Gilpin observer., 1902-07-03

should be akin to our own; TO teach
the people, after four centuries Of mis-
rule, that there were such things as
governmental righteousness and hon
esty and fair play for all men on their
merits as men. He did all that.
He has come back here, and has.
been attacked forsO0th, by people who
are not merely unworthy of having
their names coupled with his, but who
are incapable of understanding the mo-
tives that have spurred him on to
bring honor to this Republic.
And, Taft, Judge Taft, Governor
Taft, who has been the head of the
Philippine Commission, and who has
gone back there. Taft, the most bril-
liant graduate of his year at Yale, the
youngest Yale man upon whom that
institution ever conferred the degree
Of LII. d.; man who, having won
high positions at the bar and then
served as solicitor general, with all his
tastes impeiling him to a judicial ca
reer, and who was appointed to the
United States bench and was asked
to give up the position to go to the 9TH
er side Of the world to take up an in
finitely difficult and infinitely danger
GUS problem, and to do his best to
solve 1t. He has done his best. He
came back here the other day. The
man has always had the honorable am
bition to get on the Supreme Court,
and he knew that / had always hoped
lie would be put upon the Supreme
Court, and when there was a question
of vacancy arising, i said to him:
Governor, l think l ought to tell you
that II n vacancy comes in the Supreme
Court, while 1t would give you an op-
portunity to be put in the position you
would like to have, l think l ought to
tell you that IL such a vacancy should
occur l do not see how l could posi-
bly, give it to you, for l need you where
yOu are
HE said to me: Mr.. President. 1t has
always been my dream to be in the
Supreme Court. but IL you should offer
me justiceship now, and at the same
time Congress should take or entirely
my salary as governor, should 70
straight back to the Philippines, new
ertheless, for those people need me, and
expect me back, and believe l won't de-
sert Them
American. that we have a fellow Amer
lean like Taft.
And now. Elihu Root. who. unnKe
myself, Mr.. President Eliot, but like
most OF you present, comes of the old New
England stock, whose great grandfath-
er stood beside Leonard Woods great
grandfather on the Concord bridge
Elihu Root, who had worked his way
up from being poor and unknown
country boy In New York to n position
where in year or two he had the
leadership of the bar OF the great city
. within his grasp, gave 1t up and made
the very great pecuniary sacrifice i'm
Piled in giving ii up. and accepted the
position under President MKinley Of
secretary of war. a position which for
the last three years and at present
amounts to being not only secretary OF
war hut the secretary for the islands,
the secretary for the colonies at the
same time; he has done the most ex-
ha,rstfve and important work OF any
man in the administration, more SO
than the work Of the President, be
cause circumstances have been such
that with man Of Roots wonderful
ability, industry and eonscientiousness,
the President could not help but de
volre upon him work that made his
task one under which almost any other
man l know would have staggered He
has done that and done it absolutely
disinterestedly.
-He has done all that with the Ger
tninfy OF attack, with the certainty Of
misunderstanding. with the certainty
OF being hampered by ignorance and
worse than ignorance: that he could
not do the best that was in him. only
the best that conditions would allow
of. IL was all Abraham Lincoln could
do. Incidentally he has done all. Taft
has done 1T. Wood has done 1T These
three men have rendered that service.
l can do nothing for them. I can show
my appreciation of them in no way
save the wholly insufficient one Of
standing up for them and for their
works. and that l will do