Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-16
UPAOLDS A FEDERAL CITY
President Taft's Defense Of National
Rule in Washington.
WISDOM OF FATHERS Is SHOWN
a Notable Addre in Support OF the
Present Form of Government
in the District of
Columbia.

A political movement designed to pro-
mote home rule" in the District Of Co
lunbia, secure the right Of suffrage for
the residents. and representation in the
house Of representatives and in the senate.
eliminated in a banquet In Washington on
the evening OF the 9th. Only two addresses
were delivered, one by Justice Wendell p.
Stafford Of the District supreme court, ad-
vocating the political objects OF the BAN
quet; the second by President Taft. When
the president finished his address. no other
speaker desired to be heard. 50 COM
pletely did the president demolish the argu-
ments in favor OF local instead of federal
government in the district.
President Taft's address follows:
'Mr. Chairman and the solid men Of
Washington (applause): l wish to thank
you from the bottom Of my heart for the
courtesy that you have extended TO me
this evening in this magnificent banquet
and in your coming here to take part in
this occasion. 1 am proud of II. IL 1t be
the case, and I must believe it from the
assurances given tonight that this IL the
first time that a president of the United
States has ever had the pleasure of meet
tlh on such an occasion and under such
circumstances. the pushes men of Wash
fp3ton. (~Applause.)
hope for close intimacy; 1 hope that
w1 may come together and we may dis
CPS these things, because certainly we
reed 1t. (Aprlause) 1 take the utmost
pAfsonal pride in the city of Washing
tor A%pplause) 1t thrills my heart
every day to look out Of the back win
ae4Ts of the White House-for the short
t1pe 1 have been there-and whenever l
ntM tha OpnorfrpIfy m a this haRntiful
CO in which we are permitted to live
th4se avenues and streets constructed on a
Magnificent plan, looking forward for
cehturies; these trees planted with great
foresight to make every part Of Washing
ton a park; these yistas into which always
cfeeps unbidden that beautiful shaft that
marks the memory of the founder of this
city. Great applause.)
~ have not been here very long in the
city of washington as some men count II
long. / was here two years between 1881
and 1892, four years from 1904 to 1908-but
that is a little bit longer than Justice Stat
ford. CONTINUED ~applause.) I have beer
a taxpayer; / have invested some money In
land in Washington and have not seen q
dollar come out of it; l have sent my child
rem to the public schools; l have hung tC
straps in street cars, going both ways tC
the capitol; / nave bathed in the Potomac
mud-in a bathtub; l have lunched al
Harvey's on those steamed oysters. and
have been a fan with my friend sunny
jim at the base ball park, and have hat
a love and cultivated 1t with him for tail
enders. And therefore l claim that l hav'
been through experiences that ought t.
give ne some of the local atmosphere anC
some of the local feeling of Washington
ANx rrnN xrlYA oil that o0nNlonnnn IA
look about here into these smiling faces
these somewhat rotund forms that Civ
evidence of prosperity Q%aughter). it is
little difficult for me to realize that It wa
about these caitifs and these slaves tina
Mr.. Justice Stafford spoke,
Declares Himself a "N~ationaIist."
In spite OF that experience with re
spect to Washington, 1 am a nationalist
Applause). This city is the home of tn
government OF a nation. and when me
who are just as much imbued with tn
principles of civic liberty as any who hav
come after Washington, at the head, pu
into the Constitution the provisions wit
reference to the government OF the Distric
OF Columbia they knew what they wer
doing, and spoke for a coming possibl
eighty millions of people who should insif
that the home of the government of tha
eighty millions OF people should be gov
erned by the representatives of that eight
millions of people ~CApplause), and that
there were in that eighty millions of peopI
men who desired to come and share in tn
grandeur of that capital. and live in
city Of magnificent beauty as this wa
and enjoy all the privileges. then the
come with their eyes open as to the chal
acter of the government that they were