The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-04-15

HISS TAFT
When President Declares He
is Not in Accord
WITH SUFFRAGE SCHEME
President, Smiling, Rebukes the Ladies.
"Must snow Yourselves Capable
Of Suffrage by Not Hiss
ing"
WITH SUFFRAGE SCHEME

Washington p. G., April l5.The
president Of the United States, the first
chief executive Of the nation ever to
greet a convention Of woman sullfagsts,
blayed the danger last night oi facing an
army Of women who want the ballot,
had the courage 20 confess ns opinion
and waz Missed.
President Taft was welcoming to
Washington The delegates 70 the conyen.
ton Of the National Woman Suffrage
association. He had frankly told them
that lie was not altogether ID sympathy
with the suffrage movement and Nas ex-
planning why be could not subscribe fully
10 its principles. lie said be thought one
of ihe dsngsrs IL granting suffrage to
women WAS that the women as 4 whole
were not interested in L, and that the
power Of the ballot. q far as woman
is concerned, would b. controlled by the
Tess desirable Glass;
When these words fell from the presi-
dents lips tie walls Of the convention
hall echoed a chorus Of feminine Kisses.
1T was no feeble demonstration Of pro-
test. The combined hisses sounded as b
q valve on steam engine had broken.
President Taft stood unmoved on the
platform during the demonstration Of
hostility for The kissing continued but
a moment and then smiling as he
spoke Ne answered the unfayorable
greeting with this retort,
Nov, my dear ladies, You must show
yourselves capable Of suffrage b. exer.
eising the degree Of restraint which is
necessary in the conduct OF government
affairs BY not Kissing
The women who had Missed were re-
buked. The presidents reply apparently
had taken hold Their we're no more
misses while the president continued his
address which he characterized as my
confession" on the woman suffrage qnes
tion. AT the conclusion Of his talk be
was enthusiastically applauded and same
Of the leaders Of the convention eN
pressed TO him their sincere regret over
the unpleasant incident President Taft
assured them THAT De had not had his
feelings injured In the least
"When ! was sixteen years old said
the president ia bis remarks. @and was
graduated from the Woodward high
school III Cincinnati, ] took for my grad.
nation subject, Woman Suffrage and
at that time I was as strong an advo-
cate Of woman suffrage as any delegate
20 this convention. ! had read much on
woman suffrage and my father was 5 suf-
fragists
The women cheered the president at
this point.
80 at that time ! was orthodox
faccenting that timer
II have modified my views On this
subject somewhat
Continuing, the president said #Tbe
theory that tile Hottentot 81 any unedn-
cated class il fitted for self government
wholly dissent from. But that Is not
applicable to this situation tonight
These utierances injected feeling Of
good nature soon TO be dispelled They
laughed heartily
But there is another qualification.
which IS that the class which has suffrage
should care enough for their interests to
take part ia The exercise Of political pow
Fl. If conferred upon them If they do
not, then ii seems 70 me the danger Isl
if Che power Of suffrage Is granted. Il
will be exercised by that part of the
class which Is less desirable
That was the signal 81 the presidents
distress, and big hearers uphsaval Of
spirits The leaders Or the convention
who sat On the platform as the misses
burst from their comrades lips we're
powerless to stop the demonstration
At the conclusion Of the session, many
9l the delegates expressed themselves as
Inundated over the Kissing incident