The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-06
TAFT
IS AN OPTIMIST
He Speaks of High Standards
At San Francisco
VISITS IN THREE CITIES
Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco
Get a Share of the Presidents
Time and He Is Welcomed,
cheered and Banqueted.

San Francisco, October 5.-After pass
ing the entire forenoon in Oakland and
Berkeley, across the bay, President Taft
was welcomed to San Francisco this aft
ernoon by throng which lined the walks
in some places ten deep along line of
march extending over nearly three miles
of the principal streets. School children
of this city, Oakland and Berkeley cheered
! the President
Visiting three cities and passing three
quarters of an hour in San Francisco
| bay, the President had busy day. AS he
was crossing from Oakland mole to San
Francisco the army transport Thomas
was setting sail for the Philippines and
by the Presidents request the revenue
cutter Golden Gate on which he was
passenger, was drawn up alongside the
big vessel, the sides of which were lined
with soldiers and the families of officers.
On the bridge of the transport the
Philippine constabulary band was drawn
up and was playing Hail to the Chief"
as the President shouted across the water
to the khaki-elad soldiers:
'Goodby, boys; I wish you a pleasant
voyage"
Answering cheers came back to the
President and as the transport started on
| her voyage again, the President looked
wistfully toward the Golden Gate.
docs it make you geel homesiek, Mr..
PRESIDENT asked Eember of the Pres
idents party
Indeed it does,' replied Mr.. Taft. ct
would give anything if 1 were with them
Reaches San Francisco.
The President reached the shores of
San Francisco bay early today, with fog
hanging over the city. Before IL o'clock,
however, the sun had turned the day into
one of blue skied splendor.
Tonight the President was given a ban
quet at the Fairmont hotel by more than
600 residents of San Francisco and later
was entertained at the Press club. The
President retired at midnight at the ST.
Francis hotel and will leave at o'clock
tomorrow for the Yosemite valley.
During his stay in Berkeley today the
President stole a half hour away from
the entertaining committee and visited
his cousin. Mrs. Charles T. Blake.
One of the most pathetic incidents of
the Presidents trip marked his stay in
Berkeley. He passed in review of the
pupils of an institute for the deaf, dumb
and blind.
The tribute of flags waved silently by
the dumb and the cheers from the blind
deeply impressed the President.
| President Taft saw San Francisco to-
day for the first time since the fire. He
| felt deep interest in the city because,
| while Secretary of War, he had a great
deal to do with the pans of relief for tho
stricken people. He marveled at the
| growth of the city and in his address at
| the Y. M. C. A. expressed the hope that
/ fIa
! energetic, as optimistic and enthusi-
astic as that which has rehablitated
| the city.
Speech at Banquet.
| In his speech at the banquet tonight the
| President reiterated his views on the SUBJ
| ject of a merchant marine, and aroused
great enthusiasm by his declaration that
he would urge the passage OF a ship
subsidy law in his Forthcoming message
to Congress.
In his speech at Berkeley the Pres
ident said:
1T is a great pleasure for me to be
here and to be received by Professor
Moses, an old comrade, I had almost said
in arms, but we did not carry muskets
in the Philippines, but my old comrade
in attempting to initiate legislation and to
pioneer in the far distant islands of the
Pacific.
easy one when you are in it. 1t has
somewhat different aspect when you are
engaged in pulling the throttle, or putting
on the brakes from that which it has
| from the professors chair or the editorial
| sanctum. There are obstacles and friction
and difficulties that it is not possible al
| ways to explain, but the existence of
| which one who is in the middle of it can
affirm with great emphasis and it is
| these obstacles and difficulties and the
| friction that are not always appreciated
by the critics who do not have the re-
sponsibilities.
None the less the high standard set by
those critics is of the utmost use in lift
ing up government and lifting up a peo-
| pie. The result is an inspiration for
| higher things. Being compelled either to
modify or qualify your ideals in practical
results Is after all progress.
In Optimistic Class.
81 like to affirm that I am an optimist
and an optimist with respect to popular
| government. II I were not | should not
enjoy being in the business of govern
ments, but in that progress we sometimes
have to give way in our theories to the
views of the general public, shown in the
votes at the polls or in the vote in Con-
gress, and not infrequently years after,
we have to admit that on the whole the
result reached by reconciling and compro-
missing all the views of different people Is
better than If We followed with literal
fidelity the theory of one person.
President Taft then referred to his as
ISOLATION with the University of California
which the members of the first Philippine
commission visited on their way to the
eastern archipelago. Speaking of the day
the commission sailed he said:
That day it was a fog that we were
looking into as we left the Golden Gate
and turned our vessel toward the Philip
pines. The future was dark and obscure
and II any man would have said that that
trip would land me in the presidency of
the United States I should have felt
like characterizing him either as falsi-
fer or man without sense.
But you never can tell what the future
is going to bring about. Tt seemed long
way around to the White House to go out
10000 miles into the tropics. but that is
where it landed me; and as I started from
Berkeley 1t delights me to testify to the