The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-18

Richard V. Oglahan, in Review Of Reviews.
Mr.. Taft Is the very personifcation OF
energy. He is a human steam engine.
ae is always busy. Work, and hard
work. Is his pleasure. A handsome
man. he would attract attention from
that circumstance alone. He breathes
good will, and suggests mental, moral.
and physical wholesOmeness. Yet. with
all his pleasant infermality and his
frequent laughter, he has a dignity of
manner and carriage that commands re-
spect and attention. You feel that he Is
man Of brain power. one of the few men
who seem to grow greater the more init
ma'ely you know them.
Capt. Seth Bullock, plainsman and
friend Of President Roosevelt, paid. in
homely phrase. one Of the highest tributes
that could be paid to any human being,
when he was asked his opinion of Mr..
Taft Capt. Seth has the plainsman's
reticence Of speech. He could not gush If
he tried. What is it about Taft that you
like" he was asked He hemmed and
hawed before he answered. Hes simply
all right. He's a man you don't have to
be introduced TO twice
Il Is this ability to make people feel
at their ease that is one OF Mr. Tafts
greatest charms. He seems to take an
interest in everybody he meets There IS
nothing Of the politician in his method
of treating people. His manner is too
natural TO be studied. The farmers boy
who comes TO Washington TO find out
about the chances Of getting an appoint
ment to the Military Academy is on
friendly terms with the Secretary Of War
after they have talked FIVE minutes. The
stateman. the military hero. the newspa-
! per correspondent. the department clerk.
are ali treated alike when they call on
Mr. Taft. He plays no favorites among
those whom ne believes to be fair and
square.
Mr. Taft has the New England con-
science, and this helped him in his judi
cfal career. II he thinks thing is
wrong he does not hesitate to say so.
This phase of his character takes a pc
clliar form. He viii go out OF his way to
avoid hurting the feelings Of any Of his
lfellow-men: he does not Ike to infiict
pain but frequently. when 1t was TO his
personal and political advantage TO be sill
ent. ne has spoken out, because silence
would mean a misunderstanding Of his
attitude. He wanted everybody 10 know
how he stood. When he went 70 Ohio in
1906 20 serve as temporary chairman OF
the Republican convention he made q
speech which was in substance an ap-
peal to his party brethren 10 smash OF
election day the Republican machine II
Cincinnati Taft was talked OF at thai
time as a Presidential possibility. He
knew that his course would injure him IN
the party organization; that he would
make enemies Of many whose friendship
would be valuable If ne were a candidate
for an elective Office But 20 him word:
of praise for tie Republican machin'
ticket in Cincinnati or silence on the sub
jeet meant hypocrisy. and his New Eng
land conscience told him TO go TO tn,
other extreme. Il is this popularity IL
TafCs temperament which amazes thos.
friends Of his who think he should trim
his sails IN the winds Of popularity.
He exhibited the trait while he was OF
the Federal judicial bench. The pr0spec
OF a political future cut no figure Will
the young iurist. He has no apologies
TO make for his course at that time an,
would not brook any questioning OF IL
fairness. To-day. as a candidate for tn
Presidential nomination, with the labo
element a powerful factor in the determi
: nation OF the result. he will not hesitat
to tell exactly what he did as a judg
when labor injunction cases were brough
before him. II anybody anxious to IN
jure Mr. Taft's prospects for the Presi
dency wishes TO get the record of hi
course in the labor cases he need not pur
sue secret methods to obtain the informa
ton. Let him apply TO the Office of tn
Secretary Of War. Room rs, second floor
! War Department Building. Washington
} D. c. and a genial Gentleman Of larg
J frame viii furnish Il cheeTfully Taft /
not ashamed of anything he has done o
b afraid Ct the consequences Of H.
Taft was thirty when he became
Judge Of the Superior Court. in Cincin
| natl. and only thirty-fve when he va
= appointed judge of the United State
Z Circuit Court. His ambition had tendet
10 the Federal bench, and this Office ap
peared 10 pave the way for the realiza
ton OF his wish TO be a member Of TIA
highest tribunal The world knows how
when offered an appointment as an As
sociate Justice OF the United States Su
lpreme Court, which meant the fulhllmen
= of his hearts desire, he placed duty aheai
l of everything else and declined the tender
He was then IN the Philippines, and h
preferred to stay there at the sacrific
Of personal comfort and Individual taste
because his departure from Manila woul
cause lack of confidence among the ma
tive people and interfere with the worl
he had set out TO do The real Taft stoo
out in these words telegraphed TO Presi
dent Roosevelt; Look forward TO tim
when I can accept such an offer, but eve
If it is certain that it can never be re
peated, I must now decline" And whe
E the President insisted that he, as Presi
dent. saw the whole field" and intend
ed to make the appointment, Taft cam
back with reasons which convinced Nj
Roosevelt that the big man who wante
TO be a Supreme Court jurist, but refuse
for the sake Of conscience, was entitle
to have hts own way.
4 Dignified on the bench, his sedate man
D ner was tempered by suggestion 0
5 kindness and charity that he could no
d conceal One Of those associated int
e mately with him in the days when h
wore the judicial ermine has said: al
= was Judge Taft in the courthouse, bu
r BIZ Taft away from there His interes
] in young men, and particularly in youn
{ lawyers. was shown frequently The lal
a school of which he was dean was a sourc
e OF great pride TO him. One day. Will
: hearing case In the Federal courtroom
E | he saw five law students whom he knew
t sitting in rear seats. Bring FIVE chair
up here" he said TO an attendant. an