The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-29
Four Years of Law In the white
House

Four Years oT Law In the white
House
To Senator CULIoM Of Illinois 10
attributed an opinion that Mr.. Tart
within a month Of his nomination for
the Presidency would have gladly
awaited himself Of an opportunity 70
succeed Chisf Justice FuI1ER on tho
bench OF the Supreme Court. Il per-
sonAlly know Senator CULLoM n
quoted a. saying. that in tho height
Of the sxcitsmsnt Of the campaign lead
ing up to the convention Mr.. TAFTs
aspirations were not affected.
whether WILLIAM HowARD TAFT
shonld hold himsah In line for the
Supreme Court or consent 10 become
q candidate for tho Presidential nomi-
nation Of his party was q question
discussed but not settled between Mr..
RoosKvKLr and himself in the spring
and summer Of 1903. Everybody knew
that Mr.. TAFT aspired 20 the Supreme
Court. President MCKINLEY always had
him In mind for that great tribunal.
and Mr.. RoosxvKLr offered to appoint
him 20 tho vacancy caused by tho TO
tirement Of Mr.. Justice Brown. but
desiring TO complete the constructive
work In the Philippians. for which he
regarded himself a. responsible, Mr..
TAFT, at tho time Secretary Of War,
put his Judicial ambition by with keen
regret.
L am not q lawyer. Wrote Mr.. RoosR-
WELT from the White House on March
IS, 1903, and would under no circum-
stances. even u I had been trained for
a lawyer. have any leaning toward the
bench, : and he added that In Mr.. TAFT's
place he would continue 70 be Secretary
Of War 90 deal with the Panama and
Philippine questions, and then abide
the event" a. TO whether he should be-
come President "or went back TO the
practice Of tho law Mr. TAPT's letter
in reply was not written until july %,
and then from his summer home on tho
St. Lawrence. He again went over his
reasons for not desiring TO succeed Mr.
Justice Brown, and in the following
spoke for himself with re-
gard TO the comparative attractions Of
the bench and the Presidency:
u know nat rev. ~ any. even aunoog ny
friends viii credit ue win anythlng but desire
10 run for TIE Presidency. and thAt must face
and bear THIS misconstruction Of what d. Bus
I AN confident you credit ny rcasons - give
them you and viii believe ne when say mat
! would much prefer 70 20 on ne Saprsns B~neA
for nfs than % run for ne Presidency. ana nat
IN twenty years % judicial service Z could maize
myself more uosfui 20 the country man 80 Prss,.
deat even n my election should conre ADout-
Mr. TAFT's sincerity was manifest, and
II NAV be assumed that he sighed for
tho bench even when his campaign for
the Presidential nomination was well
advanced. Perhaps Senator CUIIoN IL
right when he says that a month before
the nomination was made Mr.. TAFT
would gladly have put the new ambition
by for the old one. the die not being cast.
He was destined for the Presidency after
all and to succeed President who was
not a lawyer and. as he admitted,
would have had no leaning toward the
bench II he had been trained for the law.
Never in the history OF the country was
tho accession Of man OF judicial mind
and training more necessary
After the President who would not
acknowledge the limitations % the
Constitution and who diSreSarCied the
Law the President who knew and 70
speCted the Constitution and who ad-
ministered his Office according 20 the law
The example is worth more tO the coun-
try than twenty years Of any one mans
service on tho bench 81 the Supreme
Court of tho United States.