Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-21
NEW ATTACK ON SOLID SOUTH
President.E Elect Taft Addresses High
School Girls at Atlanta.
TALKS IN COMPLIMENTARY VEIN
Northern Men Know n Good Thing
and Many Southern Girls May
Come Across the Line to
Live Permanently.

AUGUSTA, Ca, Jan. 2O.-what might be
considered an entirely new point Of attack
on the Solid South" was made today by
the president-elect when he put in a good
word for the warmth and ardor Of northern
men "who know a good thing when they
see It," in the charm and beauty OF south
ern young woman. This lighter vein Of
Mr.. Tafts humor was given vent before
what he termed "a bouquet Of bright and
charming faces" the students Of Tubmsn
High School for Girls. The songs OF the
class, TO which Re listened preceding his
brief talk, he declared had carried him off
in enjoyable fancy and his Introduction 10
speak was "a rude awakening"
The charming appearance of the student
body, he said. impressed him as an en-
tlrely new md convincing argument in
favor of the separation OF the sexes for
education.
Mr.. Taft admitted his point OF view had
changed somewhat on the question of
woman suffrage since, when is, he urgently
advocated that doctrine in his graduation
paper because OF the admiration he had for
the intelligence OF the girl members OF his
class in Woodward High school,, Cincinnati.
when Women VIII Vote.
When the trained and intelligent women
VI lne country wanted suffrage, ne pre-
dicted, they would get it, on the very nat
ural grounds that they always get what
they want. But he remarked. in passing the
subject for the discussion Of matrimony.
that he did not see the slightest interest in
the faces of his hearers in what he was
discussing.
Matrimony, as Mr.. Taft said at Athens.
last week, was not the only future to which
a young woman should look. and no unsat-
is%factory acceptance should be made OF
marriage proposals simply to avoid being
an old maid. The great success Of many
unmarried women OF his acquaintance justi-
fled this assertion.
But OF course In the south you are
not troubled as they are in Massachus-
%setts," he continued. where there are so
many women that there is no possibility
that they can all marry and 1t is a real
serious problem as to what shall be done
with the unmarried women. Here I know
that the situation Is different.
But. my dear young ladies I aid not
come here to make a prepared address. I
came here trusting to the inspiration of the
moment for what your bright eyes and
pretty faces and your charming presence
might bring out Of me. I trust ] am not
too old yet to yield to the charm OF
beauty. 7 know there is a theory that
we are all cold in the north, but I assure
you II Is not true. l remember while once
in Nashville of making inquiry regarding
a great many families there and I found
that Immediately after the war there were
a great many northern officers who ex-
ercised admirable taste and who found
young ladies' of beauty and charm, for
merly on the other side, who were willing,
or who at least were induced, whether
willing or not, to become the wives Of
northern men, so that It might not be the
worst lot should your fate ever carry you
north Of Mason and Dixon's line. for we
know a good thing when We see it,"
Address at Hams Normal school.
Mr.. TAFT then went to Hams Normal and
Industrial school for negroes, where he de-
livcred an extended address on the benefits
Of Industrial education.
This school, which was founded by
v omen. has been for twenty-three
years under the supervision of Lucy
C.. Laney. a negress, and has 100 students.
THAT a colored woman" said Mr.. Taft,
could have constructed this great insti-
tuition of learning and brought 1t to its
present state of usefulness speaks vol
umes for the capacity of that woman.
After reviewing the hardships and strug-
giles which the work had entailed, he cen
tinued:
Therefore I shall go out of this meet
ing, despite the distinguished presence
here, carrying in my memory only the fig
ure of that woman who has been able to
create all this"
Expressing the most profound sympathy
for the struggle upward OF the negro race
Mr.. Taft remarked, having in mind the
recent utterances OF Senator Tillman:
II do not think it inappropriate to refer
to scme of the expression that fall from
the lips of men prominent in political life
that are utterly lacking in any sympathy
Of that kind and that are utterly cruel
and abrupt In their meaning, II they are
to be given the meaning that the words
naturally bear. | refer to those gentle
men who deem It necessary to affirm that
in the interest OF this country the negro
race should have no education. Now, l
am glad to know and believe that those
men in their hearts do not believe that,
that it comes rather from a desire to say
something that shall have a sensational
effect than 1t does from a real spirit.
was going 10 say of cruelty, towards a
race that deserves from those OF us who
are white. all the aid. all the assistance, all
the sympathy we can give them. I know
that you know that those expressions do
not represent the feeling of the great body
OF intelligent white men in the south"
Education and Character.
Mr.. Taft at once disclsimed a meaning
that education was everything. II did not
make character. Nor did he mean that a
university education should be universal.
The great body OF the people, he said, from
necessity earned their livelihood by the
sweat Of their faces. They needed primary
and Industrial training, Happiness. he as
serted, was not TO be found In the posses
sion of the luxures of life, but in the con-
seriousness of having done the best you
could under the circumstances. Work
brought good digestion. and this was no
small matter, as he could testify from many
banauets.
Missouri politics was the subject which
Mr.. Taft talked OF today with W. II.
Dickey. who not only, Mr.. Taft said. spoke
OF the availability Of Charles Nagel and
President Sumney of the First National
bank OF Kansas City for cabinet places.
r. c. Kerens Of st. Louis likewise had a