Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20
Presidaot Taft's Speech.

When the President arose TO speak
ne was greeted with an enthusiastic
'hautauqua salute by the several thou
and schoolgirls in the hall.
Il am here only to repeat in a very
poor way, the ideas that Senator Lodge
has advanced" said the President. The
lily of Washington is a national city.
II know there are those who live I'm
this city who think that in some way
or other il has a local quality. and that
they. being freeborn American citizens
ought to be given an opportunity To
vote Well i don't sympathize with
that feeling at all
If they want to vote they ought to
move over to Maryland or ont to Gin
rinnati, or to some other good place.
They ought to understand that in 1iv
ing I'm Washington they are enjoying
privilege which is furnished them at
The expense of the entire nation, and
that they are living in the Capital city
which is under the care. control and
direction of all the people of the United
states through their representatives IN
The House and In that subservient body,
The Senate of the United States.
Zone of the things which strikes enc
In this meeting, and in considering its
object, Is why we have waited so LONG
TO do that which it is the purpose of this
meeting TO promote. If there Is city
In the United States where speaking mas
always been the fashion 1t is Washing
ton; and why there has not been erected
under the appropriation of those gen
tlemen whose profession is Sped king, Il
hall sufficiently large for the greatest
orator who has come to Congress by
The expenditure of the United States l
don't understand.
Need of Building Urged.
But certain it is that We need such
building. We need a building of suf-
fieient dignity and size to permit those
ter to be carried on in a proper way. i
hope that the building. when erected,
will be able to stand a blizzard. for that
seems to be necessary in connection
with an Inauguration
But, jesting aside, the question really
which comes to the minds, i think, of you
and of me is whether this ought to be
Telegated to private munificence. If 1t
can be done, il ought TO be done, / pre-
sumo, by private generosity If it cannot
be done that way, then ii Will have to be
pieced out by our representatives in Con-
gress. At least We can attempt it, and
then il we do not succeed we can call
upon Congress to help out
In any event, we ought to have q
building constructed not on narrow lines,
not with view to economy, but on the
broadcast lines and with the finest archi-
lecture, and we will call it Washing
ton,' because this is the city of Washing
ton. because everything that is important
man who founded the country and in
whose mind there developed the thought
of q Capital city,"
Burton Asks Children's Aid.
Senator Burton Endorsed the idea OF
erecting a memorial building to the first
President in Washington, and said that
the project can best be promoted by q
new appreciation of the work of George
Washington He said that Washington
and he advised the school children TO
read Washmgton's farewell address, not
only on the 22d of February. but often
during the year.
In announcing the closing of the exer-
cises Justice Harlan said:
Il hope that this is the beginning of a
great movement and that all of you will
give II your best support, both financially
and otherwise"
About forty members of the High
School Cadet Regiment acted as ushers
at the meeting. On the platform. beside
the speakers, were DR.. Charles Z. Wal
colt. w. ". Cox, DIR. B. W. Evermann,
V. Tunnel. ex-Comm- ssioner Mcfarland,
Percy 8. Foster, Mrs. III. C. Lodge. r. r.
Homer, Mrs. Thomas III. Carter and sew
eral members of the association
Besides the high and normal schools the
following private institutions were repre-
scented In the audience: Miss Madeira
school, National Cathedral School, Fair
mont Seminary, Wash ngton Seminary,
Washington College, National Park Semi
nary. Mount Vernon Seminary, Chevy
Chase Seminary. Bristol School and
Martha Washington Seminary.
number of George Washington memorial
buttons were sold.