The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-15
THEY HISS TAFT.
Attendants at National Equal
Suffrage Convention.
Resent Some Remarks Made by
the President.
POINTS OUT DANGER
Of Granting Franchise to WOm-
en-, as He Sees 1t.
He Fears That Only the I'm
He Fears That Only the I'm
desirables Would Vote.

President Tart was welcoming &c
Washington the delegates to the con-
vention of the National American Wo-
man Suffrage association. He had told
| them frankly that he was not altogeth-
| Ell in sympathy with the movement and
| was explaining why he could not sub
scribe fully to its principles. He said
| he thought one of the dangers il grant
ing suffrage to women was that the
| women as a whole were not interested
| in it and that the power of the ballot
| as far as women is concerned would be
controlled by the ''less desirable class.
| When these words fell from the pres1-
| dents lips the walls of the convention
| hall echoed a. chorus of feminine Kisses.
| 1t was no feeble demonstration Of pro
| test. The combined Kisses sounded as
| If valve on a steam engine had bro
| ken.
! President Taft stood unmoved during
/ the demonstration of hostihty-for the
! kissing continued but a moment-and
! then smiling as he spoke, he answered
the unfavorable greeting with this re-
| tort:
Now. my dear ladies. you must show
| yourselves capable of suffrage by exer-
cising that degree of restraint which is
necessary in the conduct of govern
ment affairs by not kissing"
Calls 1t His Confession.
The women who had Kissed were re-
| buked. The presidents reply appar-
| emily had taken hold. There were no
more Kisses while the president con-
tinued his address. which he character
| lied as my confession on the woman
suffrage question. At the conclusion Of
his talk, he was applauded and some OF
the leaders Of the convention express
ed to him their sincere regret over the
unpleasant incident. President Taft as
sured them his feelings were not in
jured in the least.
II am not entirely certain said the
president, after h9 had been oourte-
ously presented to the convention by
Rachel Foster Avery, vice president of
the association, that I ought to have
come here tonight, but your commit
tee which invited me assured me that
1 should be welcome even if I did not
support all the views which are to be
advanced in this convention But 1
consider that this movement repre-
sents a sufficient part of the tntell1-
gence of the community to justify my
coming and welcoming you to Wash
ington.
!'The difficulty expect to encounter
is this-at least. the difficulty which
occurs to me, as judge of my own
feelings when my Interest in a cam
paign is aroused-to wit:
when I was 16 years old and was
graduated from the woodward high
school in Cincinnati. 1 took for my
graduation subject Woman Suffrage
J and at that time 1 was as strong an
advocate of woman suffrage as any
delegate to this convention. had read
much on woman suffrage and my
father was a suffragist."
The woman cheered at this point in
his address. The hall was mass of
waving handkerchiefS, but the waving
ceased when the president said with
emphasis, $50 at that time 1 was or.
thodox. But in the actual experience
which I have had, I have modified my
views on this subject somewhat. In
the first place, the proper Republican
government we approve and support
because, on the whole, every intelli-
gent class-that is, every set of indi-
viduals similarly situated in COM
munity intelligent enough to know
what their interests are-is better
qualified to determine how those in
terests shall be cared for and pre-
served than any other class. however
altruistic.
When the Kisses Came In.
''There is another qualification,
which is that the class which has suf-
frage should care enough for their in
terest to take part in the exercise OF
them. If they do not, then it seems to
me the danger is. if the power of
suffrage is granted, it VIII be exer-
cised by that part of the class which
is less desirable
That was the signal for the up
heavai of spirits. The leaders of the
convention who sat on the platform
surrounding Inc president DluSneQ as
the Kisses burst from their comrades
lips.
Those in the audience who did not
hiss frantically endeavored to restrain
their sisters who we're Kissing, when
the president took the situation in his
own hands and told the ladies what he
thought of their action. He did not
speak at all angrily.
eff 1 could be sure.'' he continued,
that women as class would exercise
the franchise would be in favor of it.
At present there exists in my mind
considerable doubt Permit me to say
that the task before you in establish
ing your political rights is not in con-
vincing the men but in convincing
your own class. Even If 1 disagree
with you. not in principle, out in APP
plication of it to the present situation,
1 will hope you will not deem me I'M
gracious in saying as much as have. |
came here with the understanding
by your committee as to what prob
ably would say. They knew that 1
would not subscribe to all you advo-
cate. trust your convention will sue
coed. in all you hope for and / know
that It can not but be productive of
good"
When he had concluded, he shook
hands with Rev. DR.. anna Howard
Shaw, president. and other leaders.
Then he left. The delegates rose as
the president was escorted from the
hall
Oficers of the association expressed
deep regret that the president Of the
United States should have been treat
ed $50 deplorably," but they pointed to
the fact that a majority of the audi
ence was made up Of outsiders, not
delegates to the convention, and
claimed the former We're responsible
Senator owen of Oklahoma en-
dorsed the suffrage movement and