The Washington herald., 1909-03-05

Of the local theaters one OF the cnaT-
acters remarked. You can't DO
nothing with fat man when he's
mad. which may be taken as pretty
good iHdication Of the determination that
seems 10 Csrry so many men Of generous
svoidrupois to success.
But. as Dr. Lyman Abbott wrote not
long ago about the man inaugurated to-
dav as Chief Executive Of the nation for
the next four years. They have talked
great deal about Mr. Taft as fat
nan. He is not lat man. He has
good. broad chest. and he stands straight
Below that chest there is semicireie.
But II isn't the kind Of a round stomach
that comes from dissipation or self-in-
diligence. It Is due 10 the fact that Mr.
Taft has a powerful constitution and
does not. perhaps. take enough exercise
Takes Lots of Exercise
This is perhaps hardly all the truth
for President Taft certainly takes ali the
exercise that he has opportunity for-
And those who were with him in the
Philippines. remembering how he danced
the night out with some Of the most en-
thusiastic OF the Filipino ladies. would
hardly doubt his stamina The truth
about President Taft is 10 be found ne
mind the fact that the friends OF DIS
youth are the friends Of his prime 4
man in years and experience, 8 man VINO
lss done great and splendid work for his
,-o,,ntrv IN many ways. his heart Is stili
light mis- nature sunny, his laugh free
and ready. and his faith as firm as II
vas IN those days over forty years ago
when he captained the gang in Cincin-
aau against its opposition hosts IN
.Butchertown-"
President William Howard Taft was
born AZ Mount Auburn. a suburb OF
cincinnati. September y. 1871 When he
Vas vet a boy in knickerbOckers he had
become -'Old Bill" 10 his boy friends
and among them he was already q leader
He was a good playfellow; Htue too
7onderous FOR A frst-class captain OF a
baseball team, but he was champion
swimmer. and a leader in heavyweight
athletics He had inherited brains.
phvsique. and q happy disposidon-three
Qualities which early began 70 show
themselves. lie loved TO play, but he
K.
IS he has in later years. AS a lad he
vas inclined 10 that curiosity Of the mind
which leads boy 20 absorb all that is
between the covers Of his book, and
which often leads a lad to be dubbed a
,nfIksop by his friends. But odd Bill
Taft. though he found ample time for
study. old not lay himself open TO the
--iticisms Of his chums. He found time
for play, but he found time also for his
main duty in life, which was study. and
.s those days he laid the cornerstone OF
an amazing ability, displayed in after
years Of getting through an amount of
work that would stagger an ordinary
man. When he wrote TO John F. Wal
lace. whom he dismissed from the chief
e-ziucership Cf the Panama Canal
T. r-- view a duty IS an entirety and II Is n0l
.-.EIl-d urtIl . l. entirely fulfilled
ae vas bat voicing a conviction that
possessed him even as a boy al school
Prominent in school.
OF course. with this disposition, William
Howard Taft stood we'll up toward the
aead &C his school He devoured the
newspapers. and works Of history had a
fascination for him. In his case the child
was truly the father of the man To-
day. when lie has taken the oath Of Of
See and the highest position Of honor il
the nations gift. his essential tributes arS
good nature. sympathy, a qgick sense oi
justice. slOWness 10 wrath. with d ready
willingness 10 do battle for the right
and d capacity for work that is unlim-
tied. These are the capacities that '-Old
Bill" the schoolboy. displayed matUred
by time and rendered frner bv expert
enCo
When "Old Bill Taft finished his
course at Woodward TIigr school IN ISL
he went 10 Andover. where he prepared
for Yale His father had been sle-ted 90
the Yale Corporation. He was tire fist
aluElnus Of the old college u he Eonore1
so. II was matter Of course that young
Taft should become a son o. Eli When he
entered Yale AZ the age Of seventeen he
was an erect lad. nearly six feet tai
and weighing over 200 pounds But no.
body called him fat then. lie was a
clean-cUt yOungster. solid. and with a
figure that showed power in every line
He was hailed by the athletic contingent
rs great accession Il their ranks. and
the football enthusiasts saw ia him a
coming champion But Taft was there
for an education. not for athletic hOnOrs
and lie meant 10 make the most Of his
opportunity. Not that he did not believe
IN athletics. He held il 10 be the duty
Of every young man To Ee "a good ami
NAL for the reason that IL enabled hin
% do better IN his studies 4 sound
body was sure foundation for s0TnC
work This was his theory at college
and has been his theory ever since Al
Yale he joined in the exercises OF his fel
lows. worked in the gymnasium, wrestleC
and played football but his athletics
were for exercise and recreation means
10 an end. not an end in themselves.
Held in High Esteem.
The hold that he gained in the affec-
TORS OF the members Of his class he has
held ever since, and in many and variou:
ways have members Of the class Of =
testified TO the esteem in which they hold
him. He himself testifes to It. In one
Of his speeches before the campaign ht
said.
was in Manila as So7erno- Of the Philippine
II October 1902 I was alone in what thcy cal TN
palace. with only Chimes servants. and I was o.
my back With vCry Painful lines The govern
mcut had not been doing Just wei woslt
have liked T. The newspapers we're cTificisirc. a
they always Do but they seemed % have m0u
ground tcr criticism al taat tine The shadow O.
I,-at WGs coming On. and the day had j1st TEarhc-
that rcErcd when everything that J. h-1rccuSoua
TcssinliSt.c seems % lcuethen NTH the shadows
mas rcry much distreszed when czbegram va
BANDED me by Chiuaman- ] cgEht % say tha
Yale had been celebrating her 21Eh anniversary
and az the class had gathered there u bonor he
in that celebration 7 had forgotten IN the woe
had BRIT when this cahlcsTam was oreued I re
u-mb5-cd This is uhat said:
We love ven Bill and Ee are with y0u II
crc-ythiIE yol arc doing YALE IS
Vow Of the SIN had returned ard shone into tha
r-n u could n5t have given ne more light
could r0t hare given me- u-Ge strercfh % rect n
t1rde1s. which were net light az that time thai
that mC,5lge fTCm thOs- men. 7 could feel mysei
standing elbow 20 cihcv. because I knew that the
vrc ry most generous critics. that they would hca
IL - In ------ IL E-c--.- L. L.