The Washington herald., 1910-01-25

President Taft. Speaker Cannon, Am
bassador Bryce. Of England. and Ambss-
sador Jusserand. Of France, were some
Of the distinguished guests who spoke in
praise Of old Dartmouth at dinner last
night at the Willard
1t was given by her alumni TO DR..
Ernest Fox Nichols, the new president
OF the venerable Massachusetts college.
1t was given to me a few nights ago
TO see what effect a speech Of a wild
| eyed son Of destiny would have on the
President" said the Speaker OF the
House. in an evident attempt TO draw
Mr.. Taft into a friendly tilt about the
respective merits Of big and little col
| leges.
Now. I am for the small college"
he added. And proceeded 10 rap Yale
and Harvard in perfect good humor. He
was alIuding 10 the Carabao dinner Sat
Urday night, when Senator Tillman and
President Taft crossed swords on the
! Philippine question.
Taft Is Careful.
But the President refused 10 be drawn
| into an argument. and in an address OF
| twenty minutes eulogized great instltu-
tions Of learning and small ones alike.
/ He spoke Of the spirit OF every college
and its graduates as a priceless posses
sion, and the sentiment was greeted with
! roaring cheers by the alumni.
More than one hundred Of Dartmouth's
favored sons gathered around the ban
/ quet board to DO honor 10 their alma
mater and her president. In song and
| rousing college yell they brought back in
memory the scenes Of the campus and
lecture hall. John Barrett, president OF
j the Was lington Dartmouth Alumni Asso-
/ citation, was toastmaster
Taft Shows ID.
President Taft did not arrive until Il
o'clock. After attending the theater. he
marched into the hall accompanied by
Capt. Butt and was escorted 10 the seat
Of honor, with every Dartmouth man and
/ their guests on their feet cheering with
glasses raised high.
He expressed a desire 70 hear the mem
bers OF the diplomatic corps and Speaker
Cannon talk before he arose in response
to a toast in his honor.
Presidents Speech.
When he was finally called upon by
Toastmaster Barrett, President Taft said:
Mr. Chairman. gentlemen Of Dart
mouth. and felIow-guests:
The first sensation I had in coming
! into the room was that Of a feeling thar
! this is the same audience I have ad-
dressed twenty times in Washington-the
same habitues and the same people with
the banquet habit Our friends-the Am
bassadOr from France the Ambassador
from England, the Speaker-they make
up a frame that Just sets MY mouth TO
going.
1T IS hard to come into a meeting and
speak at once: and, therefore. ] asked
the mercy Of your chairman 20 have at
least two speakers preCede me.
"One thought that came TO me during
the speech Of the Speaker was not that
the college education or university edu-
cation was not q great advantage. but
that great must be a country which
without those advantages could produce
such men as called for admiration from
him in Andrew Jackson and Abraham
Lincoln and Joseph Cannon.
All Up to Dartmouth.
Another thought that came to me was
that our Uncle Joe was on just a little
bit Of thin ice; that in order 10 make his
point in favor OF small colleges. he was
emphasizing something which, perhaps.
Dartmouth men are not now willing 10
asny, for I have understood that Dart
mouth claimed now 70 be on the other
side OF the line, and TO be one Of those
which had grown out Of the class Of small
colleges and had become a great college.
Uncle Joe took from me. suppose,
reference that perhaps has been used be-
fore. the Dartmouth College case. Ger
tainly every Dartmouth meeting ought to
suggest that as basis for the conserv-
atism and the principle Of vested rights.
without which up TO this time this coun-
try would never have been what it is
to-day
Harvard University.
Il have been trying 10 formulate in my
mind an idea that have had with refer
ence to Dartmouth and Harvard that
was frightened out Of expressing myself
fully upon by the presence Of a Harvard
man. We had preside at a Yade meeting
once in Washington, away back in 1se5.
when Uncle Joe and 7 were young.
Senator Wolcott and he referred to Har-
ward University as a university that pre-
pared men TO shine in Boston society and
made them insufferable elsewhere
Now, my experience with reference TO
Dartmouth and Harvard. in coming in
contact with the capital Of New England
and the men who make the wheels go
there, IS that when you meet a man OF
social grace or literary excellence, you
can trace him back to Harvard, but when
you meet man who is making the wheels
go. and who is forcing public opinion. you
usually call him Harvard man, but you
find he graduated at Dartmouth. Just
why that is I don't know.
Now, I agree with my Uncle joe that
the smaller college is Of the utmost ad-
vantage TO this country. Our friend, Am
bassador Bryce had said so before Uncle
Joe placed his imprimatur on the state
ment, and he pointed out that the rea-
son was the opportunity by proximity
C0ufiuued IN Pare q CoIur.r