The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1940-03-08
By sigrid Arne
AP Feature Service Writer

Washington, Mar. Sit was on
Lincoln's birthday, 1898, Mrs. Ro-
bert Taft drove to Columbus, o., to
start campaign work for her hus-
band, who was running for the Sen
ate.
Mr.. Taft was away from his Co
lumbus campaign headquarters. But
his wife learned Immediately upon
arrival, that his opponent was
speaking that night to a large Ne
gro audience in Columbus. She
phoned to ask If she might speak.
That's mighty nice" she was
told, but this here is a non-par-
tisan meeting"
.'But-but, my husbands oppo-
nent What is he talking about?"
"Oh, he's only talking about
Lincoln"
rs that SO? Well, I can speak
about Lincoln very well, too"
She was invited to speak.
All through that campaign she
drove alone through the states IS
counties to help elect her husband.
He's Not Spectacular
Ohioans say she elected him.
She doesn't ike that. She says,
What is a good campaigner? It's
the man who gets the votes. That's
Bob. He's not spectacular. But
neither are the rural Orleans who
elected him. They understand him.
He understands them "
They are the only campaigning
married couple in the 1910 Presi-
Dental race. But neither one had
a chance, from the cradle, to avoid
politics. Her grandfather was in
Congress. Her father was his
fathers solicitor general, His grand
father was in Grants cabinet and
his father, William Howard Taft,
was the roly-poly President and
chief justice.
She was born in Winona, Wis,
and lived in Chicago and Wash
ington. He was born in Cincinnati,
has always lived there.
But they didn't meet in Wash
ington. She was in school at Rose
mary Hall in Connecticut. He came
to a dance He doesn't remember it
at all At that time she was 16 and
determined to be a French teacher.
She went on to Sorbonne Still
speaks French very we'll He was in
Yale and Harvard Collected a Phi
Beta Kappa key which he still
wears. In later years he collected
three more decorations for the re-
lief work he did in Europe after the
war: from Finland, Poland and Bel
GUM. She thinks they're good coun-
tries to be decorated by.
They were married six years after
they met The wedding was in st.
Johns, the church of the Presidents,
in Washington. He had opened
one-room law office in Cincinnati
and llred a stenographer. Now he
has the largest law practice in the
city.
She Says He Scrambled
She's annoyed when people write
him off as a rich mans son who had
easy shedding. She says the money
was all in his uncIes family. When
the chief justice died he left what
he had to his wife and daughter
The boys had to scramble, she says
The Senator seems to have scram-
bled pretty well. They live in Wash
ington on embassy row. Now they
are headed hopefully for the White
House. He is using talk of economy
as the bridge.
He is six feet. The smallest man
in his immediate family. Smallish
round face with smallish blue eyes
behind spectacies. Walks fast but
talks deliberately and without fire
works.
She is about five-feet-six, round
ish figure, dark eyes, an easy laugh
and a fresh voice. Poised. Excellent
public speaker.
No Smoking
They beat today's trek of the
fashionables back to the farm by
% years Three years after they
married they bought a 60-acre farm
outside Cincinnati. It had an old
farm house. For two years they got
along with coal oil lamps. Got along
with a water pump for several more.
But they loved it. Four sons were
born. They are IA to "a now. All
in school. They work and play to-
gether. It's a non-smoking family
from father to the 14-year-old.
They divided farm duties. She
manages the flowers Has raised
some blue-ribbon tulips. He took
over the farm products. Now his
Strawberries, raspberries and as
paragus are favorites in Cincin-
natl markets.
This year is going to be more
than busy He wants to be in Wash
ington for every session of the Sem