The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-21

| South," said the President. T never have had such dream. What do de- sire and believe we are on the eve of, | Is a complete tolerance of opinion and that this shall grow into respect and power an intelligent fighting opposi- | tion party in each State of the Union." The Presidents political utterances | were received with the same fervor of enthusiasm as his tribute to the signers | of the Mecklenburg declaration. The auditorium where he spoke was crowd | ed to its capacity and he constantly 1 was interrupted by the cheers that rose | spontaneously from his Southern hear. | CTS. As to his appointment of a Demo- crat upon the bench, the President de- clared that throughout the South he in- tendedSto pursue the policy he already had indicated, of appointing to office only that man. who. Republican or Democrat, can command the highest confidence and commend himself to the hcommunity in which he lives.
 Mir. Taft's plea for political tolerance in the South and his statement that he wanted the people of the Southland to know that the Washington government was not alien to them. had all the eff feet of extemporaneous utterances for the President spoke without notes or manuscript once he had drifted into politics.
 
 President Taft spoke twice during the day. It had been intended that he should address the public from the re- viewing stand but the storm caused change of program and the President first spoke in the Charlotte auditorium at 4:30 p. m. and then was driven two miles out of the city and spoke to the negro students of Riddle University MT. Taft declared that he wouId not count visit to the South complete without an opportunity to express to the negro people his interest in them and his sympathy for them in their problems.
 There was public reception to the President tonight, and he left on a late train for Washington. where he Is due to arrive shortly before noon to- morrow. The two days of constant go- ing in the heat and dust of the Peters burg Dattlelelds on yesterday and in the drenchfng downpour of Charlette today were quite trying upon the Pres ident He was perceptibly hoarse to- day, and when he was speaking most earnestly of his position toward the South, paused for a moment and ex- claimed amid laughter:
 "oh, wish I hadn't left my voice in Petersburg"
 Among the guests on the platform at the auditorium when the President was speaking of his belief in the Meek lenburg declaration regardless of the exact language In which the resolu- tions were accepted was Major J C. Hemphill the distinguished editor of Charleston. 8. C., who recently in pay ing his compliments to Speaker Cannon declared:
 He was born in North Carolina, the home of the Mecklenburg myth. which President Taft is to celebrate. I am sorry to say"
 With twinkle in his eye after being introduced by Governor Kitchin, the President told a story at the expense of Major Hemphill. which brought a shout of laughter from the audience. and was enjoyed gby none more than the editor himself
 we are here" said the President, ''to celebrate a declaration of independence regardless of the fact that there are some unregenerate persons in South Carolina and elsewhere, that. for vari- ous motives have cast doubt upon the claim"
 The President declared that the man who came to Charlotte and was not willing to accept the Mecklenburgfdec- laration in full reminded him of the Tipperary Irishman who was tried for murder after he had hit his opponent fatal blow with a black thorn. It de- veloped at the trial that the victim had paper or very thin skull Con sequently the defendant was convicted only of manslaughter. When sentence came to be passed the convicted man was asked if he had anything to say: No. your honor." he replied, according to MT. Taft. but your honor, I would like to ask wan quistion, what the divil was a man with a head like that doing in Tipperary?" The President declared that the i'm portant part of the Mecklenburg dec laration as viewed from the standpoint of practical patriotism, and practical statesnanship, was not the general declaration as to the rights of man. but the practical provision for a govern ment which was to succeed that of Great Britain.
 The declaration, the President said showed wisdom, self-reliance and willingness to accept the responsibility of maintaining a government of law and order.
 War Between states. Mir. Taftturned from a discussion of Revolutionary days to more modern times. He spoke of the war between the States, and said:
 You in the Southland had troubles the sufferings, the sad losses burned into your hearts with much more em- phasis than we in the Northland, be- cause heFe was the center of the war, and 1t is entirely natural that in that forty years which have succeeded the war. there should continue a bitterness of feeling that time, and long timef could only erase; but when we look back I think we must congratulate ourselves that the feeling has so large Qy disappeared and that we are now a more united country than ever since a decade before the war
 aTf. fg have coptinued in such a way as at some times to seem to perpetuate the the war, but even those lines are rapid ly disappearing; and 1t is the duty of all of us without respect to political partisanship. to wipe out these lines as far as we can, and to see. so far as we may, that in each the tolerance of opin- ion shall continue until there shall be respectable parties on both sides of the line, because 1t Is essential to have a good opposition to have a good gov ernment. Now If there Is anything that can do in my administration to make that feeling of union more close. I shall do it.
 T am anxious. of course. speaking from a partisan standpoint, and leaY- | ing my official position for a moment. that the Republican Party of North Carolina should be strengthened, mere ly to have a good fight every election. and of course insofar as may le- ultimately do so I should be glad to build up the Republican Party. Now. I understand that some of my Republi- can friends think that have lost sight | of the Republican Party In putting into