The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-11
Makes Plea for Young Men to Take Up Political
 Issues GOVERNOR WOODROW
 WILSON SPEARS Dramatic Scene As Stars and Stripes Are Lowered to Strains of Star Spangled Banner'-$27,-
 900 Subscribed

in a notable speech before the closing
 session of the Southern Commercial congress tonight made a plea to the young men of the new south to take up the political issues of the day from a broad and liberal standpoint and to eliminate from their consideration all rarrow partisanship 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 accumulating it's wealth, but always in subordination to higher ethical standards and to the promotion of righteousness and jus tice."
 The President reviewed the accom- plishments of the Sixty first Congress, declaring that in its three sessions just closed it had enacted more helpful leg islaton than any Congress since the civil war MT. Taft asserted that the greatest accomplishment of the short session, ended March 4. was the ratifi- cation of the Japanese treaty. The greatest disappointment he said was the failure of Congress to ratlfy the reciprocity agreement with Canada. In this connection he referred to his ac- tion in calling an extra session of Con- gress to convene on April 4.
 Will Ratify Reciprocity "My opinion is,' said MT. Taft, that | a majority of both houses. disregard : ing party lines. will seize great na- tional opportunity and promtply rat tfy the agreement before proceeding to | other business" Here the President paused for a mo- ment, evidently he turned over in his | mind the democratic statement that several of the tariff schedules would be | considered at the extra session. If" he added significantly, Tit be | deemed wise or necessary to proceed to other business.
 Perhaps unconsciously, the President uttered the hope that the democrats of the new House might not deem it | necessary to go into other matters than the ratification of the Canadian agree ment How far his influence in that direction will carry weight remains to be seen.
 In the hope, perhaps, that tariff leg .sssIation may be avoided at the extra ses- xfen, sshe President today pledged him self to furnish to the democratic House at it's regular meeting in December next A report from the tariff commission on schedule K of the Payne-Aldrich act = the wool and woolens schedule, The President referred to his recent action in appointing former Representa- tive William M. Howard of Georgia and Prof Thomas W. Page of the University of Virginia as the democratic members of the temporary tariff board. He said the sundry civil bill, carrying the appro- priation for the temporary tariff board, k1 AaxI ctar daxr fa itself to the wool and wollens schedule a schedule that has not been changed for 30 years--and make a report by De- ccmber 1. Woodrow Wilson Speaks Other speakers of national prominence at the closing session of the congress tonight were Gov Woodrow Wilson oe New Jersey and Secretary of War J. NJ. Dickinson
 Governor Wilson was given an ova- tion when he was presented by Sem ator Duncan U. Fletcher, former Georgian. He spoke on the subject, "The Citizen and the State"
 "The citizen is the state," he de- red, "as the citizen is so will tho
 te be-" He pointed to the fact that
 Anumber of voters long has fallen
 W the registered vote in many eo. bern states and attributed 1t to the feeling that their vote was not needed, or rather not wanted. in count ing the vote of the country as whole. He asserted that this very self-abnega. ton in the south was in his opinion, a species of patriotism.
 Governor Wilson predicted that the south is now gradually coming back to its old position in the affairs of the nation, bringing it's character. It's tra- ditions, and beliefs to rejuvenate the national political structure.
 ic the Interests" said Governor Wilson, and on the manner in which it will deal with the great corporations which he declared were seeking to exploit the resources of the south, depends the south's future.
 Governor Wilson stated that this is c constructive age in this country and 1t should not be the policy of the na
 ton to embarrass corporations, but SC long as they made profits legally and served the public they should be en- couraged Unless a corporation did legitimate and such corporation should be dissolved
 Need Statesmen
 'The time is at hand" concluded Gov ernor Wilson. where there is more
 room for statesmansfp than in 76 and 'S9 and the south wifi rightfully take
 its place in the councils of the na-
 tion."
 Preceding the speechmaling the re-
 port of the committee on nominations
 was received and adopted The new of
 ficers elected were: President. Senator
 Duncan II. Fletcher of Florida; hon.
 orary president, J. M Parker of New
 Orleans; first vice president. Dr. Fran
 els. ex-governor of Missouri; second
 vice president, T. s. Southgate of yir- ginia
 The report of the committee on reso.
 lutions, which was adopted. declared
 that the congress, being on-political
 has held itself free from debatable sub-
 tects, but presents a series of affrma- tions, deductions and appeals resulting
 from the 5proceedngs of the congress
 The need of technical education for the
 use of the south was especially urged ' President Taft reached the convention hall shortly before 12 o'clock, his train
 having been delayed. He was given a
 tremendous ovation on entering the hall
 preceded by several companies of boys
 from the Georgia Military institute.
 On the platform the President was i'm
 mediately surrounded by Secretary oi
 War Dickinson. Governor Brown of Geor- { ga, Governor Blease of South Carolina
 Governor Warfeld of Maryland. Sex-Gov
 ID. R. Francis of Missouri. the officials
 nf the Southern Commercial congress and
 leading business men of tine south The
 President was introduced by ex-GovernoI
 Francis in a few words and at once called