The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-24
az Associated Press.


Houston, Texas, Oct. 23.-President
TAFT spent three hours in Houston
: this morning and received probably
the most demOnstTative reception of
his Texas travels. He spoke from a
balcony OF the Rice Hotel at the cor
ner of Texas avenue and Main street
to a thrOng which the president him
self described as ten acres OF peO
pie" AfteTWard he was driven in re
view of several thousand school chill
dten, white and cOl0red, and after a
brief automobile trip. left at 10: 80 for
Dallas. During his speech, the pres
ident was constantly interrupted with
applause and old faShiOnd rebel
yells." He seemed thoroughly to en-
joy the noisy welcome and told the
people Of Houston that he did not
care what their politics were, he ap-
pTeciated their greetings and under
stood it to be a tribute 10 the head of
united nation. Mr. Taft was presented
this afternoon with badge by Miss
Kate Daffan, president of the Texas
division of the United DAUGHTERS of
the COnfederacy. Colonel Cecil Lyon,
the tall and slender republican nation
al committeeman of. Texas, who has
been accompanying the president ever
since his arrival in she state, came in
for a laugh this morning when. with
silk hat and frOck coat alternating his
slight build, he followed President
Taft off the rear platform of his car,
"a streak OF lean, q streak of fat"
called some one IN the crowd, and the
colonel said he was ready to liqUidate.
IN HAPPY MOOD.
In his speech to the Hquston people
the president vas in alv happy
mood. He SAID i Se mex ne had
~
days and had not yet reached the east
ern section.
He referred to the position of HOus-
ton as one Of the great inland cotton
markets in the world and congratulat-
ed the city on its growth.
Il have been to San Antonio and
am going TO Dallas" said the presi-
dent. 4 am not going into a discus
sion Of the census or decide which is
the larger OF the two. Since l have
been in Houston | have heard enough
to know that the position Of this city
is so undiSputed as not to need dis
cussion. When you travel around
this country you learn a few things
One Of them is that when you are in
q city which is determined TO be the
first city of the state or country. YOU
don't want to intimate there is any
doubt about that prospect"
CIVIC PRIDE PRONOUNCED.
The president declared that from
Boston to Seattle and everywhere else
he had been. he had found the same
civic pride, the same determination TO
struggle upward, and IT made him
doubly glad to temporarily be at the
head OF such a people.
My friends" continued the presi-
dent. 81 am Ike Joe in Bleak House.
and must be moving on. This country
is so large I don't have time TO stay
long at any one place. It's a great
pleasure to be here and | would like
to stay q week If I could. have
found since coming into Texas that
you are deeply Interested in water
ways. One Of the phases of the con
servatiOn of our resources. which is
pressing for systematic and compre-
hensiYe treatment. Then there is the
subject of irrigatiOn-but / understand
you have not any arid or sub-arid ter
TitOry around here. You are all wet.
The president declared that the
contemplation of the growth of the
products and power OF such a state as
Texas became stupendous in the imaC-
ination and congratulated the people
of the state in having a.richer inheri-
lance than most of the other states.
in that they won their own indeDend-
fcontInued on Page seven.l