Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-06-11
TAFT OPENS BIG FAIR
WITH ALASKA GOLD KEY
President Sends Sparks Across
Continent Starting Pacific
Exposition.
JAMES J. HILL WARNS NATION
Magnate Sees Danger and Pleads for
Law Enforcement Instead Of
Law Making.

President Taft, in the White House,
at 3:15 o'clock Tuesday afternoon,
pressed a telegraphy key of Alaska
gold and sent a spark across the con-
tinent that put in motion the wheels
of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific EXPOSE
ton in Seattle. loosed the waters of
it's fountains, unfurled its banners,
started it's bands playing, released
showers of daylight fireworks, called
upon the %saluting guns Of the Amerl-
can and Japanese fleets, set all the
steamers in the harbor and all the 10
comotives in the railroad yards Whls'
thing and brought forth universal re-
joicing from all Seattle.
Big Fair Is
The exercises at the worlds fair
grounds preceding the Presidents sig
nal were carried out with military pre-
cision. The exposition gates were
opened at $50 o'clock. At $50 troops
from the United States army and aVy
from the Japanese cruisers Aso and
Soya and the State militia paraded
through the grounds, under the COM
mand of Colonel T. C. Woodbury., U.
S. A., and the column was reviewed
from a stand at the head of the court
of honor by exposition officials, visit
ing governors and Admirals H. Ijichi
and Uriel Sebree.
The ceremonial exercises were heli
in a vast natural amphitheater sloping
to Lake Washington. The program
consisted of music, invocation by Cath
Ollie Bishop Onward ]. O'Day, brief ad-
dress by Director General l. a. Ma
deau and President j. F. Chilberg, the
long address by James J. Hill, chair
man of the Great Northern board, and
a benediction by Episcopal Bishop
Frederick w. Keator.
Mr.. Hill said: There are four great
words that should be written upon the
four corner stones of every public
building in this land, with the sacred
ness Of a religious rite. These watch
words of the republic are equality, sim
plicity, economy and justice. They are,
interviewer with every fiber of the ma
tional fabric. To forget or deny them
will lead to every misfortune and ev-
cry possibility of destruction that rises
now threateningly in the path Of our
country's greatness.
Frequent use of the phrase, our
complex civilization creates a vague
impression that simplicity has been
banished necessarily from the modern
world by a kind of natural evolution.
Whereas 1t remains now, as always,
thu r1rr,o1 r,,1a ~ a whn1ocor,o rotjor-
al life.
1--WE have complicated our lawmak-
ing until, despite the high standards,
the unimpaired traditions and the on
tinual labors of the courts, the admin
tstration of justice is difficult and
sometimes uncertain. The greatest
service to the nation, to every State
and city to-day, would be the substitu-
ton for q term of years of law en-.
forcement for law-making."
Taft Sends Message.
The ceremony of pressing the gold
key in the east room of the White
| House in Washington by which Presi-
! dent Taft to-day formally opened the
! Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was
| simple. There was a delay of fifteen
| minutes at Seattle in completing the
| arrangements, and it was 3:15 p. m.
washington time) when President
| Taft touched the golden telegraph in
strument. Practically the entire diplo-
matte corps was present. The message
which followed quickly after the cur
rent that put everything in motion
was as follows:
The White House. Washington.
June /, 19O9.-Mr. J. E. Chilberg,
President Observation-Disclosures EXPOSE.
ton, Seattle, Wash.
VI congratulate you and your asso.
ciates on this suspicious opening OF
the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition,
and I congratulate the people of the
great Northwest on the courage and
enterprise they have shown in bring
ing it forth. The exposition, designed
and marvellous wealth of Alaska and
the development of trade and com
merce on the Pacific slope, should ap-
peal not only to the people of the
West but to the people of the country
at large. I trust it will fully meet the
expectations of those to whose untir
ing energies 1t owes its birth and that
1t will prove a source of instruction
and education to its thousands of visi
tors. WILLIAM H. TAFT"
President Taft and Senator Piles
then made brief addresses.