The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
The Father Of a President

LIFE OF l.. ALPHONSO TAFT OF
CINCINNATI. BY Lewis Alexander
Leonard. Hawke Publishing COM
pany, New York.
With Carlyle's epigram-"The his
tory of nation is in the lives of it's
great men" = Mr.. Leonard introduces
his hero, Alphonso Taft, father of for
mer President William H. Taft and of
Charles Phelps Taft, to whom the work
is dedicated. The book is a friendly,
leisurely chat about a distinguished
American family, their friends and the
times in which the elder Taft lived, as
we'll as biography of the able jurist.
The opening paragraph takes the
reader at once back to a different
world:
"A life spanning the time of AL
phonso Tafts career covered the most
interesting and progressive era in the
worlds history. Gen. Washington had
been dead but ten years when he was
born. and the doings Of the Revolution
airy period were household topics in his
boyhood days. The Federal Constitu-
ton was in it's experimental period
during his student life and he was ten
years old when George III. died He
witnessed the development of farm
utensils from the plough with a wooden
mold board that he followed in that
rich Vermont soil to the splendid
steam machinery Of the modern farm.
He saw slavery abolished In every part
Of the world, his own State of Vermont
being the first in America to do It, and
he beheld the principles of republi-
can government established in his own
country. He saw the development of
the steam engine, the railroad, steam
navigation, the electric telegraph, the
telephone, the invention of matches.
the cotton gin, the sewing machine
and the thousands of articles that con-
tribute to the comfort and convenience
Of mankind
Mr.. Leonard stresses the integral
honesty and firm hold on principles
that guided Judge Taft's life. He init
mates that, while his hero was In poll
tics, he was not a politician In that his
actions were never influenced by any
thought Of personal gain. In fact, he
made decisions boldly even when he
knew they would hurt his own career
The biographer cites the famous bible
in the Public Schools" case, when
Judge Taft decided that the public
school board had the right TO stop the
reading Of the Bible on complaint of
many of the taxpayers. This opinion,
implies Mr.. Leonard, may have lost
Judge Taft the Governorship Of Ohio:
but II has since become a law and has
doubtless prevented needless relig-
ious fanaticism and It's attendant
intolerance and persecu-
ton"
Through the 1874 pages the large fig
ure OF Judge Taft-"he was a big man
morally and mentally
moves deliberately. with dignity, never
never embroiled in the filth
politics, fighting not for
what he thought might do him good
but what would do the country good.
Taft was n personal and political adj
nirer OF Daniel Webster. anxious to
zee him nominated for President. or
he wisdom OF this choice Jefferson
Davis, former President Of the Confed-
,racy. remarked in 1868: THE Wings
II the North who struggled so faith
uliy LII NHf bl RnIs Nfb-
tier were really engaged In an under
aking Of much greater moment than
hey appreciated. II Daniel Webster
lad been elected there would have
,een no civu icdr. Daniel Webster
'ould easily have beaten Pierce, and |
vas the only man who could have done |
[. This would have assured the con-
inuance of the Wing party with the |
upport Of such men as Robert |
Toombs. Alexander Stephens and other |
eading Whlgs Of the South lie would |
lave carried Georgia and two or three |
'ther Southern States. His success
would have prevented the formation
4 a sectional party. which after all
ave cause for secession. Slavery |
that would have passed away without
wer. Slavery was an economic and
moral issue and question Of civiliza-
ion. Delaware and Maryland would
ave become frss States In this dec