The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-16


New York City.
heaven. this is absolutely impossible.
But it is well to remember that the
shadow of the presidency falls on no
man twice save in the most exceptional
circumstances.
For Taft to Decide.
Now, nv dear VIII, there is the sit
uation as / see it. 1t is a hard choice
to make, and you yourself have to
make it, You have two alternatives
before you, each with uncertain posi-
bilities. and you cannot be sure that
which ever you take you will not after
ward feel that it would have been bet
ter If you had taken the other. But
whichever you take 1 know that you
will render great and durable service
to the nation for many years TO conn.,
and feel that you should decide IN ac-
cordance with the promptings OF your
own liking, of your own bellef as 10
where you can render the service which
most appeals to you as well as that
which YOU feel is most beneficial to the
nation. No one can with wisdom ad-
wise you. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Secretary Taft took long time TO
consider the matter. says the maya
zine. At intervals there was further
discussion of it with President Roose-
Welt and occasionally the subject was
mentioned in the correspondence that
went on continually between the two
men. Finally Mr.. Taft is said to have
written:
Point Au Pic. Providence of
Quebec Canada, July so, 19O6.-My
Dear President: You have been good
enough to offer to appoint me to the
supreme bench to succeed JUSTICE
Brown and 1 have not hesitated to
express to you a number of times the
pleasure / would have in accepting
the appointment if 1 could do so. The
chief reason for my hesitation was
the condition of matters in the war
department, including the Philippine
and Panama canal bureaus. with re-
spect to Panama matters, L have no
doubt that Mr. Root, to whom you
proposed to transfer supervision of
the canal commission, would do the
work better than 1 have done it, or
could do it. Of course, we Will still
be the subject of attack for what has
been done and I could, perhaps, meet
the attack better than anyone else be-
cause of my familiarity with what has
been done, but that consideration
would not be great enough to require
the bench or to risk the chance of
doing so.
His Heart Is With the Filipino.
"I have been connected with the
administration of civil government in
the Philippine islands since February,
1900. Much of what has been done
in working out the problem and carry
ing the burden thrust upon the
United States, am more or less re-
sponsible for. Rightly or wrongly,
the people of the islands and es-
pecially those who have been most
anxious to make our government a
success there, have confidence in my
people and my willingness to do
everything 1 can to secure them pros
perity peace and a gradual extension
Of self government.
1T is the necessity one is under in
carrying on public business of secur-
ing witness and establishing evidence
in respect to each thing done that one
is not a thief and has not a corrupt
motive, which makes administrative
work under conditions of partisan poll
cies so irksome to me, but, of course,
1t is part of the burden one assumes
and it is cowardly to run away from it
when one is in it.
II know that few. If any, even among
my friends will credit me with anything
except a desire, unconscious, perhaps,
to run for the presidency and 1 must
face and bear this misconstruction OF
what l do. But 1 am confident you
credit my reasons as 1 give them to
that 1 would much prefer to go on the
supreme bench for life than to run for
the presidency, and that in 20 years OF
judiciual service 1 could make myself
more useful to the country than as
president. even if my election should
| come about.
please do not misunderstood me tC
think that 1 am Indispensable or thai
| the world could not run on much the
! same as if 1 were to disappear in the
| St. Lawrence river; but circumstance:
seem to me to have imposed something
| in the nature of a trust to me person.
ally that 1 should not discharge by nov
succeeding Justice Brown.
In the nature of things the trus
| must end with this administration, anC
one or two years is short to do much
Yet the next session of congress ma!
| result in much for the benefit of thu
| Filipino, and it seems to me it is m.
| duty to be in the fight.
| Sincerely yours.