Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-04-21
President Has to Tell Sufragists
Something That They Fail
to Relish.
GIVES UNDESIRABLES POWER
Points Out the Danger That Wo-
men AS a Whole Are Not
Interested in Right
to Vote.

Washington. April 1.-THE President Of
tho tinted States. tho first chief eXccu-
tive ~ tho nation ever to greet con-
vention ot woman suffragsts. braved the
danger tonight of facing an army OF wo-
men. who want the ballot. had the
courage TO confess his opinion and was
Kissed. so great was the throng that
sought admission to the hall that hund-
rods wee turned pyyey
President Tar was welcoming to Wash
ington the delegates to the convention OF
tho National Woman Suffrage associa-
ton. lie had frankly told them that h"
was MOI altogether in sympathy with the
suffrage movement and was explaining
why Re could not subscribe fully to It's
principles He said he thought one 81 the
dangers In granting suffrage To women
Wa that the women AS whole war"
not Interested IN Il. and that the power
If the ballot as far AS woman is concern
ed would he controlled by the less desir-
able class
When these words fell from the Pres-
dents lips the walls Of the conventio.,
hai' echoed n chorus OF feminine Kisses.
II was no feeble demonstration OF pro
tcst. The combined Kisses sounded W II
valve on a steam engine had broken.
HE REBUKES THE AUDIENCE.
President TAFT stood unmoved on
the platform during the demonstration
Of hostility. for the kissing continued
but moment. and then. smiling as he
spoke. he answered the unfarorable
greeting with this retort
Nov. my dear ladies. YOU must
show yourselves capable Of suffrage
by exercising that degree Of restraint
which is necessary In the conduct Of
government affairs by not Kissing"
The women who had Missed were
rebuked. The Presidents reply APP
parently had taken hold There were
no more Kisses while the President
continued his address. which he char
acterized as my confession on the
woman suffrage question. At the con
cluston of his talk, he was enthusiastic
cally applaud"d and some ~ the lead
ers Of the convention expressed to him
their sincere regret over tho unpleas-
ant incident Presiden, Taft assured
| them that he had not had his feelings
| injured in the least.
Il Am not entirely certain" said tho
" presented to the convention by
Rachel Foster Avery. vice president
| OF the association, that / ought 10
have come here Tonight but your
committee which invited me assured
me that | should he welcome even II
did not support all the views which
are to be advanced in this convention
| But | consider that this moveUe Il &
represents a sufficient part Of the in %
telligcnce Of the community TO Justify
my coming here and welcoming you
10 Washington.
AT Is lie Vas CONVINCED
The difficulty expect to encounter is
ths-at least the difficulty which occurs
/ 10 me as fudge Of my own feelings when
my interest in n campaign is aroused. 70
wit: I'm always more impatient with
those who go only half way with me
than with those who oppose me.
When wa. is years old ana was
graduated from the Woodland high school
In Cincinnati. took for my gradua ton
subject Woman Suffrage and at that
time was a. strong an advocate OF
woman suffraE, - any delegate TO this
convention. I had read much on woman
| suffrage and my father was a sufrraxist"
The women cheered the President at
| this point
SO at that ,ime | was orthodox" lac
! ccnting that tirle'). tho President re-
sumed:
Put. in the actual experience which 7
! have had have modified nv views on
this subject somewhat In the first place
| the proper republican government we a5,-
| prove and support because, OF the whole
| every Intelligent class. that is every sci
| Of individuals similarly situated In a
community intelligent enough to know
| what their interests are. Is better quail
fled 20 determine how those interests
shall be cared for and preserved thar
any other class, however, altrusttc,
LAUGHS AND THEN MISSES
| But ! call attention to two Qualttica
tons in that statement. The frst is tina
the class must be intelligent enough {,
know their own interests The thcor,
that the Hottentot or any uneducatee
class is htted for self government,
wholly dissent from. But that Is not an
plicable TO this situation o-night."
This utterance injected into the con
course OF feminine delegates u feeling O
laughed heartily.
| but there Is another qualification
which is that the class which has suftras,
should care enough for their interests t,
take part in the exercise of politica
power. II conferred upon them II the,
do not. then II seems to me the DANCE
lis. if the power of suffrage is granted, I
will be exercised by that part of the class
which is less desirable"
OFFICERS BLUSH NlOI ENTITY.
That vas the signal OF the President
distress and his hearers upheaval o
spirits The leaders of the convention
who sat on the platform surrounding IN
President blushed as the Kisses burs
from their comrades lips. Those In tn,
audience who did not hiss franticali,
endeavored to restrain their sisters VIII,
were Kissing. Then tho President took tn,
situation in his own hands ana told tn,
ladies what he thought OF their action
He did not s'~ lk ~ all angrly and i'm
mcdiately proceeded,
| III | could be sure" ne continued
that women as "A class would sxcrcis,
the franchise | would be in favor of il
AT present there exists In my mind con
siderable doubt in certain States which
have tried the experiment, States IN thu
Rocky mountains. where there Is n,
great concentration of population to cops
with, equal suffrage has not been q fail
ure II has not made. ! think. any dis
(Continmcd ON page l4.J