The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-04-23
KISSING THE PRESIDENT


when President Taft was Kissed by
members of the Woman Suffrage AS
ISOLATION, has been literally common
tea on by the press. says the Augusta
Herald. While most of the papers
treat the incident humorously nearly
all of them condemn the act, ana
some writer's in expressing their cen
domination do so in terms that are
quite severe.
The American Woman Suffrage AS
ISOLATION met in national convention
in washington. President Taft felt
it incumbent upon him to deliver them
an address. This he stated himself.
AS a part of the American people he
thought they deserved this recognl-
ton; and in this doubtless he was
right.
But it was very tactless in him al
most in the very beginning CT his adj
dress to give offense. This he did.
When he said that the suffrage move
ment is supported by the less desir-
able class" of women he said what he
must have known would give offense.
That this Gratuitous insult should
have been resented was not more than
1t deserved. That the ladies missed
the president served him exactly right.
He may not agree with their views.
and many other good people are in
the same boat-this is privilege
which anybody may exercise without
being Justly subject to condemnation
therefor. He might have refused to
recognize them, and for this he could
not have been blamed. But when he
accepted the invitation to address
them, even if this gave him the priv
ilege to tell them that he believed
they were in error in their course, it
did not give him the right to insult
them. And to tell them TO their faces
that their movement was supported by
the less desirable class of women was
certainly an insult.
There may he women of the type
of Emma Goldman among the suffra-
gettes, but the good and bad among
) women as well as men are aligned
with the various movements and
causes. Some of the most undesirable
citizens belong to the Republican par
ty. as may be asserted on the testi
: mony of Col. Roosevelt himself Some
very undesirable citizens also claim
to he Democrats, and some most de-
X spicable hypCcrit are members o
s the church. There is no human or
sanitation that is wholly composed o
allied with it some who belong to tbs
less desirable class. But becaus
some bad people may belong to it tina
n does not brand a cause as unworth,
Because the devil sometimes wear
the livery of heaven that does ne
make heaven an unworthy place Ant
t il must be admitted that among those
e who believe in woman suffrage, an'
: who are aiding this movement witt
more or less zeal. are as noble women
as any in the country. When Presi
dent Taft went among them, and al
rogantly flung into their faces thu
charge in an address of welcome TIA
their movement was supported by th'
n less desirable class of women he Ger
+ tainly was guilty of great tactlessnesS
o il nothing else.
He deserved being rebaked by hiss
es as he was, and those who have
harshlv criticized the ladies' for thi;
i action are wrong.
. Ii may be true. as they point cut
that President Taft has not bee" hiss
i. ed by men, but in addressing men hS
+ has nos so far forgotten what is due
J. the feelings of others. And certa'nl!
the fact of his being President does
not put him above the laws of proprie-
ty. We have no less majestic in oul
county When the President publicly
violates the laws Of propriety he is
5 subject TO pahHc reNuke the same a:
: any other citizen And that is al
{ there is tc this affair.
9 When President Taft addressed til,
body 0f ladies composing the sufr.
settle convention, and made this -
less and untrue nug at them, Ae de
served 10 he Kissed
" S.~------
IL a GOOD SIGN.