The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-18

publican National Convention has
nominated for the presidency a man ex-
ceptionally equipped, not only by ma
ture and training, but by experience
and achievement to perform the deli
cate and arduous duties of the great
est office in the girt of any people.
For nearly thirty years he has given
himself with single minded devotion
to the public service. He has dis
played throughout a broad grasp OF
affairs, 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
unwavering judgment, executive abili-
ty of the highest order, and a limitless
capacity for hard work. In all the
years of Its history the republican par
ty has never selected as its leader in a
national campaign a man SO tried be-
forehand, and SO amply proved equal
to the task.
A Family of Jurists.
Mr.. Taft comes of a family distin-
guished in the law and the public ser
vice. The first American Tafts came
of the English yeomanry, transplanted
across the Atlantic by the great up
heaval for conscience's sake which peo-
pied New England with its sturdy
stock. In this country they turned to
the study and practice of law. Peter
Taft was both maker and an inter
prefer of the laws, having served as a
member of the Vermont legislature,
and afterwards as a judge. Alphon-
so Taft son of Peter Taft, was gradu-
ated from Yale college. and then went
out to the Western Reserve to prac-
tice law. He settled in Cincinnati,
and it was at Mt. Auburn, a suburb of
that city, on September -, 1857, that
his son, William Howard Taft. first
became presidential possibility.
i The boy grew up in an atmosphere
of earnest regard for public duty too
little known in these days of the CO.
slossal and engrossing material devel-
opment of the country. His father
earned distinction in the service of 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 de-
partment of justice, and finally into
the diplomatic service, as minister
first to Austria and then to Russia.
His mother, who was Miss Louise NJ.
Torrey, also came Of that staunch New
England stock with whom conscience
ic no arhi nf nt Int
formed the goal of service.
His Mothers Influence.
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 lad
promised the Filipinos that he would
60 to Manila and in person formally
open their assembly. 1t was to be
their first concrete experience in self
government, and he, more than any
other man. had made it possible. If
he should not keep his promise there
was danger that the suspicious Filipi-
nos would impute his failure to SIMS
ter motives, to indifference or altered
s purpose, with result vastly unfortu-
nate 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 forbade.
She said his duty lay to the people he
had started on the path to liberty, and
, although it 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 boy
of such parentage, and young Taft full
filled the expectation He began by
growing big physically. He has a
tremendous frame. The cartoonists
= have made false presentment of him
familiar to the country by drawing him
always a mountain of flesh. But if
the had gone to the same extreme of
leanness, and still honestly portray
ed his frame they would have repre-
scented a man above the average
weight.
At College.
OF course he went to Yale. His faith
) er had been the first alumnus elected
Ito the corporation, and when young
Taft had completed his preparatory
course at Andover he went TO New Ha-
ven for his college training He was
big, rollicking, good natured boy,
who liked play, but still got fun out
of work. He did enough in athletics
to keep his 30 pounds of muscle in
good condition, but gave most of his
time to his studies. When the class
of rs was graduated Taft was its salu-
tatorian, having finished second among
100 He was then not quite II.
He went back to Cincinnati and be-
gan the study of law in his fathers Of
flee. at the same time doing court re
porting for the newspaper owned by
his half-brother, Charles P Taft. His
salary at first was So a week. He
did his work so we'll, however, that
Murat Halstead, editor of the Cincin,
natl Commercial Gazette, employed
him 70 work for his paper at the in
creased salary of SIS a week.
While he was doing this he was
keeping up his studies, taking the
course at the Cincinnati Law school,
$ from which he was graduated in 1880.
dividing first honors with another stu
dent and beiny admitted IN tho ba-