New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-15
PRESIDENT TAFT
KISSED BY WOMEN
Delegates to Suffrage Conven-
tiOn Offended by His
Remark.
GREAT UPROAR RESULTS
He Said He Feared Ballot Would
Be Controlled by Less De-
sirable Class '-Smilingly
Rebukes Disturbers.
rFrom The Trfhune Rur.au.I i

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington April 14-tu spite Of the
protests Of the suffragists. President
Taft welcomed tho fortv-second annual
convention Of tho National Womans
Suffrage Association 10 Washington to-
night. II was the first time in the history
of the organization. said the vice-presi-
dent Mrs. Rachel Foster avery. IN in
PRODUCING the chief Executive in the
auditorium, Of the Arlington Hotel that
q President If the United States had ever
done the association such an honor
although il has met MANY times in
Washington-and the delegates looked
on his coming i'm the light of victory.
70 which the protest OF the antis added
lustre. but they took the edge off their tri-
umph by Kissing their distinguished Wis
itor when he expressed views from which
they dissented. Mr. Taft conceded the
general justice of the demand for equal
suffrage but said he saw a danger IN ths
unwillingness Of any particular class ~
persons 10 exercise the suffrage. and
feared that in such a case II might he
exercised by the least desirable men,
bers of that class.
A storm of Kisses and other signs Of
disapprovaI greeted this remark and Mr..
Taft said suaveIy. Now. my dear ladies'.
YOU must show yourselves capable of
suffrage by exercising that degree Of re-
straint which is necessary in the conduct
Of government affairs by not Kissing"
While the chair raped for order. Mr..
Taft. concluding his speech. reminded
the audience that he came there by their
invitation on the Understanding that no
limitation was To be placed on his ut
terances.
Rebukes the Hissers.
The President stood unmOved on the
platform throughout the demonstration
of hostility. and smiled as he made his
retort. The women who had hissed were
rebuked The Presidents reply appar-
emily had taken hold. There were no
more Kisses while Mr. Taft continued his
address. which he characterized as my
Confession on the woman suffrage ques-
tion. At the close of his address he was
enthusiastically applauded. and some OF
the leaders of the convention expressed
| their sincere regret to him for the un-
pleasant incident. President Taft as
sured them that his feelings had not
been injured in the least.
Il am not entirely certain" said the
President that I ought to have come
here tonight but your committee which
invited me assured me that I should be
Welcome even il I did not support all
the views which are to- be advanced in
this convention But / consider that this
movement represents a sufficient part of
the intelligence Of the community 10
justify my coming here and welcoming
you 10 Washington.
The difficulty I expect 10 encounter
is this-at least. the difficulty which Oc-
ours 10 me as judge of my own feelings
when my interest in a campaign is
aroused-to wit. I'm always more inn
patient with those who go only half way
with me than with those who oppose me.
When I was sixteen years old and
was graduated from the Woodward
High School in Cincinnati. 7 took for
my graduation subject Woman Suf-
frage' and at that time l was as strong
an advocate of woman suffrage as any
delegate to this convention. I had read
much on woman suffrage. and my father
was a suffragist
The women cheered the President at
this point in his address. The hall was
a mass of waving white handkerchiefs.
but the waving ceased abruptly when
the President. resuming his address. said
with emphasis.