The San Francisco call., 1909-03-02

TAFT IS GUEST { OF
"A FAMOUS PARTY
President Elect Given Dinner
s. by the Philippine
s. s. Expedition / !
Tells of Friendships Found in
Trip to Islands and Prom
ises Reunions !,

morning callers interrupted for long
walk In the afternoon and attendance
tonight at special dinner given In
his honor by the Taft Philippines expe-
dition brought President elect Taft to
within two days Of his Inauguration
with less serious demands on his time
than he has experienced any other day
since his return from Panama. The
apparent splendid physical condition,
the universal good humor and absence
from nervous strain Of Taft make q
gratifying impression.
The president elect conferred with
Senator Knox regarding many impor-
tant matters pertaining to the next
administration. Charles NageI of st.
Louis paid his respects to Taft
Frank H Hitchcock also saw Taft.
No other members of the Taft cabinet
are in Washington, with the exception
of Postmaster General Meyer and Sec
retary Wilson.
DINNER is PRETENTIoUs
The Philippine dinner was the most
pretentious of the enjoyable occa-
sions which this famous party has in
dulged in There were present seven
United States senator's and "a members
of the house.
The trip was famous because of Its
matrimonial results. Representative
Nicholas Longworth and Miss Alice
Roosevelt became betrothed: Repre-
sentative Bourke Cochran met Miss
Ide daughter Of Judge Ide of the Phil
ippine commission, who is now Mrs.
Cochran, and Representative Swagar
Sherley OF Kentucky met Miss Mignon
Crttton of Staten island. to whom he
became engaged.
| Senator Nathan B. Scott of West yfr-
gnia, one of the yoyagers, was toast
master.
When Taft arose to respond to the
first toast of the evening he was in a
particularly happy mood. He expressed
a. desire that the Philippine party might
/ be to the incoming administration what
! the Rough Riders" organization had
been 10 the last.
Il always enjoy the reunions of those
1 whose good fortune It was to take the
| Philippine trip" he began. But the
/ enjoyment is always mixed with the
/ regret that. those whom we entertain
as our guests on these occasions were
not on the trip. and further regret that
We can not take another such trip
T Cfre Gums tances never will fit themselves
I for its repetition any more than car
/ the four or FIVE honeymoons, which re-
! suited from the trip. be had over again
LEAVES SWEET MEMORIES
Il have often wondered what il was
/ that made our party such a uniform
! success from the beginning. 1 never
wanted to get to Honolulu after we EN-.
! barked on the Manchuria; certain II
was that our party received an impetus
| In good fellowship from the hospitality
/ shown to all of us by the emperor Of
Japan that lasted until we reached
/ home. / think that was not an ex-
| ceptiou in the love we all had for eact
| other when we came home-every one
/ loving every one else, and also loving
! a particular person. But it is sweet
/ memory and we have got TO enjoy il
/ in memory.
/ Now 1 am sure every one of us has
| had occasion to rejoice often that he
or she was a member OF the party
/ Speaking for myself. it seems to me
that every day IN every week / have
had occasion TO so rejoice. The party
has broken down party lines. but il has
not broken down, am glad to say. do
nestle lines. But when there is Philips
pine legislation on. il you will examine
can trace the influence of the Philip
pine party. 1t has mingled republicans
and democrats together in way that
no one can understand except those
who were members of the party.
Tonight I feel overcome by the
/ good VIII. the generosity and the. wei.
come that you have given Mrs Taft
and me. / have a sense of being un.
deserving. tCries Of "Nor') Well
( -
PROMISES REUNIONS
II am about to take UP burden thai
I am not going TO resign from. but II
is one that doubtless Will grow heavy
! at times and lighter at times But
whatever the burden. want the gooc
men and women-the good fellows botf
| male and female-of the party to know
that / am confident that whoever else
may be severe critic, / shall have the
| sympathy of those who sailed out from
San Francisco on the steamer with m,
| in 1905.
IT hope we may continue 10 hav,
these reunions. We did not have on,
at the White House when we wen
there to see that two of our numbe
were properly married, and l hope th
4 White House may be the frequent plac
of meeting In the future. 1 do not ex
pect to be its mistress and I have no
consulted It's MISTRESS out want EO1
to come there where. the landlord is s.
generous and where the tenant of whicl
will be. glad during the next term L
welcome you all and each at any time
This party might bear the same re
lation to the coming administrator
that the Rough Riders do to the out
going administration / should be- de
lighted to take them into the sam
degree of confidence as l have the elias
of Yale, rs / hope my heart is bi,
enough and 1 hope the patronage o
the effiee. is sufficiently wide to in
I.clude them both."
Il Twenty -four hundred SAILORS of th
u American battleship fleet who hav
! Just returned from their globe girdlini
Journey arrived tonight to take part Il
..Ethe inaugural parade. Nine hIndre
Isl came on the Prairie. an equal numbe
on the Panther and the remainder o.
the Dixie
! Taft Honors Roosevelt
NEW YORK. Marchs 1.-Presiden
elect Taft, according to the American
: gave that paper statement containin
the following appreciation OF Theodor
TT is difffcult for one with the dept
I of affection THAT I feel for Feresider
!. Roosevelt to give judicial estimat
of the man. but l believe that when til
historian. 25 or so years hence sha
describe his administration and the in
fluence that he has exerted as the chic
magistrate of the country, he will az
: cord to him a place with Washingto
: as we are prone now to regard WASH
fuUfap pA Tiup0ln a prnvfd a ', "a IL