The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-04-30
TO BREAK SOLID SOUTH
President Taft Says That is One
Of His Ambitions.
GOODOPPOSITION NECESSARY
In Philadelphia Speech the President
Tells the South to Break Away
From Democracy.

Philadelphia, Pa.-President Taft
was the principal speaker at the
Grant birthday dinner OF the Union
League in this city and paid strik-
ing tribute to the soldier-president.
Mr.. Taft was sharply criticized a
year ago because of certain Of his
references to General Grant, and he
took advantage Of this opportunity to
express anew his admiration for Cen
eral GRAM
President Taft, following his al
most invariable custom, spoke extern
poraneuosly, at times in a half quiz
zical manner, and there was frequent
laughter, as well as applause, at his
reference to political conditions in
the south.
what | wish particularly to dwell
upon was the spirit of the peace at
Appomattox, represented on the one
hand by the magnanimity and far
sightedness Of Grant and by the self
restrain and courage and faT-sighted
patriotism (for it was that) on the
part of Lee, in bringing the struggle
to a close That spirit at Appomattox
is today, / trust, triumphant.
But what mean to point out is,
that that spirit we now rejoice in. as
we find between the two sections no
remaining bitterness, is spirit that
as between the two great command
ers existed the day that they shook
hands and signed the terms Of sur
render.
ut is a matter that l have very
~ Nil ic
sble to- make the two sections even
more homogeneous people than we.
Emigration into this country spread
over the north and west, not in the
south, and the south preserved it's ira
ditions longer than did we in the
north. Added to that trait and quail
ity of theirs was the fact that for a
long time the traces of war and the
Su4terings from war were present to
them, and always they have present
the colored race, to bring back recol-
lection of the strife. Prosperity has
come to the south.
Some changes, | fear, are neces-
sary in fixed economic principles to
promote the business of the south. We
are all in the same boat in a more
emphatic sense than we ever were be-
fore in the history of the country--I
mean business boat-and they Of the
south, especially their business men,
are trembling in the balance of doubt
as to just where they are politically.
Il am not making republican
speech, and / am not speaking from
a republican standpoint; at least, /
hope | can separate myself from that
disposition natural to one who went
through the last campaign. Speaking
from the standpoint, / hope. of real
patriotic interest in my country.
look forward into the next decade
not with the hope that the south shall
become republican and make the
country all republican for staunch
as am in my support Of the repub-
hcan party, / think good opposition,
good strong opposition, is necessary
to make the republican party, if it is
to control the government, useful to-
the people, and a defeat at times
would not hurt it.
What / am looking forward to is a
division in the parties in the south.
so that there shall be tolerance of no.
litical opinion there, so that in their
state government and in their ma
tional affairs there shall be more than
one political creed to be subscribed to
and supported l believe that gener-
ally through the south the men who
are not actively engaged in politics
would recognize that end as one de.
voutly to be wished.
in expressing these desires, I am
quite conscious that my motives are
likely to be misconstrued, or, at least
that | shall have attributed to me "a.
Their more political policy than patrt
otto desire, but, nevertheless, / per
sist in expressing it, and while some
of my friends from the south, who
represent that section in congress and
in the senate, are constantly throw
ing cold water on my attempts to en-
courage little independence of DO.
litical thinking in the south and saw
ing that it is hopeless for me to at
tempt to bring about change in that
regard, they will excuse me if / at
tribute to them a little of that DO
litical prejudice that they think is
actuating me Qaughter), and it is
possible they would not welcome the
division of political opinion in the
south with all the fervor of some 9th
er patriots in that section who do not
hold now the position of representa-
tive and senator in Washington.