The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14
Defense Is Uttered Against the
 Canal Criticism
CANAL WILL BE COMPLETED
Taft Speaks to Crowds All Along the Line and Says He Will Be Presi- dent of All the People of
 the Nation.

through Louisiana, Mississippi and Ala bama, just like campaign days, the Pres ident-elect had today the qualification which he evidently enjoyed. of being heartily received by large and enthusi- astic crowds who did not vote for hi1h. He took numerous occasions to make his appreciation plain, at the same time leav- ing a touch of irony behind in the form of reminder that his pre-campaign predic- tions had surely come true, and not only did the south seem willing to accept him as their President, but his greatest desire was to be the President of every man, woman and child in the nation.
 There was one other burden on the Taft mind today-a desire to show hls utter contempt for what he termed the baseles sand hurtful criticisms of the work being done on the Panama canal.
 The geniality of the Taft smile may be seen in this sentence, which went home to the people of Hattiesburg, Miss:
 q am delighted to look into your faces; delighted to say to you that am your President and you cannot help it, and if ever an opportunity comes again to show, it will gratify me to come down here to Hattiesburg, named after, I doubt not a beautiful woman, and say to the people of Hattiesburg: Come up to Washington and we will give you thearight hand of fellowship, and will show you that you own just as much of the White House and have as much right to call on the President, and, indeed, on the woman who couples and runs it-as anybody ?
 The canal remarks of MT. Taft were delivered with unusual manifestations of aggressiveness.
 'The Panama canal is going to be built" he declared, and what want you to do, and what I want every American citizen to do is to stand by the men who are building it." (Voices: we will do it'D, Don't set fire in the rear Don distrust the men that are giving up their strength and energy and enterprise to put that great work through. When you have agents who are doing your work you stand behind them. If you don't you can't get your work done. The men who do your work are entitled to your help and confidence and you ought not to allow yourselves to be led astray by buncombe speeches on the floor of the House of tional newspapers, and go back on the men that are doing your work.
 q don't care whether you are demo- crats or republicans, you want the work done and when the army engineers who are doing this work are giving all their time to the carrying out of this work. you are not men to go back on them or to believe every idle story that comes from the mouth of some politician, who i is seeking to make himself prominent or to give himself the advertisement of a little unfounded sensational state ment.
 That work is being done honestly. I know what I am talking about. It will be built and all the wind opposi- ton that comes merely from a desire to exalt and exploit the man who makes himself responsible won't op- pose it.
 q Know what the people of the United States want in that regard, and in so far as I have power as the executive of this country, I am going to push that work, and l am going to stand behind the men who are doing it.. And now, gentlemen, you have gotten me into more heat than I expected, but thank you very much for your well come"
 There was a cordial leave-taking at New Orleans this morning, when the ! Taft party departed. Slidell, La, turned out the first crowd to greet the President -elect, and from that time on he was almost constantly on the rear platform of the train, expressing his pleasure at the crowds and talking to the people of their government. Mrs. Taft participated in the demonstrations and was cheered by the people. Floral tributes, bonbons, and two live Billy 'possums" constituted the presentations of the day. The 'possums were allowed to escape from their wooden crate and take to the woods at nightfall. Picayune, Poplarville, Lumberton, Purvis, Hattiesburg, Ellisville, Laurel and Meridian were treated to the ap- pearance of the President-elect The two big demonstrations of the day were at Hattiesburg and Meridian.
 MT and Mrs. Taft will reach Cincin- natl tomorrow morning and will go direct to the c. P. Taft residence. Taft at Meridian.
 ,rar,5ian Miss February 13-(Special) !