The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-05
MAKES "FUNERAL GRAFTON,
OVER HIS POLITICAL
CORPSE"
He CANNOT UNDERSTAND
The President Declares He Has Been
More Misunderstood Than Blame
worthy-He Defends His Admins
tration Through the Many Results
He Declares It Has Attained.

New York, Jan. 4.--President Taft
presided here tonight at what he
styled his own political wake" He
made the funeral Grafton over his
political corpie;" asked modest
praise for the deeds that he did while
he lived in the White House; recited
at length the causes that led to his
demise and attacked the enemies he
held responsible for his taking off
The president was the only speaker
at the republican "reorganizaton''
dinner, given at the Waldorf Astoria
to more than 1000 republicans from
all over the country. He spoke for
more than an hour His defense Of
his administration was the executive
results it has produced; his reply to
personal criticism was that he had
been more misunderstood than blame
worthy. His attack upon his political
pponents-confined almost exclu-
sively to the progressives-was not
bitter, but sorrowful.
In spite of all the misrepresenta-
ton, the unrest. the present-day de-
sire for change, the president said, he
saw in the future a return to the old
ideas of government, the awakening
of the people to an understanding
| that social changes must be made
slowly and with sure steps, He closed
with an appeal to republicans who
left the party to return and join
hands with the millions who re-
manned faithful
Let us buckle on our armOr again
for the battle for humanity that must
be fought" said the president. Let
us invite those republicans who left
us under an impulse that calmer con-
sideration shows to have been unwise,
to return and stand again with us in
this critical time.
Let US ask our opponents, the dem
ocrats, The many who love the con-
stitution and the blessings it has
| brought, to unite with us in it's de-
| fense. 1t must be a campaign of edu-
cation among the common people for
| the benefit of the common people
against the person of classhatred,
| the fanaticism of unbalanced enthusi-
asm and the sophistry of demagogic
! promise"
In the course of his speech the pres
ident made his first public reference
| to Colonel Roosevelt since the close
of the campaign, asserting that prob
ably one million voters, normally re-
publican, cast their ballots for MIR.
Wilson, "in order to avoid the danger
of Mr.. Roosevelt's dangerous policies"
The president said in part:
1T is unusual for the deceased to
give very full expression to his feel
ings at the wake; but l remember
that in one of Boucicault's Irish
dramas, the corpse was sufficiently
revived to partake of the liquid re-
freshment and became the chief par
ticpant in the festivities. A few
acter of the deceased and the manner
of his taking off may not therefore
be inappropriate.
What was the political disease ol
which | died? l am hopeful tina
when historians conduct their post
mortems it may be found that my de
mise was due to circumstances OVel
which l had no great control and tt
a political cataclysm which l could
hardly have anticipated or avoided
but whether this be true or not ever
personal reasons why it was that
though l went in, l also went out
with large majorities.
1T has been charged against M
that | am an aristocrat and that
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