CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1908-06-25
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT NEXT
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

In William Howard Taft the Re-
publican National Convention nomina-
ted for the presidency a man excep-
tionally equipped, 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. any people. For
nearly thirty years he has given
himself with single-minded devotion
to the public service. He has display
ed throughout a broad grasp Of af-
fairs, a literally dauntless courage,
an unshakable integrity, quick and
all embracing sympathy, deep and
abiding sense of justice, marvellous
insight into human nature, sure and
sunwavering judgement, executive abil-
ity of the highest order. and limit
less capacity for hard work. In all
the years of it's history the Repubh-
can party has never selected as Its
leader in national campaign a man
SO tried beforehand, and so amply
proved equal to the task.
FAMILY OF JURISTS.
Mr.. Taft comes of family distin-
guished in the law and the public SER
vice. The first American Tafts came
of the English yeomanry, transplant
ed across the Atlantic by the great
upheaval for conscience's sake which
peopled New England with Its sturdy
stock. In this country they turned to
the study and practice of the law.
Peter Taft was both maker and an
Interpreter of laws, having served as
a member of the Vermont legislature,
and afterwards as Judge. Alphonse
Taft. son of Peter, was graduated
from Yale college, and then went out
to the Western Reserve to practice
law. He settled in Cincinnati, and 1t
was at Mt Auburn, suburb of that
city, on September Is, 1857, that his
son, William Howard Taft, first be-
came a presidential possibility.
The boy grew up in an atmosphere
of earnest regard for public duty too
little known in those days of the
colossal and engrossing material de-
velopment of the country. His father
earned distinction in the service Of the
city and state and nation, going from
the Superior bench, to which he had
been elected unanimously, to the
place in Grants cabinet now held by
the son, then, as Attorney General. to
the Department of Justice, and nm
ally into the diplomatic service, az
minister first to Austria and then to
Russia. His mother, who was Miss
Louise M. Torrey, also came OF that
staunch New England stock with
whom conscience is the arbiter OF
action and duty performed the goal OF
service.
HIS MOTHER'S INFLUENCE.
II 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 Filipinos that he would
20 to Manila and In person formally
open their Assembly. 1t was to be
their finst concrete experience in self
government, and he, more than any
other man, had made 1t possible.
II he should not keep his promise
there was danger that the suspicious
Filipinos would impute his failure to
sinister motives, to Indifference or al
tered purpose, with result vastly un-
fortunate to them and to us. Mr..
Taft saw all that very clearly, yet in
view of his mothers health he would
have remained at home. But she for
bade. She said his duty lay to the
nannle that he had sta rted ON the path