for when he launched into a eulogy of south ern people in general and mentioned the ''same beautiful women," a voice in the crowd yelled: Cut it out; that tafry." In the roar of laughter that followed, even MT. Taft himself joined. He spoke from a white rose bower at Houston and reviewed 10000 school children before departing at 10:3O a. m. for Dallas.
 brief stop was made at Prairie View, north of Houston, where the au- dience was composed entirely of ne- gro girls from the negro normal school. The next stop was at Hampstead, Tex, where the real south was en- tered as evidenced by the gift of a live ."possum," carefully crated and a goodly portion of sweet potatoes. Hempstead is better known other wise as "Six Shooter Junction" Here 1t was five years ago that reform movement was started and meeting of the newly organized Law and Or der league" was called to discuss pro- hibition Congressman Pinkney pre- sided and in the ensuing debate the congressman and three or the would be reformers were shot.
 Another short stop was made at Col lege Station, where the Agricultural and Mechanical college of Texas is To- cated. It was from this institution that Col Cecil Lyon, state committeeman, was summarily graduated, according to his own story, by being drummed out of the institution. That no grudge is entertained, however, is illustrated by the fact that Colonel Lyon has been invited to address the students at the school next month and has accepted the invitation.
 Address at Houston. In his Houston address the Presi- dent said in part:
 'The one thing that strikes the American and the American President who travels this country over is the spirit of determination on the part of the citizens of every town and every city to make that town or city the first in the state or in the country.
 There is something about the enter prise, the civic pride and the willing ness to encounter any obstacle or trouble and overcome them that I have found from Boston on the east to Washington on the west, in Oregon and California and even the two terri tories and now the greatest of them all--the state of Texas that makes one thrill with pride to belong to a na- tion, all of whom gre struggling up ward and onward with the conviction ] that theirs is the greatest city, theirs | Is the greatest state. theirs the great est country that ever the sun shone on And 1t Is a great pleasure to be in the south and find that exactly the same spirit actuates the whole people T accept the recognition kindly offered by the Daughters of the Confederacy, ar association organized to perpetuate the memories of the heroism of the men whc died and suffered in cause in whicf
 they sincerely believed, and we now
 have | common hsritsge tho heroism ol