The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-18
NEGROES HEAR TAFT
TALK ABOUT
Y. N. {. A.
PRESlDENT-ELEC TELLS COL
ORED MEN ABOUT ASSOClA-
TIoN ON ISTHMUS.

Augusta, Ga, Jan. 17.--Introduced
to big audience of men, comprising
the negro Y. M. c. A. Of this city, to-
day, President elect Taft discussed the
Christian uplift of Y. M. c. A. work
Dr. Walker, known as the BLACK
Spurgeon," introducing Mr.. Taft, said
that the negroes of Georgia owned
l. 100000 acres of land in the state and
paid taxes on $20.O00,000 worth of
property. This report Mr.. Taft re-
garded as most encouraging. 1t gave
him an illustration for the oft-ex.
pressed belief that the race question
must be settled by the negroes them
selves becoming indispensable to the
community in which they lived. This
meant industry, information and thrift
acquired by constant individual effort
He dwelt at length upon the advan-
tages of Y. M. c. A. work to bring out
this end and illustrated his point by
picturing the temptations and depres-
sion of Americans in the Philippines
and the help which the association is
rendering there to afford wholesome
ways of entertainment for the leisure
hours. 1t was his belief that the Y.
M. c. A. had brought about in this
country more tolerance between the
various religious denominations. AS
an example Of this he gave a detailed
account of the situation in which the
government found itself with respect
to the friar lands in the Philippines
CIergical Concurrence.
Concurrence, he said, had been OBJ.
tained from a body of clergymen, rep
resenting the various denominations
that no protest would be made by them
when the government should take up
the negotiations necessary to acquire
title to these lands. Their purchase
for $7,00O,OOO he said, had saved what
would have been a bloody revolution
in the Philippines.
Forty years ago." he said, ut would
have been impossible to have obtained
this concurrence. There would have
arisen among the denominations an
was recognition Of the Roman Cath
olic church contrary to our tradition
al principles"
Y. M. c. A. on lsthmus.
After he had described the Y. M.
c. A. on the isthmus Of Panama,
where four clubs are running, each
under the direction Of an experienced
Y. NJ. c. A. secretary, paid by the
government, where 10 or IL ministers
are also employed by the government
with plan endorsed to establish two
or three more clubs, Mr.. Taft 1e.
marked:
''It is possible we will be charged
with having filched that money from
the public treasury. But If we have,
we have accomplished a good work
with it. I think also the expenditure
could be defended on strictly legal
grounds. We have entered the sth-
mus Of Panama and introduced there
some $4,000 souls. Unless we take
especial pains to have their morality
looked after, unless We furnish minis
ters, churches and Christian clubs, we
are going to have such a saturralia of
evils, such Generalization that we win
never build the canal. Hence, II we
are to be impeached for spending that
money it will be in a good cause"
Secretary Arrives.
Mr. Taft arrived here from Alta nta
at 9 o'clock today. Fred w. Carpen.
ter, who will accompany Mr.. Taft to
the White House as secretary to the
president, got here today from va
cation in California.
The statement is authorized from
(Cnnfinnod