Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-05
TAFT WRITES OF ROOSEVELT
Tells Of Personal and Official Rela-
tons with Predecessor.
GREAT AS LEADER OF MEN
says Mr., Roosevelt VIII he Given
Credit for Inaugurating one of
Greatest Moral Movements
in History.

NEW YORK. March Am its issue Of
March s Golfers Weekly will publish the
following article by President-elec Taft
under the caption. My Predecessor"
MIR. Roosevelt and l came to know each
other when he was chairman of the Civil
Service commission and / was solicitor gen
eral In 1890 to 1892, in Washington. We were
both subordinates in the Harrison admins
tration. We lived in the same part of
Washington, he on Nineteenth street, near
the British embassy, and on Du Pont
Circle. Our wives knew each other we'll
and some Of our children we're born about
the same time.
w found, however, after discussion.
that we agreed in a marked way in our
view on proper political ideals and proper
political methods. We were as emphatic
in the judgment that the political reformer
who was not willing to accept conditions as
they were as the basis :o1 his action and
to work for the better things that we're
practical. without achieving all that he
would like to achieve. was rather a hind
rance than & help to progress and merely
assisted the permanent control Of the boss
and the machine. This, l think, has been
the moving principle of Mr.. Roosevelt's
career. He has believed in practical prog
ress and not in ideals which make for no
real Advancement.
After these two years 1 went upon the
bench and left Washington and only occa-
sionally met him, though from time to
time, as changes came in his career, we
carried on a correspondence, and as crises
would arise he would not infrequently write
me to secure my judgment on particular
situations.
Roosevelt n EovabIe Man.
y one associates with Mr.. Roosevelt
closely without having the strongest pos
sloie affection for him. His mind, his dis
position and his temperament are all of
that class that would rather make him
agree than disagree with the people with
whom he comes in contact. But this is
not to say that he does not enjoy a con-
%troversy and a fight according to the rules
Of the game, for he does. He believes
as strongly as possible in team work, and
| never served under any man nor hope
to serve under another man so intensely
loyal to the cause which we were both
seeking to uphold and so generous in his
acceptance OF the full responsibility for
his subordinates in the work as Theodore
Roosevelt. ] never served under another
who was as generous in his praise of those
who worked with him and who was as
willing TO accord more than their deserts
TO the men who were shoulder to shoulder
with him in the fight. That characteristic
of his has been calculated to tie men to
him with bonds of steel.
Decides and Acts Quickly.
The general theory that Mr.. Roosevelt
is of an exceedingly impulsive nature is,
perhaps, justified to the extent of saying
that he had a marvellous ~quickness for
apprehending a question and reaching the
nub of it AMI also of an overwhelming
desire to get rid of the issue presented
as promptly as possible. l never knew a
man who worked as far in advance of
what was TO be done and who kept his
engagements with reference to what he
had agreed to do as promptly as Mr..
Roosevelt. Perhaps I value this virtue
more highly because I lack 1t myself. The
result OF quick decision and action might
have impaired the success of Mr.. Roose-
velt's career II it had not been that he
has been freer than most men from that
pride of opinion that prevents many men
from admitting their error. reversing their
judgment and changing their course. 7
have had TO do with a number of presi-
dents and with a good many chiefs and
I am we'll within the truth when I say
that I never met a man who upon proper
presentation would reverse himself as will
ingly aud with as little trace OF obstinancy
or unreasonableness as Mr.. Roosevelt.
Wide Difference in Tastes.
1.-THE relation between Mr.. Roosevelt and
myself has been one of close and sweet
intimacy. 1t has never been ruffled in
the slightest degree and / do not think
that we have ever misunderstood each
other. Mr.. Roosevelt's tastes and mine
have not been the same. In the matter of
athletics, he takes to those games more
violent than I am suited to and more vio-
lent than / like. He has the strongest
literary sense and a power of application
I'm reading current literature that 10 me
is marvellous. He loves the woods; he
loves hunting; he loves life akin to that
of the pioneer; he loves roughing il and
| don't.
MIR. Roosevelt never had the education
and practice of : lawyer. His intense de-
sire to reach practical results for good
has made him at times impatient OF the
restraint OF legal methods. while l have
been trained as a lawyer and a Judge. and
am as strongly imbued with the necessity
for legal methods as eleven years on the
bench are likely to make one; and yet. in
spite Of this difference Of method and diff
ference OF temperament, it is quite remark
able to me and we nave frequently COM
mented on II, 20 each other. that we have
been in agreement in our views as to the
results that ought to be obtained in the
matter OF government and political pro-
gress, even to details, much more than
other men who have come into association
with both of us.
Understand Common People.
Mr.. Roosevelt's courage in the express
sion Of his convictions 7 need not dwell
upon. His real. and what might almost be
described as an affectionate interest in