The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-04
TAFT ON LAST
Lee OF TRIP
Has Nine Days More In the
Southern States.
SUMMARIZES HIS TOUR
Declares He Found People Content In
Every City, Town and County he
Visited - Spent Sixteen Hours In
jackson, Miss.

SdCFoOUr mtcts
Jackson. Miss. Nov. with New
Orleans behind him. President Tart Is
on the last leg of his long journey. he
has nine days mere Ia the southern
states, but he already has seen enough
OF the south 40 enable him to say that
his two months study of conditions
throughout the country is practically
finished. The impressions that he has
gathered from the trip were summar-
lied In a speech here. Said he:
81 have gone from the Atlantic to
the Pacific ocean. down the Pacific
coast TO the southwest corner of the
country, through the territories and
that great domain of Texas to St
Louis. down the Mississippi to New
Orleans. and | have made two hun
bred odd speeches. and have sur
vived the hearing OF two hundred
more, and AN able to say that we.
never In all our country's history, we:e
as homogeneous a people. as closely
allied In all our hopes and ambitions.
and in all our pride of country and pa
triotism as We are today.
Found No Discomfort.
1T is possible that there are corners
In this country that have escaped me
where there is discomfort. but II SO |
have not found them. In every town. |
had almost said hamlet. in every city
and county. in every state have found
the individual saying TO himself:
al am contented here. because !
know what will make this city. or this
town, or this county, the best in the
state. and / am going to do that very
thing.
"And In respect to the ambitions Of
the people II is the same; every one
Is pround to be a citizen OF the town
or county or the state. and all proud
to be Americans and to rejoice and
thank God that the starry flag waves
over us. united country"
The president spent sixteen hours
in this city. more time than he gave
to Chicago or San Francisco. Here in
Jackson they say that Mr.. Taft is the
first president who ever discovered
that the city is on the map.
Jackson appreciated the compliment
and did her best to make the presi-
dents long stay in the city pleasant
The Mississippi folks certainly did
their best to make the presidents &C
quaintance. and Mr.. Taft was equally
cordial and chummy.
jackson Had a Busy Day.
In carrying out this Taft celebration
Jackson had a good many things 10
contend against There was a state
fair, a circus. balloon ascension and
a parachute jump. The circus and the
balloon ascension alone would have
discouraged the ordinary city. but
Jackson managed to keep the circus
parade and the Taft show separate.
The circus outfit. with its long line OF
wild animal cages, Indians and bare
back riders. waited In a side street
until the Taft procession had passe
and had disappeared into the stat
fair grounds. Then the circus bands
struck up and followed on down the
street, thus enabling the Jackson folks
to kill two birds with one stone. The
president helped swell the gate re-
ceipts OF the Jackson fair just as he
has those OF many other shows on his
trip. The president acknowledged
when he started out from Boston that
this gate receipt swelling business was
to be one of his chief functions. and
fair managers have met him more
&Aor hoff