Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-03-24
Half a Dozen Addresses and
Enough Handshaking at Chi
cago for 48 Hours.
REAL IRISH SOD DISAPPEARED
Proved Too Much of an Attrac-
ton for Souvenir Hunters
Roosevelt's Name Cheer
ed Most Justify.

ably remembered in Chicago to-day nut
the brunt of 1t fell uron President Taft
and he was n thoroughly tired man when
his train left tonight for Rochester,
n. Y.
During the day he spoke to members
Of the Chicago Newspaper club. tho
Traffic club. to a mass meeting. tn mem
bers and guests Of the Hamilton club
and twice at functions provided by the
Irish Fellowship club which was his host
for the day.
In these speeches the President touched
upon Statesmen correspondents" who
coored facts to suit their views. To
railway men of the Traffic club he ex-
pressed his trust in the sense Of justice
of the American people. He averred that
he had learned more in the first year Of
his administration than he could hope
to assimilate In the st three.
In an informal talk at the first Of the
two entertainments provided by his hosts,
luncheon at noon. his WEAKNESS I'M
consciously crept into his speech
When I arrived here yesterday he
said, but the slip caused nothing more
| than smile Of which the President
seemed unconscious 1t probably seemed
| that he had been here two days, for the
forenoon had been crowded with oratory
and handshaklng enough for 4S hours.
Speaking of the prosperity of the
country. the President referred espe-
cially to advances in the South
At the newspaper mems luncheon a
harp of shamrocks sent from Ireland
by John r. Redmond the Irish nation
alist leader, was presented to Mr.. Taft.
At the conclusion Of this luncheon,
the President sought his room for a
half hour of quiet and rest and when
he reappeared he seemed much re-
freshed.
At the stage door of the Auditorium,
a man attempted to follow the Presi-
dent into the building. but he was
seized by two secret service operators
and locked up. He gave the name of
Dick" Short. 1t was said he had
been drinking.
CHEER ROOsEvELT's NAME.
| Prolonged cheering interrupted Presi-
dent TAFT when he mentioned the name
of Theodore Roosevelt.
The conservation movement" said
Mr.. Taft "owes its beginning to Theo-
dore Roosevelt" prolonged applause
Go It again. You don't enjoy that any
more than | do. Who was it inspired in
Clifford Pinchot that wonderful activity
of mind and body with reference to con-
servation movement? (Applause.) | am
in favor of giving credit where credit
| belongs, (applause) and of Withholding II
where 1t does not belong,
| There are people in Congress, cOnsci-
| entious, hard working prominent states
men. who look at the question Of conser
walton as it might have heen looked at
| 70 or 80 years ago. They are still In favor
| of letting out the land and getting the
| settlers on II, not In favor OF careful
method of conservation and preserva-
ton. ! am not criticising them.
| EAST DOESN'T UNDERSTAND"
They say that ! don't understand and
that we In the East don't understand the
situation because we don't breathe the
atmosphere of the West. Well. I think
we are convincing q good many of them
that we are right and they are in the
wrong: but there are some Of them who
are project Ataxes In debate and who "a y
they will continue to debate this ques-
ton and will stand against the conservs-
their shoes will last.
What ! want to get ia an act OF
Congress that shall validate all Of the
Withdrawals of land that have been made
and shall give me power to make such
further withdrawals as ought to be made
until Congress has determined upon the
proper disposition Of those lands"
The President said that he WIS meet
rbn
an immediate disposal OF land and from
these who question the constitutional
power Of the President to make with
drnwals.
WHERE DID THb SOD Go?
The true inwardness Of why President
Taft did not stand on a piece OF the ''ould
sod" at the a. Patrtcks banquet to-
night is something of a mystery. In any
event the sod for the most part has dis.
appeared having been carried away dur
ing last night II IN alleged by souvenir
| hunters.
The sod was imported In order that the
President might address Irish-Americans
from the real soil Of the Emerald Isle
Ever since its arrival. crowds of Irish
men and women have visited the hotel
and cried at the sight of this tangible
bit Of their fatherland These people ir
some cases undoubtedly carried away
small pieces OF the sod but the heaviest
inroad is said to have been made last
night and Just how it was made is not
clearly explained by \the souvenior
hypothesis,
| PERHAPS NOT ACCIDENTAL
In some quarters it is limited that the
disappearance was not accidental but was
deliberately carried out as a solution OF
the rule that President Of the United
States shall not set foot during his term
of office on foreign soil. If the sod was
regarded as an actual part of Ireland, q
strayed fragment, many argued that the
President could not in propriety stand up
on II.
When the view was presented that thu
sod had no political Significance. but was
mere importation of mineral and veget
able batter, the sentimentaHsts took grea
umbrage.
Whiie the souvenir explanation may b.
he correct one, tho police are making NJ
move 10 discover the culprits, peac
reigns amongst the erstwhile disputant
} and the President had to he conten
with carrying a small chunk OF the 'oul
sod" hack to Washington.
When the disappearance was discovere
to-day tho official explsna ton included
statement that tho sod was altogethe