Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-02
TAFT AT BANQUET
SOUNDS KEYNOTE
ReCiteS Achievements of Party
in Carrying Out Pledges
of Platform.
ALL FACTIONS PRAISED
FOR GOOD WORK DONE
President Given Enthusiastic Re-.
ception by 1000 Diners. =
ROOSEVELT AMONG MISSING
Vice President Sherman Also Pound
It 1nconvenient to Witness
Taft Ovation.

Taft Ovation.
NEW YORK. October 1.-President Taft
delivered what will probably be his only
pubic address of the present campaign at
the banquet of the National Republican
League at the Hotel Astor tonight.
When the President entered the room.
shortly before o'clock. 1t was the signal
for burst of cheers and a salvo Of
handclapping by the nearly 1000 diners
Held Impromptu Recep-on.
John A. Stewart, president of the New
York League of Republican Clubs. intro
duced John Hays Hommond as the toast
master Mr.. Stewart. who was chairman
OF the dinner, was taken Ill and Obliged
to go home. Between courses the Presi-
dent held an impromptu reception at his
seat on the dais and many OF the dele
gates talked with him.
Col. Roosevelt, although praised by
both the President and Mr.. Longworth.
was not present tonight. He is resting
at Sycamore Hill after his labors at sara
toga, and it had been previously an
nounced that he would not attend
Vice President Sherman was another
absentee. but Robert c. Morris. former
president Of the Republican Club. who. as
delegate to the Saratoga convention,
voted for Vice President Sherman tor
temporary chairman. was one of the Ss-
corting committee for President TAN,
and Job e. Hedges. one Of the seconders
of the Vice President for the chairman
ship. was at the speakers table with the
President
Mrs. Taft Present.
While the coffee was being served the
band played 1.-The Star Spangled Banner
and all arose as Mrs. Taft, the wife Of
the President. accompanied by her sisssr,
Miss Heron. entered a box Instankly
the diners were cheering Justify for l6rs.
TAFT The President looked I'D and
smiled. Then the assemblage shouted:
What's the matter with Mrs. Taftf'
She's all right
Who's all right?'
Mrs. Taft
While the uproar was at its height. q
ladder was placed against Mrs. Taft's
box and delegate. bearing two bouquets
or american beauty roses. mounted the
Of them to Mrs. Taft and the other to
Mrs. John Hays Hammond.
1 am not progressive republican. I
nave arrived said Job Hedges, who fol-
lowed Representative Longworth. He de-
scrfbed democracy as a state Of mind
and declared that "republicanism is a
matter OF human conduct" He conclud-
ed:
1.-The man does not live who can say
that the President of the United States
is not morally and mentally on the lev0l''
Message From Stimson.
During the banquet John Hays Ham
mond read a message from Henry L.
Stimson. the republican nominee for gov
ernor. thanking the league for its invita-
ton to speak. and explaining his MONACO
ceptance by saying he would not make
any addresses until after he is formally
notified of his nomination.
Mr.. Longworth departed briefly from his
set speech when he said, amid laughter:
1T was my old friend Bill SulZer who
said that the Payne tariff had increased
the cost of lemons. Now. I believe that
BILL, after his experience Of yesterday.
knows more now about lemons. The drink
of the democratic convention was Sulzer
and lemonade, and my friend Senator
Chauncey Depew, who Is before me. re-
minds me that the duty on peaches Is the
same. That is because there Is no COM
petition
Credit to All Factions.
The Presidents speech was marked by
an unusually conciliatory tone toward
the insurgent wing Of the party. He
gave "all factions of the party" due
credit for their share in helping to put
through Congress the legislative program
which the President took occasion to
outline in some detail.
The record Of the past eighteen months.
he declared. was an earnest desire of
the party to fulfill its platform prom
ises and obligations. and he promised
that IL the republican majority in Con-
oh ho of ftn
elections the work thus far left undone
would be carried through to completion.
Upon the whole republican party the
President bestowed the title OF pro
gressive." Then he undertook to define
just what is meant by progressive"
"A party of true progress is not a
party of radicalism," he declared, amid
cheers.
"It is not a party of ultra-conserva-
tism,' he added, and again was cheered.
"A progressive republican," the President
went on, is one who recognizes exist
ing and concrete evils and who is in IA
vor of practical and definite steps to Grad
icate them"
Twice President Taft mentioned Col.
Roosevelt by name in connection with the
campaign against corporate abuses, and a
third time by inference, when he referred
to the New York situation.
President Praises Stimson.
state" he said, has been heartened by a
brave declaration of principle and by the
nomination of candidate for governor Of
the highest character and ability" At
the same time Mr. Taft did not take an
altogether sanguine view of the benefits
that are to accrue from direct primary
experiments, but he hoped that the idea
could be turned to useful and perma-
nent betterment of politics.
But however effective these suggested
changes may prove at first he added.
Il venture to say that no great perma-
nent good can come from them unless
they are accompanied by a change in the
individual voter and his awakening to the
for constant watchfulness and
effort on his part TO prevent the old
evils from appearing in a new guise."
President Taft announce that he had
directed the tariff commission to make
no report Of the work 1: has accomplished
up to this time until after the election.
He took this step. he declared. In order
to lift the commission out OF politics en-
tirely. He referred to his suggested flu
ture revision Of the tariff schedule and
declared that the Payne tarif iaM ~