Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-05-15
TAFT IS EMPHATIC
IS AGAINST SUFFRAGE AT
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
In Recent Speech Declared that He
was Against Any Change.-Business
Men Were Surprised to Hear Him
State His Attitude so Strongly
Says 1t Is All Right Now.

Declaring emphatically against suf-
of Columbia ana opposing any iaAio.4i
change in the relation between the ma
tional government and that of the ma
tional capital, President Taft recently
set hall full of Washington business
men aghast. The president gave a fun
expression of his views and declared
that he twas thinking out loud, but
was certain of his groundwork. "
The talk of the president came as
a surprise to the listeners. A banquet
had been arranged by the Washing
ton board of trade, which is advocat-
ing a change in the government of the
city. Justice w. p. Stafford of the
supreme court of the district had de-
livered an eloquent address, in which
he pictured the people of the district
as "slaves without a voice in the af-
fairs of their city,
He advocated one senator and two
members of the house to be elected
by the people of the district and de-
clared this banquet should be the start
ing point of a great agitation for an
amendment to the constitution for this
end. When he had finished, the ban
quetters arose and cheered his senti-
ments and all looked to Taft.
Nationalist, Says Taft.
The president made short work of
expounding his views. lie declared
Justice Stafford and took a personal
pride in the city of Washington. And,
as he looked at the rotund forms
around the banquet tables, he said he
was impressed with the prosperity of
the "slaves' who lived in this national
capital.
"With respect to Washington" said
the president, 81 IN a nationalist. This
city is the home of the government of
a nation and those men who outlined
its plan of government knew what they
were doing. The home of the govern
ment of sO,OOO,OOO people should be
governed by the representatives of
those 100000 people. The people
who come here to live come here with
their eyes open as to the character of
the government of the city and they
must trust to the representatives of
sO,OOOOOO people, selected under that
constitution. If this or subsequent
meetings are to be devoted to dis
turbing conditions and abolishing the
form of government, you'll not get
anywhere in the matter of a better
government in Washington.
George Washington intended this
to be a federal city. And it tingles
down to tho feet of every man from
New Mexico, Los Angeles or Seattle
who walks the streets of this city;
This is my city; l own portion OF
this capitol.
Opposed to Suffrage.
'I'm opposed to the suffrage in thi:
district. l am opposed to it not be
cause 1 yield to any one in the prin
ciples of self government, but this dis
triet was taken out of the application
Of the principles of self-government
by the very constitution that governs
the rest of the nation, because it wa
intended all the people should contro
the city. I've got over being fright
ened by being told that I'm gettinl
away from the principles of the fathers
These principles are best maintained
by those who maintain them with rea
son.
Mr.. Taft declared that the presen
government Of Washington is good AM
is the envy Of nearly every other cit.
in the country. Washington knew whei
he founded the city that it would grow