The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-26
WOOD, TAFT, ROOT
The President Makes Characteristic
Defense of Them.
AT HARVARD ALUMNI BANQUET
ssIen who Did Things; DID Not Say
How They Should Do Them
<, Degree for Roosevelt.

- y .---- ----------
Cambridge. Mass, June 2e-At the
Harvard alumni banquet, President
three Of his lieutenants under fre-Wood,
Taft and Root. He eulogized their
services and declared that he accorded
to them the only appreciation he could
show-"the wholly insufficient one OF
standing up for them and their works
After mentioning several Harvard men
prominent in public life, including John D.
Long, Senator Hoar, John Hay and sena-
tor Henry Cabot Lodge-to whom he re-
-ferred as his closest, stanchest and most
@oyal personal friend"-the president
said: = ..s --a -
Gentlemen, want to speak OF three other
college graduates because Of the service they
have done the public. '> g.
It q college education means anythtng. 1t
means fitting man to do better service than
he could do without it. If 1t does not mean
that, 1t means nothing, and II a man does not
get that out of It, he gets less than nothing
out OF dt.
No man has right to arrogate to himself
one particle OF superiority because he has had
e college education. but he rs bound If he is
in truth q man to feel that the fact ct his
having had college education imposes upon
him a heavier burden OF responsibility
] want to speak of three men who during
the past three or four years have met that re-
auirement-cf a graduate of Hamilton college,
EIlhu Root graduate Of Yale, Governor
Taft, and of a fellow Harvard man, Leonard
Wood-naen who did things; did not say how
they should do them, but did them them
selves; men who have met that greatest OF
our national needs, the need for the service
that cannot be bought, the need for the ser
vice that can only be rendered by the man
willing to forego the material advantages, for
tt has got to be given at the mans own mate
rial cost 49,.
When in England they get man to do what
Lord Cromer did in Egypt; when man re-
turns, as Lord Kitchener will return from
South Africa, they give him peerase and a
great sum Of money. He receives large and
tangible reward; and our Cromers, our men
OF that stamp, come back to the country, and
II they are fortunate they so back to private
life with the privilege OF taking up what they
can find Of the strings left loose when they
surrendered their old connections, and II they
are unfortunate they are accused of maladver-
sion dn ofice-not an accusation that hurts
them, but an accusation that brands with IN
fanny every man who makes 1t and rests but
III on the country which made It, Leonard
Wood four years ago went to Cuoa; ne
served thera ever since; has rendered services
70 that country which, performed 5000 years
ago. would have made a hero mixed up with
the sun god in various ways, a man VINO oe-
voted his whole life to these four years and
who thought OF nothing else, did nothing else
save to try to bring up the standard OF polltlT
cal and social life in that island; to clean 1t
physically and morally; to make justice even
and tair in 1t; to found a school system that
should be akin to our own; to teach the peo-
Dls after four centuries of G1isrule that there
Uere such things as governmental righteous
ness and honesty and fair play for all men on
their merits as men.
He did all that He is a man OF slender
means He did It On his pay as an army
Officer and as governor of the island.
Sixty millions Of dollars passed through
his hands, and be came cut having had TO
draw on his slender capital in order that nc
rristht come out even when he left the island
Credit to him? Yes, IN a way In another,
10 particular credit, because he was eul4t so
that he could do nouhing else. He came out
having done that and having devoted hlnse.!
as disinterestedly to the good OF the Cuoan
people in all their relations as man could
tHs has come back here and has been at
tackled forsooth by people who are not mercy
unworthy Of having their names coupled WIFI
him, but who are incapable OF understanding
the motives that have spurred him on 10 oe'hs
honor to this republic.
And w,l, Taft, Judge Taft, Governor Taft
who has been the head of the Philippine com
mission and who has gone back there; Iart
the most brilliant graduate or MS year Al
Yale. the youngest Yale man upon whom thai
institution ever conferred the degree OF LII
D.. man who having wen high positions a.
the bar and then served as solicitor general
with all his tastes impeiling him to ]1olcla
career, and was appointed to the United
states bench, was asked to give up the posi-
ton in order to go to the other side OF the
world to take up er Infinitely difhcu!t and n
anstely dangerous problem and 90 MS nes'
tn solve it. He has done his best.
He came back here the other Gay. me
man has always had the honorable ambition
10 get UPON the supreme court, and he knew
tb.t I had always hoped he would be pu
ypon the supreme court. and when there wa!
question Of vacancy arising, said to e.rn
governor, I think ought to tell you tina
!, vacancy comes in the supreme court
I,,iIA v would give you an opportunity to b.
nrt in the position you would like to have
7 +hinklI ought to tel! you that II such !
vacancy should occur 7 Go not see how
could possibly give it to you, Tor nee'
YOU where you are.
Va said To me: Mr. President, it IA
always been my dream to be in the supren
court, but IL you should offer me Justice
shin now and ct the same time eongres
should take off entirely my salary as COVER
nor, should go straight back to the Phlllp
pires nevertheless, for those people need m
and expect me back and believe won't deser
them"
He has gone hack, gone as e strong frier
among weaker friends to help them upward
along the stony ard difficult path OF self
government; to do his part and a great par
In making the American name symbol
honor ard good faith In the FhiAnp!n
Islands; to govern with justice and with tha
Arnaness, that absence Of weakness, which
only another side, OF justice. He has gon
back to do all of that because it.i his dut
ss he sees it. We are to be congratulated, "
Americans, that we have a fellow America
like Taft. .'.
And now, Elihu Root. who. unlike myse!
Mr.. President Eliot but like most Of yo
present, comes Of the old New England stoc!
whose great-grandfather stood beside Leonar
Woods great-grandfather at Concord bridge
MIShu Root, who had worked his way up froT
being q Door and unknown country 10y !
New York to u position where in a year 2
two he had the leadership OF the bar of th
great city within his grasp, gave 1t up, mad
the very great pecuniary sacrifice implied ]
diving it W. and accepted the position unde
President Mckinley of secretary of war.
position which, for the last three years an
at present, amounts to being not only tt
secretary of war, but the secretary for tt
Islands, the secretary for the colonies at tt
same time, who has done the most exhaus
ing and responsible work OF any man in tn
administration, more so than the work of tt
osr cfa hos