The San Francisco call., 1909-03-04
By WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

" w hND Hk
say that I never met man who,
under proper presentation, would
reverse himself as willingly and
with as little trace of obstinacy
or unreasona bleness as Mr.. eRoose-
welt.
RELATIONS NEVER RUFFLED
The relation between Mr..
Roosevelt and myself has been
one of close and sweet intimacy.
It has never been-ruff1ed in the
slightest degree, and l do not
think tnat we have ever misun-
derstood each other. Mr.. Roose-
velt's tastes and mine have not
been the same. In the matter of
athletics he takes to those games
more violent than / am suited to,
and more violent than / like. He
has the strongest literary sense
and a power of application in
reading current literature that to
me is marvellous. He loves the
woods; he loves hunting; he
lives life akin to that of the pio-
neer; I don't.
Mr.. Roosevelt never had the
education and practice of law
yer. His intense desire to reach
practical results for good has
made him at times impatient of
the restraint of legal methods,
while I have been trained as a
lawyer and as a judge and am as
strongly imbued with the neces-
sity for legal methods as IL years
on the bench are likely to make
one; and yet, in spite of this diff
ference of method and difference
of temperament, it is quite re-
markable to me. and we have fire.
quently commented on it to each
other. that we have been in agree
meut in our views as to the re-
suits that ought to be obtained in
the matter of government and po-
litical progress, even to details,
much more than other men who
have come into association with
both of u.s.
FRIEND OF POOR MAN
Mr.. Roosevelt's courage in the
expression of his convictions l
need not dwell upon. His real and
what one might almost describe
as affectionate interest in the well
fare of the poor man, of the man
who has great obstacles to meet
and who has the odds against him
in life's struggle, and the SINGER
ity of his desire to help that class
of men, no one who ever had to
do with him could doubt, and his
insistence has always been that
the difficulty between the so
called classes in the country and
the failure of educated lawyers
and political economists and 9TH
ers to bring about proper rela-
tions between the we'll to do and
those dependent upon wages for
their living arise from an abb
sence Of a proper point of view on
the part of those who are leading
comfortable lives.
Tie confidence thatsthe common
plain people. including the wage
earners. have had in Theodore
Roosevelt as their representative
and defender has been almost per-
fectly placed. for there never was
champion more sincere in sup
port of their real interests, and
yet there was never a friend
franker in his statement to them
of the unpleasant truths that oc-
casionally they ought to be told.
UNDERSTANDS PLAIN PEOPLE
Mr.. Roosevelt understands the
plain people about as well as
Lincoln did, shares their feelings
and gives accurate expression to
them. Hence his marvellous hold
upon the great body of people.
which has continued to exist in
undiminished strength in spite of
the criticism heard of him and his
methods in quarters more con-
spicuous than really significant.
When the friction of the last
few months shall be forgotten:
when the mists of momentary ir-
ritation shall have disappeared.
the greatness of Theodore Roose-
Welt as president and leader of
men in one of the great moral
movements of the country's his
tory will become clear to every
one and he will take his place in
history with Washington and Lin
coin