New-York tribune., 1909-11-03
MIR. TAFT TO SOUTH
SEEKS CLOSER UNION.
Glad Dauis's Name Has Been
Restored to Bridge.

Columbus. Miss, Nov. 2.-President Taft
received a joyous welcome here to-day
when he came to visit the birthplace OF
Secretary Dickinson and brought the Seer =
tary of War with him. Mr.. Taft held a
reception at the old home of General
Stephen D. Lee. of the Confederate Army,
as the guest of the son of the house.
Blewett II. Lee. Later he made an ad
dress from a stand on Main street, and be-
fore his departure at 2:9O p. m for Birming
ham. Ala, attended his first barbecue OF
the trip at the Mississippi Industrial Girls
School.
The President took occasion here to pay
a high tribute TO Mr.. Dickinson In fact,
ever since he has entered Mississippi, Mr..
Taft has lost no opportunity TO express his
high regard for the Secretary.
In his midnight speech at Jackson last
night, the President said:
Now have got Mac" Dickinson in the he
why | wanted him. l wanted him because
/ wanted 10 give an earnest example TO
the South of the truth OF my declaration
that | was anxious to bring you closer
to the government at Washington, and |
also took him because wanted one OF the
ablest men of the country who does things.
and l wanted that Panama Canal built. l
knew if he took hold of it it would go.
One of your great heroes of Mississippi
is Jefferson Davis, and | am glad that the
administration at Washington has wiped
out the evidence of that extreme partisan
bitterness of Cabin John Bridge and that
his name is restored there as Secretary Of
War. l am glad because-I know and can
testify from my experience IN the South
that the same JOY that they experience
at that act on the part of the admniStra-
ton is the JOY of a common country and
loyalty TO a common flag.
on his way TO Columbus to-day the
President made brief speeches at Kosci-
usko. Ackerman. Starkville and West
Point. At each place he was greeted by
an enthusiastic throng, the negroes being
drawn up on one side of the track and the
whites on the other.
At Kosciusko the President gave further
expression to his desire to bring the peo-
pie of the South closer to the other states
He said:
! have been glad to be here, because l
think this state as nearly any, repre-
sents the opinion and types of the South,
and ] am anxious TO come as closely in
contact with the Southern people and eX-
plain to them as sincerely and sympa-
theticalIv as | can my desire to unite them
and bring them closer to all the other
states.
1t is not that We want to make you Re-
publicans or that we want to become Dem
ocrats. We all have our views ana our
tastes In that regard. but II Is that we
shall bring you and that you shaIl come
to believe that YOU are as near to the
heart of the central government as now
administered as any other people in the
Union.
A crowd greeted the President at West
Point School children. Confederate vet
Grams and state militia made up large
part of the assemhage.
y am glad / came to Mississippi" said
the President. where hospitality is not
exceeded by any section of this great
country" He dwelt on the returning
good fellowship of all sections of the ma
ton and promised to do all in his power
10 promote this friendship.