The Detroit times., 1912-05-27
YOU ARE BEST MAN
FOR president, T.R
TO TAFT IN 1908
Roosevelt Told Him to Decide
Himself Whether to Go tc
Supreme Court.
INTERESTING LETTERS
REPRINTED FROM FILES
Relations Were in Striking Con-
trast to Open Rupture Be-
tween Them Now.
INTERESTING LETTERS
REPRINTED FROM FILES

The JoHorinO article. Whieh The Times n
produces from its edition OF Oci. II. 1905, is O
especial fntSTest non because Of the open rup
ture betpesn President Tan and Col. Roossveit
In the correspondence. printed beIOg, Presi
dent Roosevelt told Mr.. Tan 10 decide for him
selTVhether ne should 90 on the supreme cou =
bench or enter the race for the presidencv.
you are, hotrerSr The man Who Is. mos
Hkely TO receive ehsrepH6'Ic1n nomination dnC
tcho u. 4 think, the best man 10 receive Il,
Roosevelt said hisietter 10 7aJt.
NEW YORK, Oct. 17--Copies 'oi
letters which, 1t is said, passed be.
tween President Roosevelt and Secre.
tary of War Taft in 1906 in regard to
the Republican nomination for presi.
dent. were given out for publication
last night by Hamptons Broadway
Magazine with the statement that
they would appear in its November
issue.
In the letters, marked "confden-
tial,' which the magazine says were
purchased by correspondent, and
the publication of which Is authoriZ-
ed, the president declines to advise
Mr.. Taft on the delicate question of
whether II is best for Mr. Taft to 60
upon the supreme court bench or re-
main in the cabinet and probably be-
come the nominee OF his party for
president, Mr.. Roosevelt said, how
ever, that Mr. Taft was the best man
in the field for the nomination.
There are two letters. One is from
the president and the other Is from
Mr.. Taft TO the president. 1t took
MIR. Taft, according to the dates, four
and one-half months to make up his
mind whether he would be candi-
date for president or accept Mr..
Rooseyeltls offer to make him a mem
ber OF the supreme court.
MIR. Taft expresses personal pre-
ference for the supreme court, but
says that circumstances seem to have
imposed something of a trust upon
him personally that he could not dis
charge by accepting the supreme
court appointment.
.". The President to Taft.
The letter follows in part:
(Conidential)
The white House, Washington.
March Is, 1908.
Dear WILL think | have been in
error as to your feelings. You say that
IL is your decided preference to con-
tinue your present work, This / had
not understood. On the contrary,
gather I'd that what you really wanted
10 do was to go on the bench, and that
my urging was In the line of your IN
clination. but In a matter IN which you
were In doubt as to your duty.
My dear VIII. IL is pre-eminently a
matter In which no other man can take
the responsibility OF deciding for you
10 ~
Nobody could decide for me whether
| should go to war or stay as assistaht
secretary OF the navy Nobody could
decide for me whether | should accept
the vice -presidency or try to continue
as governor. In each case Ii is the man
himself who Is to lead his life after
having decided one way or the other.
No one can lead that life for him; and
neither he nor any one else can AFFORD
10 have any one else make the decision
for him; because the vital factor In the
decision must be an equation or the
man himself
AS far as / am personally concerned,
I could not put myself in your place
because / am not a lawyer, and would
under no circumstances, even III i had
been trained for a lawyer, have any
leaning toward the bench; so In your
case. I should. as a matter of course.
accept tho three years OF service in the
war department, dealing with the
Panama and Philippine questions, and
then abide the event as to whether
became president or continued in pub
Tic life in some less conspicuous posi-
tion, or, went back TO the practice OF
the law
But appreciate, as every thoughtful
man must the Importance Of the part
to be played by the supreme court In
the next 25 years
Nothing effective. because nothing at
once honest and intelligent. is being
done to combat the great amount OF
cvll, which, mixed with a little good
little truth. IL contained in the out
Continued ON Page Ten.