Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-16
TAFT'S DEMOCRATIC HABITS.
President Goes Out Much Among
Washington People.

FeOpics
Washington Dispatch to Boston Herald
President Taft gets out" among Wash
ington people very much more than his
predecessors have done. He is going to
Washington dinners and dances galore this
winter, not private dinners or private
dances, but to functions of semipublic
nature. There are always a number Of
these during January February and
March. So happy has the president been
6,n these occasions in making himself
agreeable to his hosts that Washington has
already voted him one of the best of good
fellows.
II 1t be dinner, the president is called
upon to make a speech and invariably it
is good one. He is really developing
into very good eXtemporaneous speaker
Those who preferred to speak the plain
truth did not venture in the early days
of Mr.. Tafts public service at Washington
to say that he was an attractive public
speaker. But the president has improved
noticeably under the exlgencies of the
public positions he has held He has been
very much upon the platform during the
last four years. Like many others of his
fellow-countrymen with little aptitude for
speaking, he has demonstrated that prac-
tice conduces toward perfection. 1t is
strictly true that the president is today
probably the best extemporaneous speaker
among the public men of Washington.
A few nights ago President Taft attended
the annual ball of the Southern Relief
society. That is a charitable organization
of southern people. as its name indicates,
and used to hold it's annual dances in a
downtown hall, where the rent was not
excessive. This year the promise of the
president to attend elevated that function
to a position Of first Importance. The best
and more fashionable hall in town was
hired and the function was a tremendous
financial success. The president not only
attended, but he danced, and he won the
hearts of the large southern contingent in
Washington.
The freedom with which the president
goes about town has already been widely
noted. He insists upon his right to call
upon his old friends as though he were a
private citizen. That was exemplified when
he dropped in" at the hotel on the Sun
day when his old judicial associate, JUS
tice Lurtoh of the supreme court, arrived
in town. The other day he went out walk
ing andho the way stopped at the resi-
dence of Thomas F. WASH the Colorado
mining millionaire to inquire about his
condition Mr. Walsh had been seriously
Ill., A9't
Nothing like this has been seen at Wash
ington since the days of President Arthur. /
Although Mr. Arthur was a great arlsto- |
crat in the White House and insisted upon
strict observance OF official etiquet, he was
exceedingly democratic. He walked out
upon the streets whenever he pleased and
he stopped at the houses of friends fire.
uuently. On the way home he frequently |
entered the Metropolitan club which is |
just across Lafayette square from the
White House. called for a drink and sat
around for a little to hear the afternoon !
gossip President Taft stops short of that |
but he does keep up pleasant relations
with old-time friends, just as though he
were a private citizen, and Washington |
people, generally very critical Of presidents, |
like that about him.