The sun., 1908-06-19
WILLIAM n. TAFT-.-A WORKER
THE JOY or SERVICE WAS TO
HIM THE BEST or ALL.

ton Largely JUDICIAL, Vet he Nef0sed
Place on Supreme Bench Three Times.
II In campaigning any persons should
refer TO william Howard Taft az Old Bill
Taft In tho hearing OF any Of his friends
they would neither imply disrespect nor
would they be held 10 be speaking In de-
rision. but on the contrary in admiration
and In friendship. for ever since his school
days the nominee Of the Republican oon-
vention for President Of the United States
has been referred to afYectionafely In Just
that way.
genial. 90 straight, 80 keen. so good a
mixer and 30 energetic that from his earliest
associations with his fellows he was dubbed
Old Bill Taft; everybody liked him. and
those who looked ahead when he had pro-
creased as far as college days prophesied
that he was TO be one day big man In the
nation.
Nobody thought Of calling him Willie.
although President Roosevelt calls him
Will. His father, to be sure. called him
by the diminutive. but with president reser-
vation. for at very early stage Of his
ofTspring's life the senior Judge Taft re-
marked, although he had to plan for four
other boys. @Mediocrity will never do for
Willie" And 1t never has done for William
Howard Taft. He has aimed high, worked
hard always. although for many years Of
his life his aim and his ambition was the
Supreme Bench OF the United States. not
the office Of the supreme Executive.
He had worked In politics from youth,
but only as a temporary means. and from
early manhood until eight years ago he
strove toward the goal he had fixed for
himself, and for ten years prior to eight
yers ago he had seemed to be on the way
to It, although in later years he was to see
1t nearer yet. but only to be waved aside
through motives Of conscience and the will
to see work once in hand carried to the
best conclusion within his. power. Although
familiar with politics, he did not relish
political maneuvring and it Jared him
even when engaged In administrative work.
After the last Of the three occasions on
which to his disappointment he felt obliged
to put the cup away he wrote to an intimate
friend
The chief consideration for my not going
on the bench at this time is the critical situa-
tion In respect to the Philippines. II the
tarln bill had passed at the last session |
should undoubtedly have accepted for
hate politics and dislike administrative
business that has such g political side to II
that man cannot do anything of an i'm
portant character without looking about to
secure witnesses and evidence that he is not
a thief and has not some corrupt motive In
the transaction.
This was after President Roosevelt had
cabled to Taft in Manila that Justice Shiras
Of the United States Supreme Court was
fp raanr onl hat H.
Taft to take the vacant place on the bench.
And 1t was a time when Taft forced the
President to alter one Of his +irrevocable'
decisions. Taft had never wanted to 20
to the Philippines. but once there with
work we'll begun but not half done he
did not wish to quit the post, even for the
place on the highest bench Of the land
which had been his hearts desire.
He was a Judge In the Circuit Court Of
the United States and had served with
distinction when President Mckinley sent
presidency OF the Philippines Commission.
Judge Taft objected. He said that his
ambition was judicial not administrative
and that moreover he was not one Of those
who. who had et believed Ip retaining the Philip
to him that as they had fallen to US we we
could not shirk the responsibility Of their
administration, and added:
You will make o better Supreme Court
Judge for having served on this commits
sion aN tbs than Si,y you will will make if you remain
So Taft went to the Pacific When he
got President Roosevelts cable in 1902
he cabled in reply:
Great honor deeply appreciated, but must
decline. Situation here most critical from
economic standpoint Change proposed
would create much disappointment and lack
OF confidence among the people.
Two years now to follow OF greater i'm
portance In development Of islands than
previous two years. Cholera. rinderpest, re-
ligious excitement. ladrones. monetary crisis,
all render most unwise the change of Gov
ernor. Nothing would satisfy individual
tastes more than acceptance.
Look forward to time when can accept
such an offer. but even II it ia certain that
1t can never be repeated must now decline
Would not presume to answer In such POSI-
tive terms In view of words OF your despatch
II gravity Of situation here was not neoes-
sarily known to me better than it can be
known in Washington.
President Roosevelt wrote IN reply that
he should be obliged to bring him home and
put him on the bench. The President
wrote:
I have the greatest confidence In your
judgment; but. after all. old fellow, II you
will permit me to say SO, / am President
and see the whole field.
After the most careful thought, after the
most earnest efforts to do what you desired
and thought best. have come irrevocably
to the decision that shall appoint you to
tho Supreme Court In the vacancy caused
by Justice Shiras's resignation.
However, Taft changed the Presidents
mind In another cable, in which he said that
while no man was indispensable, and his
death would not interfere with progress ia
the Philippines, his withdrawal would be
more serious.
That was Taft That has been Taft at all
the important periods of his life. To do the
work ahead and do 1t himself He has
worked hard and played hard. The only
usual thing he has not done, according to all
his biographers. was to SOW wild oats. Had
he done so, one of these enthusiastic his
torians remarked he would have harvested
them by the carload. clerk in the War
Department has over his desk q card on
which are printed these words from one Of
Secretary Taft's public speeches:
-The best Of all is the pure Joy Of service
To do things that are worth while, to be in
the thick OF it-that is TO livel'
A brief mental review OF the Secretary's
world girdling activities OF the laet few
years will convince almost anybody that