Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26

to-be. Huzzahs rose from thousands of thr)ats as Roose-
welt passed in his carriage and proceeded to the Omaha
club, where the great feast of the pre-initiation was to
be spread. Aksarbenites, club members, the president
and his party and men of prominence in local affairs, sat
down together to participate in a royal .QuiveTian spread
the kind that only that realms soils and pastures can
produce and that Kingdoms knights and princes can pro-
vide. From thence to the den. the stronghold of the en-
pire, the party proceeded.
Before a throng, surging and crowding in efforts to
see and hear the new knight, he spoke. His voice rang
with that frankness, terse realism and kincly expression
that had already won thousands. After a lengthy ad-
dress, President Roosevelt closed with these words, ad-
dressed particularly TO the inhabitants Of the great re
gion, tibet guest of whose sovereign he was:
Let me close by expressing my Astounding confidence
that you of this city, that you of this state, will in the
end work out your fate Alright, because I hold you to be
in a peculiar sense typical of all that is best IN the
American character. l believe in you with all my heart
I believe that you are strong in body and strong in
mind and that you have what counts fr more than body,
more than mind-character And shall believe in you,
/ shall believe in your future, because, oh, people OF Ne
braska, / feel that you have in this state what counts for
more than your crops, more than your soil more even
than the business capacity which has built up SO much
that you have in you the quality OF good citizenship, the
quality which produces that, compared to which all else
is Of naught-good mer and good women
As the applause finally died away. after minutes of
deafening tumult, oft did the idea recur in the minds Of
many, "ouivera has added another great man to its
knighthood."
Among the prominent individuals who were present
with Roosevelt in 1903 were Secretary Loeb, Senator ].
H. Willard, Senator Charles H. Dietrich, Governor John
H. Mickey, General Charles F. Henderson and others.
The presidential pilgrimage to the mecca of Ak-sar-
Ben had started. with Mckinley and Roosevelt annalled
as having sailed forth from the White House to do
homage at the shrine of Quivera, it became quite the
thing for great men of all walks Of life, especially ores
idents and near-presidents, to hasten to bow before the
imperial throne. Following in the footsteps Of those who
had come before, Presidential Candidate Bryan was'pre-
sented at the court of his majesty, the king, during the
1908 presidential campaign. o.
Bryan night marked a new epoch in the history of
Ak-sar-Ben. for on that evening probably the largest
number of knights that ever attended an initiation turned
out to see the distinguished visitor go through the mill.
After being received by a committee Of citizens and ,gov-
errors Of Ak-sar-Ben, being entertained at Luncheon,
making several political speeches and being tendered a
magnificent banquet at the Omaha club by the knis hts,
Mr.. Bryan meekly allowed himself to be led to the scene
of his goat riding, in order that he might win the right
to recognition by the monarch Of his choice. He was
accompanied by a large party of Lincolnites and local
men of prominence.
For unalloyed fun and entertainment, the affair could
not have been exceeded. Although the Peerless One ac-
cepted in sober mein and With bowed head the spurs Of
knighthood presented to him, and he in all seriousness
renewed his oath Of allegiance to the king, almost every
thing else that occurred during the initiation bordered
on the humorous. Taft" a cleverly-carried-out imDer-
sonation of the republican nominee. appeared on the
program, the audience of assembled knights being given
a Jolt when Grand Mufti Thomas announced that he took
great pleasure in introducing the distinguished guest of
the evening, MI. ~William-Howard Taft. Attorney S. A.
Searle, alias Taft, strobe to the front and at the expense
of the democratic candidate. though to the evident Joy
OF the conclave OF courtesans, made a speech. But
Bryan had a chance to get even in the same jolly way,
q after being introduced as the knight whose acquisition,
with the previous acquisition of the rest of Lincoln.
wiped out all bitterness between the metropolis and the
capital cities of the state and let the former completely
absorb the latter. During the course of his remarks. the
democratic nominee said:
I appreciate that this is a nonpartisan organization
OF business men, banded together for all that tends to
help Omaha and further the interests of Nebraska. and
that in such an immense body there are certain to be
those whose beliefs differ from mine. But although we
may differ in politics, there is no difference between you
and me in this proposition-the furthering Of the great
ness OF the grandest state in the union-for l am with
you always.
The White House as Ak-Sar-Ben's den was what Mr.
Bryan promised would come about If he were chosen
president, so enthused did he become over the project.
you can hold your limitations in the White House
parlors," he told his brother knights, and thereby en-
sconced himself all the more firmly in their hearts, sc
that when he was turned down at the polls in spite of
Nebraska majority, he nevertheless remained an es
teemed knight Of the realm and one admitted to the In
ner court of his majesty.
When William Howard Taft came later in the cam
paign, he was so busy making political speeches that hi
postponed his initiation until after he had landed in the
White House. Bnt on the night OF his. sojourn In thu
kings capital, October 2, Ak-sar-Ben directed the roya
steward to fittingly welcome him to Quivera by an ap
propriate display Of fireworks. So. Taft and fireworks
became a feature Of the kings carnival OF pleasure ant
while the next president discussed tariff and trusts a
the Auditorium, his portrait in brilliant fire blazed fortl
before thousands OF the kings subjects who were ben
on pleasure, not politics.
But among all the distinguished personages who hav
courted favor in Quivera's court, none has risen abov
the rank Of knight within the realm. When figures o
Taft and Bryan appeared on floats in the last eleetrica
pageant, the rival candidates were warmly recognized b.
the assembled thousands, but the king himself receive
a greeting which put to rout all claims Of others for su
/ premacy.
For though presidents may come and presidents ma
] go, Ak-sar-Ben goes on forever.