New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-04
TAFT WITH HOME FOLKS"
EuIouizes Theodore Thomas at
Music Festival.
APPLAUSE DROWNED NOTES
Quips Delight Hearers at In
formal Talks in Cincinnati
Off for St. Louis.

| Cincinnati Nav 3-Presdent Taft wound
IN a day of renewing old acquaintances by
appearing before a brilliant and enthusl-
q site throng at the opening of Cincinnati
annual May music festival tonight as the
! dadica+or of an heroic statue of Theodore
| Thomas first conductor of the festivals
and formerly head of the Chicago orches-
| ira.
Having respected the Presidents wishes
| that he be treated a citizen of Gin
cfnnati" all day. the public took full ad-
vantage of his appearance tonight to &C
/ claim him as the Chief Executive of the
nation fanfare of trumpets ushe-ed the
! President on to the stage. but the notes or
the instruments were drowned by the shout
ing applause of the thousands who had
listened to the strains of Handers Judas
Naccabeus," with its story Of love, lib
erty and justice.
! chorus of eight hundred voices, backed
! by an immense organ and the Chicago or
chestra. sounded 20 Liberty. thou choicest
| treasure seat of virtue. source of pleas
ure." and was augmented by three hundred
boys voices when the chorus See the
! Conquerng Hero Comes" was reached.
| In his dedicatory address President Taft
said:
It was my good fortune yesterday to near near
a most interesting history of the develop
of the aesthetics of the Belgian people from
! the Belgian Minister to the United states
| AS he traced the growth of art and love
! for beauty of that people could not help
but compare it with the similar develop
II took one thousand years to develop
| this side of the Belgians- We haven't had
! time TO do that in TIE United states ESP
| ciallv as regards the development OF the
art and music loving characteristics OF the
working people. ,.i., -
the aesthetic side of our people the tover5
of this country are deeply indenLeo. am
! Theodore Thomas was the foremost OF
| these.
! President Taft then sketched the me u
Thomas and declared
It is fitting that the concert of the MAJ
festival be dedicated to the memory OF TINS
great man -, ,.r
edge of music TO comment on his hgh ana
pure art, but even if one Is not nluSICIddh
he cannot afford to have any but the hlghII
est regard for this man who made an ideal
of his art and lived UP to It.
Mrs. Theodore Thomas and her two sons
occupied a box at to-night's concert ana
heard the Presidents eulogy of the dead
| musician.
The statue of the musician, who con-
| Quoted the festivals from 1873 to 1904 had
! been placed in the corridor Of the building.
! The draperies were removed at the conclu-
sion of the Presidents speech and the de-
parting audience viewed it
At the Loyal Legion meeting to-day Pres
dent Taft. after declaring that he had been
too young to fight in the Civil War and too
fat to take part in the Spanish War" said
1T is a pleasure to come to ones home,
especiaIIv when yo. have been in Wash
ington and have been gently chided for
your shortcomings. and TO snugglo up close
~ those who are fond of you, who have re-
spect for YOU whatever happens, and who
believe that however great the obstacles are
and however severe the criticism may be IN
other parts of the country, you are doing
the best you can"
Except for brief address at noon be-
fore the trustees of the Mercantile Library
and his talk before the Loyal Legion, Mr.
Taft devoted himself to-day to shaking
hands and chatting with men and women
with whom he had been on intimate terms
of friendship for years
The President caused laughter by some
Of his personal remarks at the library, for
example:
THE MercantiIe Library has served many
n11rnoses besides the strictly literary It
was most convenient for any one 10 meet
his girl here as we all did. I'm sure the
library treasures many secrets 1t never
would do to tell Ny parting wish is, God
bless the Mercantile Library
With the President was Count Won Bern
storff German Ambassador at Washing
ton. who accompanied the party from
PittsburE. and was the guest of ,honog at
several affairs of a social nature.
The President arriving at 1925 o'clock,
was met by his brother, c. ?. Taft and
bv city officials. who had come with
resolution of welcome passed by the city
Council Yesterday From the station, where
ChoPr0I
President went to the home of his brother.
where as candidat e for the Presidency he
had spent the opening days of the cam
paign
A short rest at the Taft residence was
followed by the library meeting, and then
the President went to greet his old Gin
cinnati friends and neighbors. a luncheon
at the home of Lucien Wusin, East Walnut
Hills, was succeeded by a reception at the
home of J. G. Schmidlayp on Grandin Road
There was return run then TO the
downtown district. where Mr.. Taft talked
to the Loyal Legion.
Although his visit "home" was largely of
a social character. President Taft could not
altogether avoid politics. Wade H Ellis,
the new chairman of the Ohio Republican
executive committee. and Arthur |. Norys,
who served as chief of staff to Mr.. Taft
| during part of the Presidential campaign.
boarded the train At Columbus this morn
| ing, and as soon as the President finished
| breakfast they sought an interview. A
| number of other men of prominence in the
| marty called on the President during the
! day
At the Queen City Club dinner tonight
the President babe farewell to a number
Of his intimate friends. whom he had met
during the day. The affair was made as
informal as possible. Theres were no
speeches Toasts were proposed 10 the
President. to the German Ambassador,
Count Won Bernstorf and to those in
charge of the May Music Festival.
Among the guests were Governor Har-
mon of Ohio and ex-senator Joseph Is.
Foraker The Presidential party went from
the club directly to the train