The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-23
HEAR REBEL YELL.
Taft Talks to Ten Acres of People In
Texas.

Houston, Tex, Oct. 23.-President
Iaft spent three hours in Houston this
morning and received probably the
most demonstrative reception of his
Iexas travels. He spoke from bal
cony OF the Rice hotel, at the corner
OF Texas avenue and Main street, to a
throng which he himself described as
ten acres of people, Afterward he
was driven in review of several thous-
and school children. white and colored.
and after a brief automobile trip left
at 1890 a. m. for Dallas.
During his speech the president
constantly was interrupted with ap-
plause and old fashioned "rebel' yells.
He seemed thoroughly to enjoy the
noisy welcome and told the people of
Houston that he did not care what
their politics was, he appreciated their
greetings and understood it to be a
tribute to the head of a united nation.
MI. Taft was presented this morning
with a badge by Miss Kate Daffan,
president of the Texas division of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy.
In his speech to the Houston people,
the president was in very happy
mood. He said it seemed he had been
riding through Texas for ten days or
more and had not yet reached the
position of Houston as one of the
greatest inland cotton markets in the
world and congratulated the city on its
growth.
st have been to San Antonio and am
going to Dallas" said the president.
II am not going into a discussion of
the cities or decide which is the larger
of the two.
"since I have been in Houston. I
have heard enough to know that the
position of this city is so undisputed
as to not need discussion. When you
travel around this country you learn
few things. One of them is that
when you are in city which is deter
mined to he the rifx, n he 70 fo
or country, you don't want to intimate
there is any doubt about that pros
pect."
The president declared that from
else he had been, he had found the
the same civic pride. the same de-
termination to struggle upward and
it made him doubly glad to tenn
porarily be the head of such a people.
MY friends" continued the presi-
dent, 81 am like Joe in Bleak house.
and must be moving on. This country
is SO large, I don't have time to stay
long at any one place. I have found
since coming into Texas, that you are
deeply interested in waterways one
Of the phases of the conservation of
our resources which is pressing for
systematic and comprehensive treat
ment. Then there is the subject Of
irrigation, but I understand you have
not anv arid or subarid territory
The president declared the con-
temptation of the growth of the
products and power of such a state as
Texas became stupendous to the
imagination and congratulated the
people of the state in having a richer
inheritance than most of the other
states, in that they won their own In
dependence before their union with
the states.
"You have history Of your own"
he said, 'sas well as the history of the
United States. I take to heart your
cordial greeting. Men of the south, I
thank you for it.. I don't care what
politics. remember it was told to
Mr.. Roosevelt when he was here that
he had more friends and got fewer
votes in Texas than any other state.
If you give me your friendship we
can afford to wait for votes. We are a
united people, united in sentiment
united in belief and happiness of a
common country and In honorfng
common flag"