Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-19
Occasion Was One of Rare
Dignity and Brilliancy, Set
in An Atmosphere of South
ern Hospitality,
TAFT TOLD In SONG
HOW TO ENJOY HIS
'POSSUM AND TATERS
Speeches of Welcome Were Pitched
ON a High Plane That Gave Judge
Taft an Understanding of the Real
Feelings of the South.

Surely the famous smile of Will
liam Howard Taft never kindled
across a happier evening than that
of the banquet given in his honor
Friday by the Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce. 1t was a smile in which
Georgia and all the southland joined.
1t has lighted the face of the whole
nation with a glow of fresh brother
hood. For, the sentiment which this
banquet awoke and the idea to which
it gave gracious utterance mark the
rise of new day in. southern history
and therefore new era in the ma
TONS life.
This sentiment and idea were as differ
ent from the conventional text of "a re-
united country as the occasion itself
was different from the conventional ban
quet. In neither was there semblance
of anything studied or prearranged. Ev-
erything that was said or done sprang
freely and naturally from the hearts OF
the men who were there. That Is why the
evening may be called an epoch for the
section and the entire country as well as
for Atlanta. From s O'Clock until after
II President-elect Taft sat beaming in the
midst of hospitality that could not have
! boEnn kindlier by the Yule logs of old Nir-
| ginia or merrier in any manor house OF
old England. He ate 'possum and drank
persimmon beer and snapped jokes with
| Governor Wilson, of Kentucky. He join
! ed his voice with the 800 men who sang,
way Down Upon the Suwanee River
| and my Country IT'S of Thee" He
seemed and he actually was in the midst
of big family; and he was at home.
Speeches Spontaneous
. This was the atmosphere of the ban
/ ouet and the speeches that were made
| seemed only a spontaneous towering OIL
| this spirit As POSTMASTER, Asa q. can
| dler, president of the chamber OF COM
/ merce, chatted to the half-thousand-odd
| guests when he presented the speakers.
He didn't "orate.' And when Mayor
Maddox told how Atlanta felt toward her
sister cities of the north and east and
! west he sounded as though he were talk
| ing of the absent members or mousse
hold. So with Governor Smith, when ne
| smoke for Georgia and with Judge Thomas
! q Jones, of Alabama, native Georgian,
! by the way when he came to tell what
makes up the heart of an American GU
zen. wherever he may be found. MOST
notable OF all, IflS was ~ OS NASS -
| nresident-elect who closed the evening
conversation He began with a JOKE
new one. too. and ended with an utter
| ance which reached out across the plg
/ assembly as though 1t were gathering Ihe
hand of every man into his own honest
! err,n and through them the hand of the
| whole southern country. What Judge
| Taft had to say will be found In fun else
| where in today's Journal 1t may De sag
now. however, that never has presloent
| Of the United States met the souIh nioi
| frankly or assuringly.
Setting Fitting and Beautiful
The setting of this significant occasion
was fitting and beautiful The banquet
I was held-in one of the rooms OF tne ne"
auditorium. It is a spacious hall fin
isbed in early English woodwork. There
ware flags and flowers everywhere, so
MANY flags, indeed, that the banquet
tiers seemed seated In a field OF stars
ord stripes. Across the entire upper
length Of the room extended the speak
ers' table banked with roses and snow
! ering ferns with a living wall OF PAINS
and roses for its background. And in the
| center of this emerald background stood
! a giant American flag woven of red and
hi 10 blossoms, starred with as many
electric lights as there are states in the
union. BY some cunning device the very
center of the flag concealed portrait
! ~ Mr. Taft When he arose to speak its
features broke into a circle of white
ra dance from it's frame of azure and
crimson folds. And the orchestra played
'1yIxie" and Yankee Doodle in swift
/ succession and the 600 men leaped to
their feet shouting and waving handker-
chiefs. Then someone began singing,
| sepfv Country IT'S of Thee" And Mr..
/ Taft smiled and joineO in.
,rhe banquet was necessarily elaborate
! and nothing short of the consummate
J forethought and administration exercised
bv the committee on arrangements could
have carried II out with such ease and
simplicity. But particular care had been
taxen this elaborateness should not be
conspicuous. Indeed, it was so unno-
: tic cable as to be entirely forgotten
Features Not on Program
Certain incidents not announced on the
program did much to make this posi-
BILE. Among these was the singing of a
number of old plantation songs by DR..
! j. w. Lee, of Trinity Methodist church;
/ Dr.. w. w. Landrum. of the First Bap
! tist church; Judge Andy Calhoun and
Judge r.. B. Russell. Just before the
/ 'possum course came on, a darkey was
seen trudging UP the central aisle toward
| the speakers table where Judge Taft sat.
! He bore a huge trencher on which bar
! becued 'possum sat grinning In the bed OF
gravy and sweet potatoes. Mr. Gambler
/ received the dish and placed it squarely
/ in front of the president-elect while the
rilnent. The POSTMASTER then called DR..
/