The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-14
PRESIDENTS KISSED
Mr.. Taft Rebuked Suffagists
When Demonstration
Subsided
MANY DELEGATES BLUSH

frCSFOcnt ihli HI NuucSS vi UV-
eome to National Woman Suffrage
League, Confessed He was Not
Wholly In Sympathy With Its Cause
and 0utburst Followed.
Washington, d. c., April 1.-THE
President of the United States, the
First Chief Executive of the Ma
ton even to greet a convention of
woman suffragists, braved the dang
er tonight of facing an army OF
women who want the ballot, had the
COURAGE to confess his opinion and
was hissed
President Taft was welcoming to
Washington the delegates to the con-
vention of the National Woman Suf-
frage Association. He had frankly told
them that he was not altogether in
sympathy with the suffrage move
ment and was explaining why he
could not subscribe fully to its prin-
ciples. He said he thought one OF
the dangers in granting outrage TO
women was that the women as a
whole we're not interested in 1t, and
that the power of the ballot as far as
women is concerned would be con-
trolled by the less desirable class"
When these words fell from the
Presidents lips the walls of the con-
vention hall echoed a chorus of fem
mine Kisses. 1t was no feeble dem-
onstrasion of protest. The combined
Kisses sounded as IL a valve on steam
engine had broken.
President Taft stood unmoved on
the platform during the demonstrt-
ton ef hostility--for the Kissing con-
tinueG but a moment and then,
smiling as he spoke, he answered tn
unfavorable greeting with this re-
tort:
Now, my dear. ladies. you must
show yourselves capable OF suffrage
by exercising the degree of restraint
which Is necessary in the conduct OF
government affairs by not Kissing"
The women who had hissed were
reluked. The Presidents reply ap-
parently had taken hold. There were
no more Kisses while the President
continued his address, which he
characterized as my confession" on
the woman suffrage question" Al
the conclusion of his talk he was en-
Enthusiastically applauded and some o.
the leaders OF the convention ex
pressed to him their sincere regra .
over the unpleasant incident. Presi
dent Taft assured them that he hat
not bad his feelings injured in th'
least
When l was sixteen years old,
said the President, land was gradu
ated from the Woodward High Schoo
in Cincinnati, / took for my gradua
tion subject Woman Suffrage and a
that time | was as strong an advo
cate of woman suffrage as any dele
gate to this convention. ] had rea
much on woman suffrage and my ia
ther was suffragist."
The women cheered the Presider
at this point.
80 at that time | was orthodox
[accenting that timeO.
81 have modified my views on thi
subject somewhat"
Continuing, the President said
The theory that the Hottentot {
any uneducated class is fitted for Sc
government | wholly dissent fror
But that is not applicable to this 81
uation tonight"
These utterances injected a feelin
of good nature, soon to be dispelle
They laughed heartily.
'Dut there is another qualificatio
which is that the class which h;
suffrage should care enough for the
interests to take part in the eXercii
of political power, i; conferred upc
them. If they no not, then it seen
TO me the danger is, If the power
suffrage is granted, it Will be exc
cised by that part of the class whi'
is less desirable"
That was the signal of the Pres
dents distress and his hearers u
heayal of spirits. The leaders of L
convention who sat on the platfor
as the Kisses burst from their COZ
rades' lips
At the conclusion or the sessi,
many of the delegates express
themselves as Inundated over t
kissing incident.
FOSS SPENT $3.50.