Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-19

entirely without responsibility Tor max
ing Georgia different politically from
what she is, and as I am on a vacation
in which 1 have little to do but to enjoy
myself and make a cabinet am not in
the slightest degree worried. over the
prophecies of failure which l see occa-
sionaIIy in interviews with prominent
southerners, and this is because there Is
no room for failure In my visit to this
country. -.
Came for Recreation
| came here for rest and recreation
and / have had both. and have found a
warm and cordial reception and patrl-
Otto respect for the office into whlch
am soon to be indicted. Indeed, while
| Mr. Roosevelt is laboring in washington
under the responsibilities Of his great OF
fee, I am enjoying the respect attentlon
and hospitality that patriotic Americans
extend to the office, without at present
carrying its burdens
! A walk of four miles around eighteen
holes of golf is all that 1 need to keep
the presidential body in good condition
whereas Mr.. Roosevelt in his anxious de-
/ sfra to nerve the army up to what IT'S
members should be able to do under
| stress. must ride ninety miles In IA or 10
i hours
| Hence I take issue with my friends
from the south in congress VINO III Nari-
Gus interviews ascribe failure to my COM
| ing. because 1 think 1t has been great
| success. If my coming had been par
/ tisan no such meeting as this tonight
wouid have been possible, and so l may
saw of all the receptions and expressions
of good will and welcome that l have re-
ceived from point to point throughout
this southern country. The very success
of INV trip, the very reason why 1t gives
me SO much satisfaction is the pro"
nounced non-partisan character OF the
welcome which has been so kindly ex-
tended to me.
Now II this indirectly makes, not for
! a partisan advantage, but for a continu-
ance of the movement In favor of indie
pendence of speech and action and polftl-
cal tolerence, its result Is one that all
citizens of whatever political party must
| rejoice IN have brought about. The rela-
tfon of the national administration TO
section ike this. in the distant past has
been that almost of an alien government
I or. at least, of a government like that OF
home government to a colony. The d.
rect local effect of a national admins
/ tration upon the south is chiefly through
its local officials, appointed and exercis-
| ing their functions through the section,
and therefore the expression OF the adj
ninistration toward the southern people
takes its color in the character OF those
officials. and. therefore, the administra-
ton may be properly held accountable
ano it's policy determined by the quahhca-
lions. fitness and standing of the men APP
pointed to represent it in the districts and
states of the section.
Appointments Should Suit South
I realize therefore that expressions OF
sympathy with the south and an earnest
desire to bring it closer to the central
government in thought and action and
feeling will have comparatively little
weight unless this expression is accom-
named bv such appointments in the south
| as shall prove this sympathy to be real
and substantial The difficulty of making
proper selections in a part OF the coun-
try where the sensibilities Of the people
are different from those of ones own Sec
tion. here conditions OF society differ so
radically and where there are no accred-
/ tied representatives selected by the peo-
pie Of the same party as the administra-
ton. is very great indeed. II is question
of evidence and of evidence difficult to
get. and when secured, hard to weigh,
because il Is only judgment and estimate
and generally not mere statement OF a
| concrete fact All / can say with refer
ence to the future policy of the admins
tration I'm the south on this subject is
that l expect to spare no effort to find
out the facts in respect to the character
OF the proposed appointees, and so far as
| I'm me lies to select those whose charac-
ter and reputation and standing in the
community commend them to their fellow
citizens as persons qualified and able to
discharge their duties well, and whose
presence IN important positions will re.
move, If any such thing exists, the sense
of alienism in the government which they
represent.
The work of the next administration is
10 be a work of creation and construc-
ton TO furnish the machinery with which
the best principles announced and car
ried forward to successful establishment
by Theodore Roosevelt, are to be
clinched and maintained. The legislation
affectihg the great railway and indus
| trial corporations neeus amendment, not
| so much to change its principle or OBJ
iect as to facilitate its enforcement and
make fits violation less easy and advis-
able.
| OF course the immediate great work of
the administration must be the revision
| OF the tariff. In that work the south is
| quite as much interested as the north
| and. would have an honest genuine re-
vision such as has been promised by the
party in power.
Philippine Policy Should Continue
! The continuance of our Philippine pol
icy. with the improvement in the COM
mereial relations between the Islands and
the United States we may reasonably an
ticipate. and in that commercial i'm
| movement there is no section of the
country more interested than the south
The great field of diplomatic care, at
tention and activity for the next thirty
or forty years, so far as this country Is
concerned is likely to be in the far
orient The Oriental trade which In
wolves so much sale of metal products
( and of cotton products most nearly con-
4 Germs the welfare of the south All
i these policies therefore may we'll call
] for the close scrutiny of those who are
1 leaders of industry in Atlanta and other
] cities and ought to be taken on their
part a desire to exercise the legitimate
| influence that such a section as this
| ought to exercise in respect to the
phase of the policies to be pursued. All
/ can do is to assure the southern peo-
! pie that no interest of the south, wheth-
er IL share that interest with the north,
or whether ii has peculiar interest of its
! own, will be neglected in the conduct Of
the government in so far as that con-
4 esct shall be under the control of its
chief executive.
/ am glad that came to Atlanta. I
] am glad to meet this most cordial and
4 n