The Washington herald., 1908-08-23
ABOUT HORACE TAFT
SchOOlmaSter Brother of the
Presidential Candidate.
IS YOUNGEST OF THE FOUR
He Is Also esThe Conscience of the
Family" According to the Repub-
Hcan NOmfnee-PODulnr with the
Villagers at Watertown, Conn,
where His Boys school Is Located.

The least known Of the four Taft
brothers Is Horace D. Taft. who runs a
boys preparatory school at Wa5ertown.
Conn. and in his quicter way exercises
salutary influence over the destinies Of
the nation. says the Boston Transcript.
In family counseis he IS an important
factor, and. though his wishes 90 not al
ways prevail. the influence he wields
there is by no means negligible Always
he has striven 20 have his big brother
Bill avoid compromises and those other
yieldiags 10 practicabHity which public
men ind themselves face 10 face with
very often.
Horace IS the conscience Of the Taft
family" said William H Taft. in opening
a speech before the Civil Service Reform
Association Of Waterbury. two years ago.
The occasion was a very pleasant one.
This Civil Service Reform Association is
composed Of Yale professors. editors,
lawyers. and others-with few OF no poll
ticians-who are endeavOring 10 awaken
The civic conscience by giving dinners
where they and their guests listen TO
speeches by some OF the foremost men Of
the day. Several OF the men prominent
IN Il were in college about the same time
with BIZ Taft. as they all call him. and
so also were several Waterbury men not
members Of the association. who were
present some were his classmates
When he arose 10 speak he alluded 70
one and another in a humorous personal
vein and then waved his hand u where
his Ianky brother sat.
The Conscience OF the Family"
There SITS the conscience of the Taft
family" said he. If I can satisfy my
brother Horace. I don't need 70 worry
about what any one else will think OF me
and my actions.
II Horace Is the conscience OF the
family replied his brother a bit later,
Bill Is the brains"
/ Horace is the youngest OF the four. the
baby. and he and the Presidential candI-
date and Henry. the New York lawyer.
are own brothers. while Charles P. is a
half-brother. Charles furnishes the uer-
vOUs energy. and Henry Il q very solid
I force in the affairs OF the Taft family
Z BUr no conference % the brothers IS com
| plete without Horace
he was at Chicago. and rejoiced with
1 the others over his brothers victory. but
/ the chances are that down deep in his
heart remains sJiu the feeling that Il IS
I on the bench Of the Supreme Court OF the
( United States that William 4 should be
I This has been his feeling all along He
I Is no whit behind the others in pride IN
I the achievements OF the big brother. but
E hts views Of some things differ from theirs.
/ He has little patience with temporizing.
stands very straight and square-shoul-
/ dered. and would have & that a man
I should not be turned aside from doing his
~ery best work by sacrifices TO popular
I ity o. the circumstances Ct she moment
I He rather favored having the Secretary
I Of War accept President Roosevelts offer
I Of a vacancy On the Supreme Court bench
/ two or three years ago. and Il IS said
| among their friends that bis advice along
this line might have been taken but FOR
| Mrs William H Taft
4 Graduate of Yale.
| Horace Taft was graduated from Yale II
/ ISs3 FIVE years after his brother Bill At
college he never took the high rank tha;
/ Bill did. not because he wasn't able. but
[ because he was content to stand well up
4 IN his classes and let Il 90 at that. he
/ shares the Taft faculty Of making friends,
I acquiring lasting friendships without ever
/ consciously trying for that. and no man
Of his day in college was better loved.
/ He is a fine. manly man. q mans man.
with those qualities OF heart and soul that
attract and hold others
! After graduating. Horace Taft remained
( at Yale as an Instructor for a time Later
J he made up his mind that teaching was
the life work he was suited for, and he
{ established a boys school at Dobbs Ferry.
U - 49,
! remained there It's success was not very
great. Il not only suffered from the fact
Z that Il was a new school among many
older in the vicinity OF New York CITY,
/ but the location was too near that city
/ for its headmaster to carry out his plans.
/ He wanted q place where his boys could
/ be entirely away from the influences OF a
| metropolis and yet near enough TO a
stable city to gain whatever advantages
/ there might be IN that The old Warren
/ House. a former summer hotel in quiet
and picturesque Watertown. six miles
! from Waterbury. was on the market. This
I building was large and well adapted for
I Mr. Taft's purpose. and situated in some
what extensive grounds. and after many
and long consultations With Yale friends
and others he bought It. albeit not with
out uisgivings because Of the nearness of
other good schools in different parts OF
/ Litchheld County
] Interested in Town Affairs.
/ Il is out OF the question that Horace
Taft should remain outside the village
life Of Watertown. which is one OF Con-
necticut's nice old towns with traditions
very thick and a population a shade under
what It was IN 1870 in numbers and trying
/ to live up TO the traditions Of those days,
nor has he done So He paid little atten-
ton TO local affairs during the first years
/ he was in tfse town. but after a while
/ the local leaders got 10 coming TO see
1 him when important matters were afoot,
and now It is ''We'ell lets go over n
see what Mr. Taft thinks OF it." before
the nnaI decision can be made.
/ It has been stated that Horace Taft
was a Democrat IN politics until recently,
but this IS not the fact He was as much
/ & Republican as any OF the Tafts IN ear
/ Ier years, though his views OF politics
are rather tinctured by the academic
notions that prevail at Yale, but when
/ Blaine came to the front he turned 10
1 Cleveland He could not bear the PIumed
knight and In the privacy OF the family
now his brother Bill calls him q darn
nugvump" He was IN good company:
| Connecticut had plenty Of Cleveland mug
| wunnps This statement that he was q
/ Democrat was made about the time that
he presided at a Republican caucus in
I Watertown. He had much 10 say along
the line Of his most desired reform in
/ politics and they said to him. Now
/ come down and help US run things and
I let's see" He vvent-and made good.
/ One great wrong that he sees in poll