The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-19

SPRINGFIELD, o., May Ii. BE-
fore an audience which packed the
Billy Sunday tabernacle to the doors,
President Taft tonight spoke in his
own behalf and wound up hard week
of campaigning In Chic.
The immense crowd of people be-
gan gathering at six p. M, an hour
before Taft was due. The president
ial special, however, was late and did
not arrive until o'clock. The crowd
waited patiently until his arrival.
Fully 10000 were in the hall Shortly
before Taft arrived the electric
lights in the tabernacle went out and
in the pitch blackness there was a
near panic. Temporary gas lights
finally were placed on the platform.
A moment after Taft had begun to
speak the lights came on suddenly,
revealing the enormous size of the
crowd. Taft faltered There are so
many more of you than thought that
l am embarrassed, he said. The
president made his usual speech ex-
tolling his administrations record and
answering Roosevelt. The audience
was friendly but the president evi-
dently was tired.
Taft was coolly received when he
came into Ohio last week. though he
stayed In the extreme southern por-
tion of the state, supposed to be
easily his at the primaries The rh''t-
ness continued on Monday when he
returned to the state after a short
trip to Washington. On Tuesday, how
ever, heat came into the state, Taft
springing his famous Honey fugler
epithet and the crowds began to
warm up. Through Wednesday Taft
struck south through the state, again
working north up the middle of the
| state.
! Again there was less enthusiasm for
/ him but his crowds We're sizeable and
the people attentive. The night meet
ing at Sandusky was the smallest oi
the week On Thursday Taft spoke tc
chilly crowd of workingmen in
4 Cleveland, but at night he had a
crowd that filled big armory and
warmed him to make the most effec
! tive speech he has yet delivered. Fri
day he went west along the lake
country reaching Toledo at night fol
packed meeting in an immense hall
I Not since he became president has
Taft heard cheers like those which
! volleyed through his speech las
night.
/ Today Taft came down through {
! rich farming country, democratic il
4 it's maiorities and Roosevelt in it!
republican sympathies, He varied hi'
! line of speeches, devoting most of hi
remarks to defense of the Payn,
tariff and the Canadian reciprocit,
{ bill Reciprocity was unpopular il
1 this section and Roosevelt has beel
making the most of this fact. Th'
best early morning crowd of the weel
met the president at Wauseon, thi
morning. He also spoke at Napoleon
Defiance, Cecil. Paulding and Val
Vert, all towns in the midst of farm
ing communities. At Lima he spok
to 5000 in the new memorial hal
and to an overflow meeting of 1,oO0
Speeches at Wapakoneta, Sidney
: Bellefontaine and Urbana this after
noon brought Taft up to the Spring
field meeting tonight and the I'm
speech he has made since Monda
morning.
To the farmers of western Ohio
, Taft said that Roosevelt supporte
reciprocity while the bill was pent
, ing Then" said Taft. '.he went OF
! to Illinois and found that it was bt
, ing used against me by the farmer
as indicating that | had attempted
discriminate against them. So whs
did he do? He got up and announce
that he had changed his mind. II
, said that he had examined the rec
procity bill with care and that he ha
approved it hastily-God . save tt
mark-to help my administratio
a along.
e My friends, | ask You if that VIZ
t a square deal Would Abraham Ii
0 coin have taken the back track mer
t Is TO catch votes against an opponen
| am sorry if MY attitude-and ret