Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-09
TAFT IS WELCOMED
TO AUGUSTA HOME"


Ring Out as President Reaches
Georgia Town Which Claims
Chief Executive as Citizen.
AUGUSTA, Nov. 6.-President Taft,
who arrived tonight, often speaks of Au-
gusta as home" He has stated several
/ times that he was resident of Augusta
when elected president of the United
States. that is when the electoral votes
were cast at Washington. The Augusta
people are proud to claim him as their
own, and hence the name of Taft. VIII
liam H., president of the United States.
Terrett cottage, Summerville," appears
in the current city directory.
The president will spend all day Tues
day in Wilmington, N. c., and all day
Wednesday in Richmond, reaching Wash
ington at S:S5 o'clock Wednesday night.
Major Cumming. with whom the presi-
dent is stopping, is an old Confederate
soldier and the Democratic member of
the Chickamauga National Park commits
sion.
Capt. Archie Butt, the presidents mil
itary aide, also had a homecoming cell
ebration in his honor tonight, Augusta
being his birthplace and the home of most
The presidents afternoon in Columbia
was filled with interest. He was enter
tanned at luncheon in the chamber of the
house of representatives at the state cap
itol and remarked that South Carolina
was the first state officially to greet him
within the walls of its capitol. The only
other president ever to visit Columbia
was Washington, whose stay in the quaint
old city is chronicled as having been an
event in 1871. Like President Taft Wash
ington was entertained at luncheon in the
state capitol The building which housed
President Taft today, however, was not
the same, though it is old enough to bear
the scars of 'bombardment from Sher-
mans army.
VISIT PLEAsEs TAFT.
Following the evacuation of Columbia
by Gen. Wade Hampton and the occupa-
ton by General Sherman the entire bus
mess section of the city was burned. Con-
sequently. the president today looked up
on a strange admixture of ante-bellum
homes and sky-scrapers indicative of
modern progress. -f
During his long automobile ride through
the city, the president was taken past
the old Baptist church where the seces-
sion convention assembled. Through the
misdirection OF a native a Methodist
church was burned by the northern army
as the supposed place of the inception
of the secession. The president also
saw the palatial old Preston mansion, in
which Sherman established his headquar-
tiers, and made a brief address to the
students of the University OF South Car
DINA on the old campus. surrounded by
a hollow square of buildings which have
known no outward change since the days
Of the civil war.
I'D e n. -
the Sos caused the president to speak at
the luncheon in his honor with a fervor
on the subject of the passing of all Sec
tional feeling greater than he has dis
| played at any other city during his SOUTH
ern trip. The president also made
speech at the state fair grounds.
Governor Ansel and Senators Tillman
and Smith, of South Carolina, were the
presidents guests on board the May
flower during sthe trip from Charleston
to Columbia this morning. Senator Till
man, however. disappeared as soon as
the party alighted at the state capitol.
He had been in controversy with those
in charge Of the luncheon arrangements
and had declined an invitation which
carried with 1t an assessment for $40.
Senator Tillman said he thought that was
! a poor example of South Carolina hos
pitality, and thought the city ought to
! bear the expense of all invited guests.
The citizens Of Columbia, however say
they tried to make the luncheon a state
affair and consequently invited all state
officers. including the United States SEN
ators, to contribute their share.
In his speech at the state capitol, Pres
ident Taft, said:
II am greatly honored to be received
by you in this. the house of the repre-
sentatives of South Carolina, in your
magnificent capitol -..
II am greatly honored to be received
! by your representative men of the state
not only by the private citizens, but by
| the governors, the senator's, the chief JUS
tice and your congressman, and 1 APP
preciate it to the full. 1t is the first state
In which / have been rendered a well
/ come within the capitol walls of the
state, and I take it as an expression on
your part of a desire to show that 1t is
the state and the people of the state
that welcome me.
MY friends, am not inspired to say
much today because I feel so much
more than I can say. There is some
thing about South Carolina and her ira
ditions 1 look into the faces of her
| great men, and think what she has
done and the part she has played in all
the great historical crises OF this
country, that makes me take this re-
ception from you with a feeling that 1
am honored far beyond my deserts.
LOYALTY TO FLAG.
II realize that 1t is because repre-
sent the whole nation for the time be-
ing. and that you in your loyalty to the
flag and country, and with the hospital
| ity for which your state is noted, ex-
press to me the feeling that rises In
| each OF your hearts as you think Or
your country, and as you think Of the
patriotism Of yourselves and the state
L come to Columbia and look out
from the steps Of the state capitol and
see city that has arisen since the
civil war-not a city that did not exist
before the civil war, pur a city that by
its growth ana its energy and its TAX
ing on life shows that while that civil
war brought to II an evidence OF the
tremendous strength, the tremendous
power Of self-sacritice OF its people, it
4 not a k1a~