Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-04
TAFT STILL WINNING SOUTH
Executive is Given Ovation at Points
in Mississippi.
HOME OF SECRETARY DICKINSON
official says Tart Understand PeOple
of south Better Than Grover
Cleveland Did-First Bar
becue of Trim.

Tafts campaign for winning the south to
closer union with the states OF the north
was In full swing when the chief execu-
tive reached here at 7:25 o'clock tonight.
At his various stops i'm Mississippi, culmi-
mating at Columbus, the old home Of Sec
rotary of War Dickinson, the president had
called out the cheers Of the people by his
declaration of friendship to the south by
the repeated statement that his visit was
without political significance.
1T is not that we want to make you re-
publicans," said the president. ''or that
we want to become democrats, We all have
our views and our tastes in that regard.
It is hat you shall come to believe that
you are as near the heart OF the central
government, as now administered as any
other people In the nation"
The old rebel yell. was heard in Columbus
as the president spoke today as 1t has
not been heard in years.
Catches Fancy Of Crowd.
h pretty little town was crowded to the
bursting point with excurslonists. Presi-
dent Taft's address from a stand erected
on Main street seemed to catch the fancy
of the crowd, and nearly every sentence
OF his talk was punctuated with cheers.
In speaking Of his desire to bring the
southern people closer to their neighbors
Of the north and west, President Taft de-
clared that the cordial reception he has
thus far had convinced him that the south
ern people are willing to come more than
half way in the encouragement of that SEN
timent.
Secretary Dickinson, in a speech at
Columbus, declared that as a Judge Of the
federal court with a jurisdiction extending
into the southern states, President Taft
-. .aa - $500. 1900. - - -
aims and ambitions Of the southern people
and was nearer to them in this regard than
was Grover Cleveland, who was elected by
their suffrage.
The president is to be the guest Of Biz
mingham until 4 O'Clock tomorrow after
noon. His entertainment began with a
banquet presided over by United States
Senator r.. f. Johnston, and at which the
speakers included Governor Conner. James
Bowron, r. N. Rhodes, j. B.. Babb, Secre-
tary OF War Dickinson and the president.
When he arrivedsin the city this evening,
Mr.. Taft was met by Mayor O'Brien and
a committee. Of citizens. The streets about
the depot and leading from there to the
hotel were thronged.
Tomorrow the president will breakfast at
the Country club, will participate In and
review a parade. will lunch at the Southern
club and in the afternoon make an address
in Capitol park. The president has entirely
recovered his voice he lost in Texas.
Address at Girls school.
In addition in declaring bis good will to
the people of the south, he had a few
words to say with reference to marriage
and woman's suffrage, when he was sur
rounded On the can pus OF the Mississippi
Girls Industrial institute and college by
500 as pretty girls AS could be found in all
the. SOUTH etdHwho afterwards helped to
serve the presidenPs party and the citi-
zens of Coltfnb5F nthe first barbecue Of
/ the presidents tour.
Il wish tina every woman in the world
was so situated, - the president said, that
she should not mini it necessary for her
to marry If she did not wsnt0to.
'I venture to think" he went on, that
the best legacy that can be left 20 a
young man is a. good education and a
good character. by training in a family to
good moral standards and nothing else.
"The same thing is true with respect to
the young women who are given a fair
chance in life In earning and carving out
their own futures. The great trouble has
been that we have not given the women a
fair show. We rave not opened all the
avenues to livelihood that they are quite
as well able to fill and, in certain respects,
better able to fill than we are.
Suffrage for Women.
Il am not a rabid s%uffragist. The truth
is. 1 am not in favor of suffrage for
women until 1 can be convinced that all
the women desire IL, and when they desire
It l am in favor Of giving It to them, and
when they desire Il they will get 1t, too.
But l do believe that enc of the advan-
tages in giving them that kind of influ-
ence viii be more certainly to open ave-
nues of s~elf-support to them than has
heretofore been done.
II shall be glad that l shall not hav
any propertI, to leave to my boys. Of whom
l have two, but only a good character anc
a pride in themselves and a good educa-
ton, but for my daughter, l am going tC
scrape the ground as much as 1 can and
give her as good an education as / can
so that she shall take in the lesson which
/ first sought 20 announce as the tex
OF my discourse, that she shall marry
only when she chooses to marry and no
because of circumstances"
In his personal address at Columbus, at
ter paying a tribute to Secretary Dickin
son, President Taft said:
II am glad to be in the city of you
great general, Leo. I am indeed sorry tina
it was not given to me TO meet him il
person and receive that kindly, gentle in
fluence that he shed wherever he moved
Now, you southern people are an emo
tional people. We have some emotions II
the north, too, but II there is any differ
ence your hearts expand more easily ant
you are more sensitive possibly than ",
are. In order to understand the southern
people, especially with respect to issues o
the war and what grew out of it-in orde
to understand their present position-on'
must know hat your hearts and emotions
are broad enough to entertain entire 10y
atty to the issues OF the past, which yol
fought so nobly to sustain, and entire 10y
atty to our present government for which
you would be willing to lay down you
lives II occasion required II. Now, that /
what l know the southern nature to be
and that is why 1 come and appeal to you
IL appeal is necessary, and l don't believ
II Is. TO uphold the hands OF an administa
ton that IS not seeking your votes, but 1
asking your support and sympathy durinl
an administration already begun.
Il cherish your cordial reception and
cherish It the more because you had 81