Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-04-15
|SUFFRAGETTES
HISS AT TAFT
The President Mildly Rebukes
The Insult

president Of the United States, the
first chief executive OF the nation
ever to greet a convention OF woman
suffragists, last night had the cour-
age to confess his opinion and was
Missed. So great was the throng that
sought admission to the hall that
hundreds. were turned away.
President Taft was welcoming to
Washington the delegates to the con-
vention of the National Woman
Suffrage association. He told them
frankly he was not altogether in SYM
pathy with the suffrage movement
and was explaining why he could not
subscribe fully to its principles. He
said he thought one of the dangers
in granting suffrage to women was
that women, as a whole, were not in
terested in it, and the ballot, as far
as women are concerned, would be
controlled by the LESS desirable
class"
When these words fell from the
presidents lips the walls of the hall
echoed a chorus of feminine Misses
1t was no feeble demonstration of
protest. The combined Kisses sound
ed as if valve on a steam engine
had broken.
President Taft stood unmoved in
the demonstration of hostility-for
the Kisses continued for but a mo-
ment-and then, smiling, as he
spoke, he answered the unfayorable
greeting with this retort:
Now, my dear ladies, you must
show yourselves capable of suffrage,
by exercising that degree of re-
straint which is necessary in the con-
duct of governmental AFFAIRS by not
kissing"
The women who had Kissed were
rebuked.
The presidents reply had APP
parently taken hold. There were no
hore Kisses, which he characterized
as "my confession" on the woman
suffrage question. At the conclusion
of his talk he was applauded and
some of the leaders of the convention
expressed to him their sincere regret
over the unpleasant incident.
President Taft assured them his
feelings were not injured in the
least.
This Speech Caused Demonstration.
II am not entirely certain" said
the president, after he had been cour-
teously presented to the convention
by Rachel Foster Avery, vice presi-
dent of the association, ''that !
ought to have come here tonight, but
your committee assured me l should
be welcome even If l didn't support
} all the views which are to be advo-
Gated in this convention. But / con-
slider this movement represents a
sufficient part of the intelligence OF
the community to justify my coming
and welcoming you to Washington.
THE difficulty expect to encoun-
ter is this, at least the difficulty
which occurs to me as judge of my
own feelings, when my interest in q
, campaign is aroused, to wit:
When l was 16 years old and was
graduated from the Woodward high
school in Cincinnati, took for my
graduation subject Woman Suffrage
and at that time / was as strong an
: advocate of woman suffrage as any
delegate in this convention. had
; read much on woman suffrage and
: my father was a suffragist.
: The women cheered at this poin
2 in his address. The hall was a mas
: of waving handkerchiefs. but th'
: waving ceased when the presiden
! said with emphasis:
: MOdifies His Youthful Views.
$50 at that time was orthodox
r But in the natural experience | have
5 had, ! have modified my views OF
this subject somewhat. In the frs
place, the proper republican govern
: ment we approve and support be
= cause, on the whole. every Intelligent
g elass-that is. every set of indiyid
e uals similarity situated in a commun
: ity, intelligent enough to know wha
= their interests are-is better qualities
: to determine how those interests shall
o be cared for and preserved than an!
4 other class, however altruistic.
There is another qualification
i 4