The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-28
PRESIDENT SENDS
LETTER TO TAWNEY
Suggestions in Debate Over
travelling Expenses Made
Painful Impression.

Washington, May 27.-.President
Taft today sent to Chairman Tawney
of the House committee on appropria-
tons a letter expressing deep resent
ment at the criticisms passed by Dem
ocrats in the House debate yesterday
on the travelling expenses Of the Pres
ident
The President says he is especially
distressed by Suggested reflection on
southern hospitality"
The Presidents letter follows:
white House. Washington, May q,
191O.-My Dear Mr. Tawney: 1 am
deeply grieved over the phase which
the discussion of the appropriation for
The travelling expenses of the President
took yesterday. 1 think 1t is legiti-
mate argument in favor of such an
appropriation that congressman and
many others press the acceptance of
invitations to visit their sections an
districts, because the urgency of such
requests indicates the opinion on the
part of the people that one of the du-
ties of the President Is to visit the
people in their homes
President Feels Hurt.
But the intimation or suggestion
that the acceptance by congressman
of the Presidents invitation to travel
on the train within their respective
districts or states was a reason why
they should not vote their free opinion
on the question of such an appropria-
ton is to me a most painful one.
In travelling on the train they were
not receiving my hOspitality-they
were only making a little more ela5-
crate the cordial welcome which they,
as representatives Of their districts,
wished 10 give.
The feature Of the discussion yes
terday which was especially distress
ing to me was a suggested reflection
on southern hospitality. The intima-
ton that somewhere in the south
board was charged has no foundation
in fact, and I never heard it lntimata1
until I saw il in this mornings paper.
"In all my experience, and I have
enjoyed the hospitality of many Sec
tons and many countries of the world.
never had a more cordial, generous,
open and lavish welcome than l had
in the southern states during my trip,
and the slightest hint that puts me in
the attitude Of a critic of that hospi-
tally gives me great pain.
I am going to take the liberty of
making this letter to you public. Very
sincerely yours.
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Hon. James T. Tawney, House of
Representatives"
Debate Was Distorted.
Following the receipt Of President
Taft's letter, Representative Tawney
issued a lengthy statement saying that
the colloquy on the floor yesterday
between himself and southern mem
bers regarding southern hospitality,
had been distorted.
at is ridiculous to suppose" sail
Mr.. Tawney. that 1 would reflect pri-
vately, much less publicly, upon the
floor Of the House. on southern hospi-
tally, which IS proverbial.
Il had spoken of man who would
ask the President to be his guest, en-
terrain him and then criticise him for
making the visit and charging him
board
Mr. Bartlett of Georgia. evidently
misunderstanding my remark, then
demanded to know Of a single instance
where the President was charged board
and Representative Hamer of Idaho,
before I could reply, injected the face
tious comment that he thought it gas
IN Georgia
"Of course the President was never
charged for his board when the guest
of anyone in Georgia, or anywhere
else, and no such allegation was
made"