The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-17
President Taft Tells Members of
Chicago Press Club
Newspapers Are Essential and
He Has to Read Them.
REPORTERS ALL RIGHT
But He Knocks on Editors and
Statesmen Journalists.
Says Skin Has Grown Thicker
i'm Past Year.

Chicago, March 17-President Taft
was the guest of honor or principal
speaker at functions of various Irish
and other organizations here today.
Addressing the Chicago Newspaper
club, the president warmed to his
subject, 1.-The Press and touched on
phases of journalism. on which. ap-
parently. he feels deeply.
Mr.. President and gentlemen of the
Newspaper club began the president,
81 have been trying SO hard to get up
a st. Patrick's day speech that I ought
to make to this important assembly.
1 value the opportunity to speak to
the men who do the work on the Chi
cago papers and are not responsible for
their editorials.
81 could not believe, knowing the
editorials, that this was representa-
tive newspaper crowd, because have
seen SO many apocryphal- statements,
so many unsound arguments, and un-
just conclusions that they must come
from some other source than this in
telligent audience. tte
1.-THE newspapers of course, are es-
sential. We say we do not read them.
There is a distinguished member of
one of the tribunals in Washington,
who says he never reads the news
papers. Whether he gets his news from
his wife or how he acquires the in
formation as to the progress of the
WOTlQ, L QOn I Know.
Skin Has Grown Thicker.
1.-THE difficulty that find is that I
have to read them, and after a time
of sensitiveness-what shall I call it
of sense of injustice, ones skin grows
thicker, one is able to forget phrases
stronger and what a newspaper man
ultimately learns that, after all. if we
can only survive two or three days of
attack and assault and unfounded
statements, most people will forget it,
Now, 1 don't know whether you
number among your members only
newspaper men, but men who combine
the profession of the press with states
manship, whether you have among you
the men who are reformers down to
the ground and at the same time are
engaged in handing out their views
and news suited to their views as
correspondents.
''If you haven't this you lack a dis
type of newspaper man, a
type which, I am bound
to say, has not contributed to the ac-
public.
st speak with soma knowledge, be-
cause 1 have had to examine that
character of statesman close at hand
ington, and therefore I believe 1 am
pure newspaper men; men
who do not exaggerate merely for the
purpose of helping or marring a cause,
present it to the public.
He Has Learned Much.
''I am glad to be here and to look |
into your faces, and to assure you that !
while 1 am quarter of the way |
through my term, have learned, l
year than I am likely to assimilate |
in the next three
The president, acknowledging the |
election to honorary membership in
t11.o Nr.of f1o 11Ih NJ on
ST am very glad you elected me be- |
fore the next interstate commerce bill |
has become law. I am not sure |
whether 1 would not have listened in |
good deal more tremor and fear the /
inquiry as to how many voted no.
"It seems to he IL: the minds of some |
gentlemen in responsitihy y that the |
people who are to be consulted are not |
those interested That If in the recon-
mendation of legislation affecting rail- |
roads you venture to consult railroad |
n.en that it is enough to condemn all |
the legislation which you recommend. |
sm ready to condemn railroads when |
thew violate the law. 1 am ready to |
urge laws that will so regulate COM
nerce as to make all things equal.
ST hope I may be always able, no |
matter what the result to me, to do /
jrsiice between the great interests of
and the railways; that business may go
On; that we all shall be within the law
and that every man shall see that it is
to his ultimate advantage to uphold
hat law and preserve 1t and make 1t
At the Newspaper club the president
was presented with an album of photo
graphs of himself taken on his previous
visits to the city. Talking to the en-
iowment committee of the Red Cross
the president urged the advis-
ability of increasing the fund available
for emergency work.