The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-03
BY His Appeals for Friendship
and Support.
THE OLD REBEL YELL
AS 1t Has Not Been Heard for
Years, Greets Him.
Discusses Woman Suffrage at
Girls Industrial School.


to closer union with the states of the
north" was in full swing VIXEN the
chief executive reached here at 7:35
O'Clock last night. At his various stops
in Mississippi, eliminating at Column
bus, the old home of Secretary of War
Dickinson, the president had called out
ton of friendship to the south and by
the repeated statement that his visit
" as without political significance.
The old rebel yell was heard in Col
umbus as the president spoke as it has
little town was crowded to the bursting
point with eXcursionists.
President Taft's address from stand
erected on May street was punctured
with cheers. In speaking OF his desire
to bring the southern people closer to
their neignbors of the north and west,
President Taft declared that the cordial
reception he has thus far received has
convinced him that the southern people
are willing to come more than half way
III the encouragement of that senti-
u1ent.
Secretary Dickinson in a. speech at
Columbus declared that as a judge OF
the federal court with a jurisdiction ex-
tending into the southern states, Presi-
dent Taft came to know much of the
characters. the aims and ambitions of
the southern people and was nearer to
them in this regard than was Grover
Cleveland, who was elected by their
suffrage.
Guest of Birmingham.
The president is to be the guest of
Birmingham until o'clock this after
noon. His entertainment began with
banquet presided over by United States
Senator r. F. Johnston. and at which
the speakers included Governor Conner
d
Rabb, Secretary of War Dickinson and
the president. When he arrived in
this city Mr.. Taft was met by Mayor
|O'Brien and committee of citizens
The streets about the depot and leading
from there to the hotel were thronged.
The president has entirely recovered
his voice he lest in Texas.
In addition to declaring his good will
to the people of the south he had a
few words to say with reference to
he was surrounded on the campus of
the Mississippi girls industrial insti-
tute and college by 800 as pretty girls
as could be found in all the south.
and who, Afterwards helped to serve the
president his party and the citizens OF
Columbus, the first barbecue of the
presidential tour.
81 venture to Think he went on,
that the best legacy that can be left
to young man is a good education
and a good character by training in a
family to good moral standards and
nothing else.
Fair Chance for Women.
1.-THE same thing is true with respect
to the young women who are given a
fair chance in life in earning and
carving out her own future. The great
trouble has been that we have not
given the woman fair show. We
rave not opened all the avenues to
livelihood that they are quite as well
able to fill and in certain respects bet
ter able to fill than we are.
st am not a rabid suffragist. The
truth is, 1 am not in favor of suffrage
for women until 1 can be convinced
that all the women desire it and when
they desire it. am in favor of giving
it to them. and when they desire 1t
they will get it, too. But do believe
one of the advantages in giving them
that kind of influence will be more GER
tain to open avenues or self support TO
them than heretofore has been done.
ct shall be glad that I shall not nave
any property to leave to my boys of
whom 1 have two, but only a good
character and a pride in themselves
and a good education, but for my
daughter I am going to scrape together
as much as I can give her and as good
an education as I can so that she shall
take in the lesson which I first sought
to announce as the text OF my dis
course. that she shall marry only when
she chooses TO marry anu llOI OOSduSC
o. circumstances
In his personal address at Columbus
after paying a tribute to Secretary
Dickinson, President Taft said:
ct am glad to be in the city of your
great General Lee L am indeed sorry
it was not given to me to meet him IN
person and receive that kindly, gentle
influence that he shed wherever he
moved. My friends, one can not come
before southern audience, belng
northern man, without having mem
ory of that which is in the past and
he can not come in the capacity in
which I come as your president, with
out thanking God that the past is over
not that we are attacking what the
past is, but that we have passed
through that awful trial on both sides
that certified to the world the fibre of
our natures and the strength of our
American people.
ssYou are not in favor of war and
am not in favor of war. and we Will
never seek it if we can in any honor
able way avoid it, but in the history
of nations, when war becomes newt
able and puts to trial the manhood, the
courage, the self sacrifice of a nation,
hard and hel1ish as war is, the test IS
one to which a people may look back
with pride and with thanks to God that
they survived the test and showed
themselves worthy of enjoying the
blessing of such a government as ours.
Now, you southern people are an
emotional people. We have some emo
lions in the north, too, but if there is
any difference. your hearts expand
more easily and you are more sensitive,
possibly, than we are. In order to I'M
derstand the southern people, especially
with respect to issues of the war and
what grew out of tin order to under
stand their present position-one must
know that your hearts and emotions
are broad enough to entertain entire
loyalty to the issues of the past, which
you fought so nob1y to sustain, and en-
tire loyalty to our present government
for which you would be willing to lay
down your life if occasion required it.
Now, that is what l know the south
ern nature to be and that is why
come and appeal to you, if appeal is
necessary, and I-don't believe it is. IT,
uphold the hands of an administration