The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-21

Of these visits.
To all requests that he discuss state
and national political matters or COM
ment on the primary results in New
York or Minnesota the chief executive
returned the same answer, that ne
would have nothing to say at the
present time"
He especially declined to discuss his
meeting with Col. Roosevelt in New
Haven on Monday.
Although the presidents visit has
been emphasized as a home coming"
he will not escape politics entirely.
The New York situation especially is
to be explained to him by several party
leaders. One of these, United States
Senator Burton, has an appointment
for tomorrow and 1t is likely that Wade
H. Ellis, former assistant attorney gen.
eral, and L. H. La1in, chairman of the
Republican campaign committee in this
state, will also talk with the president.
This evening the president is to dine
with Congressman Nicholas Longworth
at the latter's home and there may oe
enough men present prominent in poll
tics at this affair to give IL tlnSe
other than social.
President Taft's Speech.
President Taft was the guest of
honor of the Ohio exposition today and
he delivered an address on river I'M
provement, especially referring to the
proposed plans for work on the ONO
His speech follows:
my friends and fellow citizens:
Since 1 left this, my old home, more
than 10 years ago, have been able to
revisit it only a few times, and then
not for more than day or two at a
time. I welcome this opportunity to
meet old friends and to renew old as
sociations, for here, after my official
duties are discharged at Washington,
I expect to return and to spend the
rest of my life. In ten years, great
changes can come over community.
The one that strikes me most is the
fact that I have to recognize the most
active men and women of the COM
munity today, not by recollecting their
own faces, but by their resemblance to
their fathers and their mothers.
"You are having an exposition and
acting as hosts to those from the
neighboring counties and states who
contribute to your business life and
to those who are attracted here by the
opportunities for artistic and social
enjoyment that an old, solid. but pub
lic-spirited and advanced community
can offer. Your music, your art, your
educational system and the character
of your people give you distinct type,
which in comparison with other COM
munities does not depend for its ex-
cellence upon the percentage of in
crease in your population, or those
statistics of material growth which the
new and excessively growing city hugs
TO its bosom. There are things in this
world beside numbers and besides
money and some of these things can
only be obtained by a quiet growth
that it takes time to give.
Improving the Ohio River.
To-day, you are celebrating the
opening of another great improvement
which must in the future have much
to do with the business growth OF the
city. ] mean the improvement of the
Ohio river from Pittsburg to Cairo.
1t is to this improvement that 1 shall
direct my remarks this afternoon.
THE distance from Pittsburg to
Cairo by way of the Ohio river is 967
miles. During the months of Feb
ruary, March and April the river is
full and has a depth of certainly nine
feet from one end to the other for
purposes of navigation. During the
months of August. September and Oc-
tober the river is low and in many
places, at low water, the depth is
considerably less than six feet. Not
withstanding the difficulties of navf-
cation during these three months and,
indeed, during other months of the
year, for the variations are not conf1n-
ed to the months stated, there is to-
day a transportation of freight on this