The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08
William HOzVdrd Taft
The Next President
Peculiarly Fitted Not Only BY Nature and Training But By
Experience and Achievement To Perform the Delicate and
Arduous Duties Of the Greatest Office In
the Gift Of the People

From the Boston Post.
In William Howard Taft the people of
the United States have elected a man for
the presidency who is exceptionally
equipped, not only by nature and train
ing, but by experience and achievement
to perform the delicate and arduous duties
of the greatest office in the gift of the
people
Mr. Taft comes Of q family distin-
guished in the law and public service The
first American Taft came of the English
sSt3manry. transplanted across the At
iantic by the great upheaval for CON
science sake which peopled New England
with it's sturdy stock. In this country
they turned to the study and practice of
law. Peter Taft was both a maker and
an interpreter of the law, having served
as a member of the Vermont legislature
and afterwards as Judge Alfonso TAFT,
son of Peter, graduated from Yale college
and then went out to the western reserve
to practise law. He settled in Cincinnati,
and 1t was at Mt. Auburn, suburb OF
that city, on September ID, 1867, that MS
son, William Howard Taft first became
presidential possibility.
His Mothers Last Command.
The boy grew up in an atmosphere of
earnest desire for public duty too little
known in these days Of the colossal and
engrossing material development OF the
country. His father earned distinction IN
the service of city and state and nation
going from the supreme bench. to wnlcn
no had been elected unanimously, to
place In Grants cabinet, now held by the
son, then as attorney general to the de-
partment of justice, and finally into the
diplomatic service as minister nrst TO
Austria and then TO Russia. Ills mother,
who was Miss Louise M Curry also came
of that staunch New England stock. with
whom conscience is the arbiter OF action
and duty performed the goal of service.
1t was her express command that sent
him away from her last fall when both
knew that she was entering upon the last
stage of her life. He had promised the
Iilipinos that he would go to Manila and
in person formally open their assembly.
1t was to be their first concrete exper-
rience in solf-government and he, more
than any other. man, had made 1t possi-
BILE. There was danger that the suspi-
cious Filipinos would impute his failure
to attend to sinister motives, to indiffer-
ence or altered purpose. with result
vastly unfortunate to them and to Amer
ica Mr.. Taft saw all that very clearly,
yet in view of his mothers health, he
would have remained at home. She for
babe. She said his duty lay to the people
he had started on the path to liberty, and,
although 1t involved what each thought
to be the final parting, she commanded
him to go. He went and before he could
return his mother had passed away.
Much was to be expected of a boy of
such parentage, and young Taft fulfilled
the expectation. He began by growing
big physically. He has tremendous
frame.
OF course he went to Yale His father
had been the first alumnus elected to the
corporation, and when young Taft had
completed his preparatory course at the