Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1911-03-16
ASKED BY PRESIDENT TO SHARE
IN POLITICAL ISSUES
OF THE DAY.
AT SOUTHERN TRADE CONGRESS
Executive Expects Canadian Pact to
Be Ratified BY Congress-Ex-
tolls New Jap
Treaty.

Atlanta, Ca, March 13.-President
Taft in a notable speech before the
closing session of the Southern Com
mercial congress made plea to the
young men of the South to take up
the political issues of the day from
broad and liberal standpoint and to
eliminate from their consideration all
narrow craftsmanship and sectionalism.
Come fully into our national com
munion," said the president, with the
patriotic purpose of stimulating the
progress of our civilization in every
right direction. maintaining our coun
try's prosperity and accommodating its
wealth, but always in subordination to
higher ethical standards and to the
promotion of righteousness and JUS
tice"
The president reviewed briefly the
accomplishments of the siXty-first con-
gress, declaring that in it's three ses-
sions just closed it had enacted more
helpful legislation than any congress
since the Civil war. MIR. Taft asserted
that the greatest accomplishment of
the short session, ended March 4. was
the ratification of the Japanese treaty.
The greatest disappointment, he said,
was the failure of congress to ratify
the reciprocity agreement with Can
ada. In this connection he referred to
his action in calling an extra session
of congress to convene on April 4.
Expects Ratification.
"My opinion is" said Mr.. Taft,
that majority of both houses, dis
regarding party lines, will seize
great national opportunity and prompt
ly ratify the agreement before proceed
ing to other business"
In the hope, perhaps, that tariff
legislation may be avoided at the extra
session. the president pledged himself
to furnish the Democratic house, at it's
regular meeting in December next,
report from the tariff commission on
Schedule tx" of the Payne-Aldrich
act.-of the wool and woolens schedule
Pleased Over Jap Treaty.
With regard to the ratification of the
Japanese treaty, President Taft said:
1T insures the continued friendship
of most progressive and powerful
nation, with whose development we
have been intimately connected since
Commodore Perry opened her ports.
greatly rejoice that the cloud of I'M
certainty which hung over the settle
ment of this question upon terms COM
pletely satisfactory to both countries
has now been removed"
Referring again to the subject of
Canadian reciprocity, the president
said it was one in which the South,
particularly was interested, inasmuch
as vegetables and cottonseed oil are
both put upon the free list of the re-
moval of the rather heavy duties on
both.
But" said the president, II don't
ask your support on the ground of
any local advantage. / do it because
| regard the treaty, if adopted. as the
beginning of new relation between
our rapidly growing neighbor on the
north and ourselves which will insure
greatly to the benefit of both"
Other leading speakers at the clos
ing session of the congress were Gov
ernor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey
and Secretary of War Dickinson.
He was escorted from the terminal
station through streets crowded with
people to the auditorium, where the
congress is in session. From there he
went to the Capital City club for
lunch. During the forenoon there was
a reception at the governors mansion,
a visit to the University club, dinner
at the Piedmont Driving club and the
address to the closing session of the
congress. During the afternoon the
president addressed an audience of
negroes at the Central Avenue M. f.
church. where Colonel Roosevelt spoke
Thursday