Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-13
GUESTS PAIO SIS EACH FOR HONOR
Money Unsrudsnsiy Given Up and
Many Wiling Ones Turned Away
Scene One of Brilliance and Ami
nation - President-Eiect Devoted
Morning to the Negro Race.
tBv Associated PressD

president-elec, Taft hreathed the lis
tinctive atmosphere OF New Orleans
hos pitality today a2d tonight
His IN; rning was devoted 10 tn,
neg-o race. his afternoon to lelsur'
and recrtatiCn with the tension OF
entertainment as light as POSSIBLE.
but with the shades of evening th"r"
gathered about him the genial hos;
multiplied by eminence. rank and dis
tinctiOn.
The entertainment feature tonight
was a Creole banquet. where the RAJ
tened oysters. the savoriness OF the
c;,;: inc with its hundreds Cf years
of perfection and reputation olendel
with the honied words o: comr!imen:
and oratory. music and floral tribut"
into a scene CT animation and riva't-
", tempered with respect and dign.-
~.
Toasted by Nctables.
Mr.. Taft was toasted by the COVER
Tor, the mayor, by citizens CT proml-
hence and speakers Of reputation.
A feeling invocation was pronounc'
ed BY Cardinal Gibbons. who Is in
the city visiting his brother.
Mr.. Taft responded in the spirit
# the occasion. He talked Of his
desire as the chief executive to rep
resent the whole nation. of his in
IGNITION to make the representatives
of the administration in the South
represent the best element of tho
community in which they lived; OF
his recent visit to the lsthmus o.
Panama, with reTetition OF mis-
hopes for the completion CT the canal
within his administration. q.
The dinner was given in the newly
decorated banquet hall Of the Grune-
weld hotel, where Mr.. Taft is quar-
tered.
Willingly Paid $25 Fee.
A thousand citizens paid the as
sessment of s25 each for places az
the board. and considerably over
half OF these were present. and from
the early beginning until the lat"
ending. the scene was one OF Drill
lance and animation.
The spacious corridors CT the hotel
presented a brilliant scene during tho
evening, being the assembling Flace
of the many who could not attend
the dinner.
Handsomely gowned women with
their escorts thronged the corridors
and Mr.. Taft graciously consented ~
an informal reception which graft
fed the desire Of hundreds 20 meet
him personally.
Although conferences during tn"
day were had between Mr.. Taft and
Mr.. Hitchcock. his postmaster gen
eral and Treasurer Tpham Of the ma
tional committee. nothing definite was
obi ainei regarding the undecided
places in the cabinet.
Hitchcock Brought Information.
VI Hitchcock furnished certain
information desired by MT-2Taft. 5u'
the attitude Of the P-esident-e'eS'
to refrain from discussing what MAJ
be on his mind on this subject was
not changed and no definite intoTma
ton was obtainable.
In his speech 10 the negroes. wba
greeted him by thousands al tht
baseball park today. Mr.. Taft reiter
a,ed his heretofore well defined prir
ci2les regarding the development q
the negro race. and the settlement
Of the race question.
He gave wholesale advice To the
effect Iha; the big question was 70
he solved by the efforts Of the in5i
viduai rather than by any promu'Sa
ten Of general principle. n"
wanted to be considered the Pres
dent q the whole country. the Pre- n
dent OF every race in the country
and expressed his sympathy with th'
struggle a black man makes for pro
gross This speech was delivered
10 an audience Of negroes which filed
the grand stand. bIeachcrs and 4
goodiv portion 81 the grounds Of the
L cal baseball park and what he said
was received with marked approval
oeH in Afternoon.
The afternoon of the city's dis