Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-21
PRESIDENT AT
CLUB DINNER


seem so many years-when a beloved presi
dent was here as the guest Of this city an,
the guest OF this club. and this bulldini
was In tact the executive residence.
IN office Of president is the creates
IN the world. II comes to no man by birth
nor by the usual acquisition. OF power anC
strength. II comes from the confidenc,
and love Of the citizens OF the United
States. When this great place of powe
and responsibility comes to a man II /,
because he is sought out and selected by
a majority Of the people and when tn,
man fits the place, how delighted we feel
'Ihis form of our distinguished CUES
Is large enough to fit any big place. Blu
speaking seriously, l say that no man has
been selected who has been better fitted
for the position.
MY youthful days we're spent In Ohio
l was familiar with the name Of Taft and
l ever honored the name as borne by the
distinguished father Of the president. But
II is unnecessary for me TO dwell either
upon the father OF President Taft or him.
self. We know him from his frequent visits
and we know that he feels at home west
of the Missouri. We know that whatever
he thinks Of our un%attractive personalities
as individuals, collectively we are a win
ming crowd.
Il now simply ask you to drink health.
long life and prosperity to the president
Of the United States"
Returns -MandersOn's Compliment.
The toast was drung amid cheers and
the din subsiding found the president on
his feet.
NJ Pickens,". said he, General Mander-
son, gentlemen Of this unpronounceable
society, and gentlemen, whom II may
apply so formidable a term to men mostly
OF the press-gentlemen of my suite:
Il have come to Omaha under many cir
cumstances and always enjoyed It, but l
do not think my feelings in this respect
we're ever so acute and full of pleasure as
this time, when l found tina all that was
expected of me was to be initiated and to
watch others eat; to be relieved of the
necessity Of saying something for my suite
to circulate through the United States. It.
a burden which only a man who
has been through my burden of the last
week can appreciate.
Il I'M delighted to be here; to sit between
Pickens and General Henderson. Cen
eral Henderson is a remarkable man. l
known him long and valued his opln.
ions, If there is any one man in the whole
who can make you better satisfied
yourself that he do not know him.
This does not follow, however, IL he should
be speaking from the other side Of the
table In a court of law or on the hastings.
when under the auspices and influences
Of good fellowship. he paints his fellow
he paints him in colors that reflect
his own sweet and lovely disposition.
Easy on Special Correspondents.
THE gentlemen of my suite nave be-
sought me at various times recently, saying,
For the love of heaven, don't make such a
speech at hch a time and such a place.
a little mercy on us If anything |
said tonight requires them to do a
Geographic stunt l am not conscious OF
t."
The president closed with the words noted
above, expressing his hope of a future
warm welcome to Omaha. When he fin
shed speaking the party Immediately broke
up. The presidents auto was, of course,
he first one away and he was driven with
All speed to the Den.
The dinner had been a complete success,
and extraordinarily. Ferns and
Beauty roses were used lavishly
N the decorations, and the American flag
was much in evidenteDi Flags of other ma
ions were also hung or draped and a large
number of signal corps flags-white with
/ red center-were used. Someone remarked
10 the president that thse ooked like a
storm signal and he smiled a polite but
no, uprOarous smile.
The president spoke OF watching others
eat but this was not literally true, for the
various courses seemed TO his liking and
ne ate with apparent relish.
Dinner f. Artistic.
Every diner at the Taft banquet will
store his menu card away in the family
archives. Not only will all 50 do because
the fact that his name there appears along
the presidents, hut because the menu
Is a genuine work of art. 1t Is in fact a
paragon of the printers and engrGvor's art.
This dinner souvenir is a twelve-page
booklet, ten inches by eight, OF hot-pressed
vellum. The first page bears at the head
the shield Of Ak-Sar-Ben embossed in gold,
green and red. Below this is the Inscrip-
ton: DINNER to William Howard Taft,
President of the United States. by the
Governors of Ak-Sar-Ben. Omaha Club,
September Twentieth, Nineteen
Hundred and Nine"
Page 2 Is blank. Page 8 contains a steel
engraving of President Taft from the
photograph made of him at The Lumiere
stuulo III Olhaha- rage D mas 'he menu VI
the dinner and page I the list Of guests
not members Of Ak-Sar-Ben, with The
President at the head, Pages 3 ana IL con-
the names OF the other diners. the
first Of these having the officers and gov
errors.
h captions, Guests" and Host" are
noteworthy. They are done in red enamel
with gilt decoration all embossed. The
initial letter of each word lie border ID with
mother of pearl. The whole wocS was
done by the Medlsr company, which
secured It after a sharp competition With
outside firms.
GERRITT FORT DIRECTS TRAIN