Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-20
NORTH CAROL|NANS
WARMLY GREET Taft
ATTENDS CELEBRATION OF THE
MEckLENeuRG pEcLARA-
TloN AT CHARLOTTE.
MUCH INTEREST MANIFESTED
IN ATTITUDE HE WOULD TAKE
President Steers Clear of opon Declar-
alton as to Wording of Document
Says Its Intent Was Conceived in
the Proper spirit-Taft's Last Day
in the South.

in the South.
Charlotte n. c., May 20.-.President
Taft's presence in Charlotte today lent
notable interest to the annual celebra
ton of signing the Mecklenburg dec
laration of independence which. 1t Is
claimed, was the first step toward lib
erty taken by the coonsts. The presi-
alton of a three days celebration.
The president. upon his arrival here
shortly before II. was met at the sta
ton by an imposing committee of citi
zens and escorted to the Selwyn hotel
AS the train bearing the presidents car
crossed the city limits presidential
salute of twenty-one guns was freq
by the Charlotte artillery. Arriving at
the hotel, the president held recep-
tion for an hour AT noon, with scores
of union and confederate veterans as
his escort. the president. accompanied
by Mrs. "Stonewall" Jackson, proceed
ed to the reviewing stand. from which
he witnessed the passing of probably
the most notable parade ever held in
this city.
The president will make two speeches
during his stay in the city, and will
leave at 80 tonight for Washington.
reaching there about noon tomorrow.
Taft Warmly Greeted.
Taft was greeted by an immense
throng at the railway station. 1t re-
quired the services of several COM
panies of militia to keep the cheering
crowds at the depot in check as the
president alighted and made his way
to the waiting carriage. The weather
was threatening. but in no wise inter-
fered with the carrying out of the
days program.
Interest in the presidents visit to
Charlotte at this time centered in the
attitude he would take toward the
Mecklenburg declaration of independ-
ence, the anniversary of the signing OF
which is celebrated thruout the state
of North Carolina the Goth of each
May. Taft takes the position that re-
gardless of the exact language of the
declarations made in May. 1875. a full
year before the signing of the Jeffer-
son declaration at Philadelphia, July
4. 1876 the fact remains that there was
a declaration of independence on the
part of the citizens Of North Carolina.
ut is not so material as to the exact
language used" said the president to-
lDy s.rTha nf q a y>at IN
the principles of civil liberty and self
government Is not so much abuse or
denunciation of former controlling
power as the provisions made for a fu-
ture form of government. The impress
sive thing about the North Carolinian
proposition is the sensible way that
the people of the state. after deciding
to sever relations with Great Brit-
ain, went about the matter of setting
up government of their own. They
appointed select men. provided for
their military officers, their courts, and
forms of legal procedure. 1t showed
not alone desire for liberty but abil-
ity to govern, and thorough knowl-
edge of the subject"
The sharp controversy which was
waged about the Mecklenburg declara-
ton has had to do largely with the
language of the document, signed eth
er May 90 or May 81, 1775. 1t has been
charged that the language of the dec
laration as accepted here in North
Carolina was too much like that en-
ployed by Jefferson to have been the
original.
Cloudburst Causes Panic.
A cloudburst broke over the city this
afternoon and caused q panic in the
dense crowd gathered in front of the
stand from which President Taft was
reviewing the Mecklenburg celebra-
ton parade. No one was seriously hurt.
President Smiles Thru Storm.
In the midst of the excitement and
fleeing throng a bl gindustrial float
became entangled with live electric
wires. The wires sagged almost to the
heads of the people beneath To add
to the turmoil and danger there was n
loud report and binding flash not fifty
yards from the reviewing stand. Just
what caused the explosion is not
known. The crowd scattered In all di-
rections, and men, women and children
rushed for shelter of the presidents
stand Taft stepped to one side to
give is much room as possible.
After the first mad rush for cover
the rowds were soon quieted The
electric power was cut off and the ex-
citement soon ceased. The president
didn't seem to mind the experience,
and stood smiling while the rain
poured down. Thousands of mon and
women were dreiched to the skin and
many pretty costumes were utterly
ruined. The parade was near the con-
clusion when the cloudburst came. The
president remained on the stand untI
the last bedraggled float went by. then
entering a carriage was driven to the
hotel, where he had a change of cloth
ing