DOWNLOAD PDF WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, THE PRESIDENT WHO BECAME CHIEF JUSTICE

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1 Chapter 1 : William Howard Taft Biography, Accomplishments, Presidency, & Facts theinnatdunvilla.com William Howard Taft (September 15, - March 8, ) was the 27th President of the United States () and the tenth Chief Justice of the United States (), the only person to have held both offices. He attended Woodward High School in Cincinnati. At Yale College, which he entered in, the heavyset, jovial Taft was popular. One classmate described him succeeding through hard work rather than being the smartest, and as having integrity. Shortly before graduating from law school, Taft went to the state capital of Columbus to take the bar examination and easily passed. Halstead was willing to take him on permanently at an increased salary if he would give up the law, but Taft declined. In October, Taft was appointed assistant prosecutor for Hamilton County where Cincinnati is located, and took office the following January. Taft served for a year as assistant prosecutor, trying his share of routine cases. The appointment was good for just over a year, after which he would have to face the voters, and in April, he sought election for the first of three times in his lifetime, the other two being for the presidency. He was elected to a full five-year term. The case involved bricklayers who refused to work for any firm that dealt with a company called Parker Brothers, with which they were in dispute. By, they were meeting regularly, and in, after an initial rejection, she agreed to marry him. The wedding took place at the Herron home on June 19, William Taft remained devoted to his wife throughout their almost 44 years of marriage. Nellie Taft pushed her husband much as his parents had, and she could be very frank with her criticisms. Taft was 32 and his professional goal was always a seat on the Supreme Court. He actively sought the appointment, writing to Foraker to urge the governor to press his case, while stating to others it was unlikely he would get it. When Taft arrived in Washington in February, the office had been vacant two months, with the work piling up. He worked to eliminate the backlog, while simultaneously educating himself on federal law and procedure he had not needed as an Ohio state judge. Nellie Taft was ambitious for herself and her husband, and was annoyed when the people he socialized with most were mainly Supreme Court justices, rather than the arbiters of Washington society such as Theodore Roosevelt, John Hay, Henry Cabot Lodge and their wives. In March, Taft resigned as Solicitor General to resume his judicial career. Taft spent these years, from to, in personal and professional contentment. Gould, "while Taft shared the fears about social unrest that dominated the middle classes during the s, he was not as conservative as his critics believed. He supported the right of labor to organize and strike, and he ruled against employers in several negligence cases. Addyston Pipe and Steel Co. He watched with some disbelief as the campaign of Ohio Governor William McKinley developed in and, writing "I cannot find anybody in Washington who wants him". Bryan, both in that address and in his campaign, strongly advocated free silver, a policy that Taft saw as economic radicalism. Taft feared that people would hoard gold in anticipation of a Bryan victory, but he could do nothing but worry. Taft hoped a Supreme Court appointment was in the works, but instead McKinley wanted to place Taft on the commission to organize a civilian government in the Philippines. Taft accepted on condition he was made head of the commission, with responsibility for success or failure; McKinley agreed, and Taft sailed for the islands in April MacArthur felt the commission was a nuisance, and their mission a quixotic attempt to impose self-government on a people unready for it. MacArthur, until then the military governor, was relieved by General Adna Chaffee, who was designated only as commander of American forces. Many Americans in the Philippines viewed the locals as racial inferiors, but Taft wrote soon before his arrival, "we propose to banish this idea from their minds". They met again when Taft went to Washington in January to recuperate after two operations caused by an infection. Taft wanted Filipino farmers to have a stake in the new government through land ownership, but much of the arable land was held by Catholic religious orders of mostly Spanish priests, which were often resented by the Filipinos. Roosevelt had Taft go to Rome to negotiate with Pope Leo XIII, to purchase the lands and to arrange the withdrawal of the Spanish priests, with Americans replacing them and training locals as clergy. Taft did not succeed in resolving these issues on his visit to Rome, but an agreement on both points was made Page 1

2 in As the War Department administered the Philippines, Taft would remain responsible for the islands, and Elihu Root, the incumbent, was willing to postpone his departure until, allowing Taft time to wrap up his work in Manila. After consulting with his family, Taft agreed, and sailed for the United States in December Puck magazine cover, When Taft took office as Secretary of War in January, he was not called upon to spend much time administering the army, which the president was content to do himselfâ Roosevelt wanted Taft as a troubleshooter in difficult situations, as a legal adviser, and to be able to give campaign speeches as he sought election in his own right. When Justice Henry B. Brown resigned in, Taft would not accept the seat although Roosevelt offered it, a position Taft held to when another seat opened in Taft believed Fuller likely to live many years. Legislation authorizing construction did not specify which government department would be responsible, and Roosevelt designated the Department of War. Taft journeyed to Panama in, viewing the canal site and meeting with Panamanian officials. Stevens submitted his resignation, Taft recommended an army engineer, George W. Under Goethals, the project moved ahead smoothly. Election fraud and corruption followed, as did factional conflict. Taft traveled to Cuba with a small American force, and on September 29,, under the terms of the Cubanâ American Treaty of Relations of, declared himself Provisional Governor of Cuba, a post he held for two weeks before being succeeded by Charles Edward Magoon. In his time in Cuba, Taft worked to persuade Cubans that the U. This caused growers of U. Taft expressed unwillingness to change his position, and threatened to resign; [41] Roosevelt hastily dropped the matter. After that meeting, the two signed a memorandum. It contained nothing new but instead reaffirmed official positions: Japan had no intention to invade the Philippines, and the U. United States presidential election, Gaining the nomination[ edit ] One of a series of candid photographs known as the Evolution of a Smile, taken just after a formal portrait session, as Taft learns by telephone from Roosevelt of his nomination for president. On the night of his own election in, Roosevelt publicly declared he would not run for re-election in, a pledge he quickly regretted. But he felt bound by his word. Roosevelt believed Taft was his logical successor, although the War Secretary was initially reluctant to run. New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes ran, but when he made a major policy speech, Roosevelt the same day sent a special message to Congress warning in strong terms against corporate corruption. The resulting coverage of the presidential message relegated Hughes to the back pages. Hitchcock resigned from his office in February to lead the Taft effort. At the Republican National Convention in Chicago in June, there was no serious opposition to him, and he gained a first-ballot victory. Yet Taft did not have things his own way: Sherman of New York, a conservative. Taft resigned as Secretary of War on June 30 to devote himself full-time to the campaign. Corporate contributions to federal political campaigns had been outlawed by the Tillman Act, and Bryan proposed that contributions by officers and directors of corporations be similarly banned, or at least disclosed when made. Taft was only willing to see the contributions disclosed after the election, and tried to ensure that officers and directors of corporations litigating with the government were not among his contributors. He argued that labor had a right to organize, but not boycott, and that corporations and the wealthy must also obey the law. Bryan wanted the railroads to be owned by the government, but Taft preferred that they remain in the private sector, with their maximum rates set by the Interstate Commerce Commission, subject to judicial review. Taft attributed blame for the recent recession, the Panic of, to stock speculation and other abuses, and felt some reform of the currency the U. Hitchcock was quick to bring in men closely allied with big business. After seeing a newspaper photo of Taft taking a large swing at a golf ball, Roosevelt warned him against candid shots. This annoyed Nellie Taft, who never trusted the Roosevelts. Taft and Roosevelt had agreed the party platform would take no position on the matter, and Nation left indignant, to allege that Taft was irreligious and against temperance. Taft defeated Bryan by electoral votes to ; however, he garnered just Page 2

3 Chapter 2 : 10 birthday facts about President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was elected the 27th President of the United States () and later became the tenth Chief Justice of the United States (), the only person to have served in. He had four brothers and sisters. William attended Yale University where he became a member of the Skull and Bones secret society, co-founded by his father in Taft graduated at the top of his class and attended Cincinnati Law School. In, he married his high school sweetheart Helen Herron. The next year, he was appointed judge of the Ohio Superior Court. His political career began in after he was appointed Solicitor General by President Benjamin Harrison. From to, he reluctantly served on a committee established by President William McKinley to establish a civilian government in the newly acquired Philippines. Taft was soon named Governor-General and became very popular among American and Filipinos. In this position, Taft helped supervise the building of the Panama Canal, served as Secretary of State, and even took on presidential duties when Roosevelt was abroad. With support from Theodore Roosevelt, Taft ran for President in He also supported the passage of the 16th Amendment federal income tax on corporations and the 17th amendment direct election of Senators by the people. Lacking the charisma and charm of his mentor, Theodore Roosevelt, he quickly lost the support of the business community by launching anti-trust law suits against 80 different companies, including U. Furthermore, his support of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of, which failed to lower the tariff to a level acceptable to most reformers, further alienated liberal Republicans. In, Taft was defeated in his bid for a second term by Virginian Woodrow Wilson. In the election, Taft won only eight electoral votes, marking the worst defeat for a president seeking a second term in office in American history. After his term in office, Taft was appointed as a professor at the Yale University School of Law and then, as president of the American Bar Association. In, President Warren G. Harding nominated him as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. After confirmation in the Senate, Taft became the only President to have ever served as Chief Justice. He was the first President to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Today, Taft is a central figure in two enduring legends: According to legend, the seventh-inning stretch in baseball was born when Taft got up to stretch in between the top and bottom of the seventh inning during a Chicago Cubs game. The crowd, out of respect to the President, stood up to stretch with him and the practice has endured ever since. William Howard Taft was the heaviest President. One night, he became stuck in the White House bathtub. According to legend, it took six aides and a gallon of butter to dislodge him. As a result, a new bathtub was built which remains the largest bathtub in America. Page 3

4 Chapter 3 : William Howard Taft - Wikipedia William Howard Taft died on March 8,, at his home in Washington, D.C. He was the first president to be buried in Arlington Cemetery, and the first to have a funeral broadcast on the radio. Distinguished jurist, effective administrator, but poor politician, William Howard Taft spent four uncomfortable years in the White House. Large, jovial, conscientious, he was caught in the intense battles between Progressives and conservatives, and got scant credit for the achievements of his administration. Born in, the son of a distinguished judge, he graduated from Yale, and returned to Cincinnati to study and practice law. He rose in politics through Republican judiciary appointments, through his own competence and availability, and because, as he once wrote facetiously, he always had his "plate the right side up when offices were falling. He was appointed a Federal circuit judge at He aspired to be a member of the Supreme Court, but his wife, Helen Herron Taft, held other ambitions for him. His route to the White House was via administrative posts. President McKinley sent him to the Philippines in as chief civil administrator. Sympathetic toward the Filipinos, he improved the economy, built roads and schools, and gave the people at least some participation in government. President Roosevelt made him Secretary of War, and by had decided that Taft should be his successor. The Republican Convention nominated him the next year. Taft disliked the campaign--"one of the most uncomfortable four months of my life. William Jennings Bryan, running on the Democratic ticket for a third time, complained that he was having to oppose two candidates, a western progressive Taft and an eastern conservative Taft. Unlike Roosevelt, Taft did not believe in the stretching of Presidential powers. He once commented that Roosevelt "ought more often to have admitted the legal way of reaching the same ends. A trade agreement with Canada, which Taft pushed through Congress, would have pleased eastern advocates of a low tariff, but the Canadians rejected it. In the angry Progressive onslaught against him, little attention was paid to the fact that his administration initiated 80 antitrust suits and that Congress submitted to the states amendments for a Federal income tax and the direct election of Senators. A postal savings system was established, and the Interstate Commerce Commission was directed to set railroad rates. In, when the Republicans renominated Taft, Roosevelt bolted the party to lead the Progressives, thus guaranteeing the election of Woodrow Wilson. Taft, free of the Presidency, served as Professor of Law at Yale until President Harding made him Chief Justice of the United States, a position he held until just before his death in To Taft, the appointment was his greatest honor; he wrote: Copyright by the White House Historical Association. Page 4

5 Chapter 4 : Obama for the Supreme Court - The Boston Globe Ex-President William Howard Taft () sworn in as chief justice of the United States in (Alamy) By Erick Trickey theinnatdunvilla.com December 5, More Born on September 15,, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Taft seemed headed toward a distinguished legal career before his ambitions shifted to politics. Taft succeeded Theodore Roosevelt in as the 27th President, only to lose a bitter re-election bid in Here are some interesting facts about one of the biggest figures, physically and politically, of the early 20th Century. Taft was a big guy. He was a heavyweight wrestling champion at Yale, for starters. He stood about 6 feet tall and weighed pounds when he graduated from college. He struggled with his weight and may have weighed more than pounds as President. But he was at his college weight at the time of his death. His career goal was to be a Supreme Court justice. Taft is the only former U. Solicitor General to become President. Taft was Solicitor General in the Benjamin Harrison administration, at the age of Historians believe Helen "Nellie" Herron saw a broader career for her husband beyond a series of judicial appointments. Roosevelt entrusted Taft with key tasks and saw him as the best choice as his successor in President McKinley brought Taft into the national political arena. McKinley asked Taft to head a commission overseeing the newly acquired Philippines Territory and he soon became Governor General. Alphonso Taft was briefly Secretary of War in Taft had been offered Supreme Court seats several times before becoming President. McKinley and Roosevelt both wanted Taft on the high court, but Taft turned down the nominations for various reasons. Historians give Taft mixed marks overall as a chief executive. Taft went back to the law and finally joined the Supreme Court. He was Chief Justice until he retired, shortly before his death at the age of 72 in Constitution Daily looked at the whole bathtub myth in detail back in While Taft was a big guy, he had a special tub put in the White House before he became President. The myth started decades later. But despite his distinguished career, some people best remember Taft because of the bathtub myth. Page 5

6 Chapter 5 : William Howard Taft Facts for Kids Helen Taft () was an American first lady () and the wife of William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States and later chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Before he was Secretary of War or governor of the Philippines, Taft, an intellectual son and grandson of judges, spent eight blissful years as a federal appeals court judge. White of Louisiana to chief justice in, he confessed his envy to his attorney general. Years after his humiliating third-place defeat in the presidential election, Taft finally got his dream job. Taft served nine years as chief justice after his four years as presidentâ the only person to hold both jobs. Today, as conservatives hope the next Supreme Court appointments give them the power to remake American law and liberals look to it to check the excesses they expect from the president-elect, both live in a judicial world Taft created. Taft was a reluctant president, accepting the Republican nomination only after his wife, Nellie, and sitting President Theodore Roosevelt persuaded him to run as his chosen successor. Roosevelt felt certain that Taft, his friend and confidant, would continue his progressive reforms. Enraged, Roosevelt ran against Taft as a third-party candidate in Taft, never comfortable as a politician, gave almost no campaign speeches after his re-nomination, golfed frequently, and resigned himself to defeat. He finished third in the presidential election, behind winner Woodrow Wilson and Roosevelt, winning less than 25 percent of the popular vote and only eight electoral votes. As chief justice, Taft rejoiced in his reversal of fortune. Soon he was down to pounds, a near-low for him. He rarely looked back at his years as a politician, except to bid them good riddance. But in the most important and lasting opinion he wrote as chief justice, in Myers vs. And legal challenges to his presidential legacy were rare: Only once did he recuse himself over a conflict, when a murderer whose death sentence he commuted sued for freedom. A longtime foe of labor unions, Taft wrote a decision in Truax v. Corrigan that gave judges broad latitude to issue injunctions to stop labor disputes. However, as chief justice he consistently approved strict enforcement of anti-liquor laws, even when it put him at odds with his wife. On the a trip to London, Helen Taft and the U. Progressives found the Taft court frustrating, its hostility to social-reform legislation tragic. When he joined the Court, its docket was mired in a backlog up to five years deep. It took away almost all automatic rights of appeal to the court, which allowed the justices to focus on important constitutional questions. In nine years, Taft himself wrote opinions for the court, dissented only about 20 times, and wrote only four written dissents. He would be frustrated to see how many dissenting opinions from his era, especially by liberal justices Louis Brandeis and Oliver Wendell Holmes, are celebrated in history. Page 6

7 Chapter 6 : 10 Interesting Facts On U.S. President William Howard Taft Learnodo Newtonic Taft is the only U.S. president to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In and, he gave the oath of office to Calvin Coolidge and Herbet Hoover, respectively. As Chief Justice, he travelled to Great Britain to study English courts. Born into an influential family, Taft attended the Yale College where he was a member of the famous secret society Skull and Bones. Taft remained devoted to his wife Helen Herron throughout their marriage. They had three children who did well in their fields. Despite his achievements, Taft is often remembered for being the heaviest U. President and for being stuck in the White House bathtub, even though that incident is most probably untrue. Know more about the family, life, career, wife and death of President Taft through these 10 interesting facts. Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. The wife of his grandson, Lydia Chapin Taft, is the first woman known to legally vote in colonial America, which she did on October 30, Their first child died in infancy. William Howard had two brothers and a sister; and two elder step brothers. Alphonso fathered four more children, three with his first wife and one with his second, but they all died young. He graduated from the school in Skull and Bones is a famous secret society at Yale University which often features in conspiracy theories, which claim that the society plays a role in a global conspiracy for world control. William Howard Taft was a member of Skull and Bones. William Howard was also a wrestler during his college years. He was known more for his hard work than for being the most intelligent. William Howard Taft graduated from Yale in, second in his class of Photograph of William Howard Taft when he was at Yale College 3 He met his future wife at a bobsledding party Bobsleigh or bobsled is a sport of sliding down an incline in a sleigh, with teammates. He asked her out for the first time in February and a couple of years later they started going out regularly. They had two sons and a daughter: Taft, who went on to represent Ohio in the U. Nellie Taft was ambitious for her husband and encouraged his political career despite his often-stated preference for the judiciary. She played an important role when Taft oversaw US rule in the Philippines in the s by working on cultural projects and through her insistence on complete racial equality. In, he was appointed judge of the Cincinnati Superior Court. Taft was successful as Solicitor General winning 15 of the 18 cases he argued before the Supreme Court. He held that post till March From to, Taft served as the judge of the Sixth U. Circuit Court of Appeals. Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt in A post he kept till William Howard Taft in 5 The presidency of Taft is most known for anti-trust legislation and Dollar Diplomacy When Roosevelt declared that he would not run for re-election in, he believed his War Secretory was his logical successor. As president, Taft implemented vigorous anti-trust legislation to promote fair competition for the benefit of consumers; expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission ICC allowing it to suspend railroad rate hikes and to set rates; and used a foreign policy known as Dollar Diplomacy by which America used its economic power and private capital to further its interests overseas. Among other things, the progressive Republicans favored restrictions on the employment of women and children, were sympathetic toward labor unions and wanted popular election of federal and state judges as opposed to appointments. The conservatives favored business leaders over labor unions and were generally opposed to the popular election of judges. The Republican nomination battle for the U. Though Taft won, Roosevelt created the Progressive Party with his supporters and ran for election. In the end Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the election with Roosevelt in second place and Taft at third. He achieved this goal post presidency when on July 11,, he was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. William Howard Taft was the first and to date he remains the only person to serve both as the President and the Chief Justice of U. In, Taft argued successfully for the Court to have its own headquarters to distance itself from Congress as an independent branch of government. Supreme Court Justices with Taft seated at the center 8 The famous bathtub incident regarding Taft is most probably untrue William Howard Taft weighed more than pounds kg in most of his adult life with his weight being around pounds kg toward the end of his presidency. A popular story regarding Taft is that he became stuck in the White House bathtub and a new one had to be installed. Page 7

8 This story is not backed by evidence and is most probably untrue. There is a well known photo of that tub with the four bathtub installers sitting in it. However, there was at least one incident involving a bathtub which was true. In, Taft entered a hotel tub but failed to take the fluid displacement into account. The dirty water flooded the floor and trickled onto the heads of guests in the downstairs dining room. He lost weight a number of times in his life but he usually regained it, probably by reverting to his old eating habits. However, after leaving the White House, Taft lost 70 pounds under the guidance of a doctor. He carefully planned a fitness regime and by he weighed just pounds kg. Despite his accomplishments, Taft is often remembered as the heaviest President in U. It has also been noted that he was the most recent president to have facial hair throughout his presidency as opposed to being clean shaven. Another fun fact about him is that he had a tendency to sleep at public functions and was often seen snoozing at operas, funerals and church services. His health had been declining for the past few years. At the time of his retirement, he was so weak that he could barely sign a reply to a letter of tribute from the eight associate justices. William Howard Taft died at his home in Washington, D. He was 72 years old and his death was caused by cerebral arteriosclerosis, a condition which is caused by thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries in the brain. Though William Howard Taft is usually ranked in the middle of U. Page 8

9 Chapter 7 : Presidency of William Howard Taft - Wikipedia William Howard Taft: William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States () and 10th chief justice of the United States (). As president, Taft alienated progressive Republicans, thereby contributing to the split in Republican ranks in, to the formation of the Bull Moose Party, and to his failure to win a second term. He is the only man in U. He was a large man, six-feet tall and weighing more than pounds. He retired from the Court on February 3,, due to ill health, and died five weeks later on March 8, Helen Harron Taft died at home in Washington, D. She was the first first-lady to be buried in Arlington. He was the first of only two Presidents to be buried in Arlington. His grand-nephew, William M. He was in his seventy-third year. His death, which was caused by cerebro-arteriosclerosis, was preceded by that of Associate Justice Edward Terry Sanford at noon. Today also was the eighty-ninth birthday anniversary of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, oldest member of the Supreme Court. The deaths of two of the occupants of the highest bench were peculiarly saddening to the capital. During the illness of Mr. Taft Justice Sanford had been an almost daily caller at his home. Taken to his home in an ambulance, he succumbed to uremic poisoning. President Hoover issued this evening a proclamation authorizing national mourning for thirty days for former President Taft. Taft succumbed after a rally a week ago from what his physicians thought was certainly the last phase of his illness and this temporary recovery brought a false hope that he might linger possibly for months. Hoover Hastens to Taft Home President Hoover was on an automobile ride when his intimate friend passed away, and could not be notified until he returned to the White House at the same minute that Mrs. Manning was receiving the unexpected news. He immediately recalled his car and, with Mrs. Hoover, hurried to the Taft home. During a brief stay, Mr. Manning and repeated their offer of every facility of the White House to lighten the burden of the many arrangements which must be made under the circumstances. The President also places at Mrs. Ulysses Grant Baker Pierce is pastor, precluded either acceptance of this offer or a funeral in the Capitol, which had been considered a possibility. The services tentatively have been set for Tuesday, but final arrangements await the arrival of the sons from Cincinnati, when a family conference will be held concerning the details. Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery, in accordance with the request of the family, Mr. Taft having qualified for this honor both as a former Secretary of War and as former Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy while President. Taft, who had entered it about two minutes before, a nurse, and Dr. Death came quietly, Mr. Taft sinking imperceptibly into unconsciousness, as he had done frequently during the past month, and while in it suffering stoppage of the functioning of his heart. Immediately after his passing, Dr. Clayton, who had been associated with Dr. Hagner in treating the former Chief Justice, arrived at the house. They issued the following bulletin, the last of a long series to be disseminated through the White House: The former Chief Justice died at 5: A sudden change in his condition occurred at 4: The former Chief Justice has had a less restful night and his condition is not quite as favorably as yesterday. Taft, who had known for some time that her husband could not recover, bore the shock with the same fortitude that she had displayed in daily attending to his comfort. Helen Taft Manning daughter of the jurist, was absent from the house when the death occurred. She returned home at 6: Robert having returned there a few days ago when it appeared that death might be deferred by weeks or months. Both were notified immediately and caught a train which will bring them into Washington at 9: Two surviving brothers of the former Chief Justice also were notified of his death and tonight are on their way here. Henry Taft was at Augusta, Ga. Taft at Watertown, Connecticut. Burial With Military Honors President Hoover designated Colonel Campbell Benjamin Hodges, his military aide, to place himself at the disposition of the Taft family in regards to arrangements for the burial at Arlington, at which full military honors will be accorded. Returning to the White House, President Hoover immediately issued his proclamation of national mourning for thirty days, canceled all White House social engagements during that period and ordered that the flags on government building fly at half-staff. This procedure is in accordance with precedent when a former President dies, although an exception was made to accord the same honors to the Page 9

10 memory of Secretary James W. Good, who died recently. Vice President Charles Curtis is away from the city. He had canceled a week ago an engagement to speak at a dinner in Indianapolis tonight when Mr. Taft was expected to die momentarily, but had reaccepted when Mr. The word of Mr. First to appear at the house was Associate Justice Willis Vandevanter, who alighted from his car at 6: Taft, and President and Mrs. Soon a constant stream of automobiles brought persons at the house to leave their cards and expressions of sympathy. Another visitor was Bishop James E. Freeman of the Washington Cathedral, who characterized Mr. Taft as "the most loved man in a generation. Taft cast a gloom over Washington. For more than a month a silence presaging the death had hovered over the neighborhood. The blinds of the house had remained drawn and a policeman had patrolled the sidewalk to assure quiet. The district is a restricted one with little traffic, and the quietude of the house had been broken only by those friends who called at intervals to inquire as to Mr. This vigil was withdrawn yesterday morning when the last possibility of Mr. When his death did occur it was not sent out to the world until half an hour later, after the physicians had prepared the bulletin which was issued through the White House. Tonight, however, the air of foreboding had disappeared. The blinds on the ground floor of the house were raised and all the windows reflected the illumination of lights within, displaying the flowers which were sent as expressions of regard during the life of the recipient. Tomorrow they will be replaced by blooms which have a more solemn import. While the visitors to the home were arriving and leaving, reporters surged over the sidewalks and photographers recorded pictorially the events surrounding the passing of an eminent figure. The disseminating of necessary information was undertaken by the White House, the closed offices being opened and George Akerson, Secretary of the President, being summoned from the golf links to organize the work. Last Days of Mr. Taft The passing of Mr. From the gloomy, rainy morning of Feb. Taft, returning from Asheville, N. The bulletins issued by his physicians, from the first one on that day, have contained frank statements that Mr. Taft was in a critical condition, but those friends of the patient who were in close touch with him realized that the most pessimistic reports were borne out in his condition. Arterio-sclerosis is the scientific name for hardening of the arteries, a condition which gradually causes a slowing up of the circulation until at last it stops entirely. Myorcarditis is a weakening of the heart of the heart which is said to accompany the other ailment. In addition the former chief justice had suffered for many years from a painful organic complaint which had treated his life on many occasions. The one mitigating factor in his last illness has been the fact that at no time has he been in pain. Neither the congenial spirit nor the famous smile were dimmed through his suffering. In his unconscious periods, which became more frequent and of greater duration during the last two weeks, his face seemed serene. Taft was his wife, who for days at a time did not leave the house. Her care and unrelenting efforts to assure his comfort won frequent comment from all those in touch with the home. While few visitors ever were admitted to the Taft home during this illness, Mr. Taft was constantly remembered by old friends who are among the most prominent persons in officialdom. Justice Holmes, the oldest member of the Supreme Court, whose period of service antedates even Mr. Justice Harlan Stone, another member of the Supreme bench, who was an intimate friend of the former chief and a close neighbor, likewise visited the home repeatedly, and during the critical period of a week ago kept a servant posted at the Taft home to relay frequent news to him. Taft, paid two calls, marked with as much simplicity as the President is permitted to assume at the home of the former Chief Justice. The first was on February 5, when accompanied by Mrs. Hoover, he found him sitting up in bed and chatted with him for several minutes. At that time the President and Mrs. Hoover offered every facility of the White House to lessen the burdens on the Taft household occasioned by the multiple inquiries and demands surrounding the illness of such a prominent personage. One service which the White House has given daily since then has been the dissemination of the bulletins concerning Mr. Taft which were issued twice daily by his physicians. The second visit by Mr. Hoover was paid on March 1, the President being accompanied also by his son, Alan Hoover. At neither time were photographers permitted to record the visit, although these watchers and reporters for press associations have been quartered in a house not far from the Taft home, continually on alert for the latest word. Physician a Friend for 25 Years Dr. Page 10

11 Chapter 8 : William Howard Taft, President of the United States 10 birthday facts about President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft September 15, by NCC Staff William Howard Taft is a truly unique American figure who led two branches of government, was a wrestling champion and the youngest Solicitor General in American history. Visit Website Did you know? Supreme Court from to, William Howard Taft became the only man in history to hold the highest post in both the executive and judicial branches of the U. From early in his career, Taft aspired to a seat on the U. His ambitious wife, meanwhile, set her sights on becoming first lady. With her encouragement, Taft accepted several political appointments, beginning in when he was named to fill the term of a judge in Ohio Superior Court. He was elected to a five-year term himself the following year. Other than the presidency, it would be the only office Taft ever obtained through a popular vote. In, he was appointed as U. Two years later, he began serving as a judge on the U. Though hesitant, Taft accepted the post of chairman of the Second Philippine Commission with the knowledge that it would position him well to advance further in national government. Beginning with the drafting of a new constitution including a Bill of Rights similar to that of the United States and the creation of the post of civilian governor he became the first, Taft improved the island economy and infrastructure and allowed the people at least some voice in government. Though sympathetic to the Filipino people and popular among them, he believed they needed considerable guidance and instruction before they could be capable of self-rule, and predicted a long period of U. After McKinley was assassinated in, President Theodore Roosevelt twice offered Taft a Supreme Court appointment, but he declined in order to stay in the Philippines. Taft traveled extensively during his four years in this post, including overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal and serving as provisional governor of Cuba. Roosevelt, who had pledged not to run for a third term in office, began promoting Taft as his successor. Though he disliked campaigning, Taft agreed to mount a presidential run in at the urging of his wife, and soundly defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan by pledging to continue the Rooseveltian program of progressive reforms. Always heavy, Taft weighed as much as pounds at times during his presidency. He wrote some decisions, most reflecting his conservative ideology. Taft remained chief justice until shortly before his death, on March 8,, from complications of heart disease. Start your free trial today. Page 11

12 Chapter 9 : William Howard Taftâ s truly historic â double-doubleâ - National Constitution Center William Howard Taft, President - Chief Justice William Howard Taft is the only individual in United States history to hold both the Presidency and the Chief Justiceship of the Supreme Court. Taft was born in in Cincinnati, Ohio and earned a Bachelor's degree from Yale University in Senate March 13, [27] [28] The Court under Chief Justice White proved to be less conservative than both the preceding Fuller Court and the succeeding Taft Court, although the court continued to strike down numerous economic regulations as part of the Lochner era. The conservative Van Devanter was the lone Taft appointee to serve past, and he formed part of the Four Horsemen bloc that opposed Franklin D. According to Coletta, however, Knox was not a good diplomat, and had poor relations with the Senate, press, and many foreign leaders, especially those from Latin America. Previous administrations had made efforts to promote American business interests overseas, but Taft went a step further and used the web of American diplomats and consuls abroad to further trade. Such ties, Taft hoped, would promote world peace. Many in Canada opposed an accord, fearing the U. After January talks with Canadian officials, Taft had the agreement, which was not a treaty, introduced into Congress and it passed in late July. Canadians turned Laurier out of office in the September election and Robert Borden became the new prime minister. No cross-border agreement was concluded, and the debate deepened divisions in the Republican Party. Senate, many of whose members believed the U. Taft told his military aide, Archibald Butt, that "I am going to sit on the lid and it will take a great deal to pry me off". Taft would not be goaded into fighting and so instructed the territorial governor. The country remained unstable, and after another coup in and more disturbances in, Taft sent troops; though most were soon withdrawn, some remained as late as The Colombians felt the amount inadequate, and requested arbitration; the matter was not settled under the Taft administration. Knox did not agree, and declined a suggestion that he go to Peking to view the facts on the ground. Rockhill, as uninterested in the China trade, with William J. Calhoun, whom McKinley and Roosevelt had sent on several foreign missions. Knox did not listen to Calhoun on policy, and there were often conflicts. The Chinese imperial government got the money for the indemnity from the British Hong Kong government, on condition British subjects would be favored if foreign capital was needed to build the railroad line, and in, a British-led consortium began negotiations. Inadequate compensation was paid to the shareholders, and these grievances were among those which touched off the Chinese Revolution of House of Representatives in February passed a resolution supporting a Chinese republic, but Taft and Knox felt recognition should come as a concerted action by Western powers. Taft in his final annual message to Congress in December indicated that he was moving towards recognition once the republic was fully established, but by then he had been defeated for re-election and he did not follow through. A revised treaty of friendship and navigation entered into by the U. There was objection on the West Coast when the treaty was submitted to the Senate, but Taft informed politicians that there was no change in immigration policy. High on his list for dismissal was the ambassador to France, Henry White, whom Taft knew and disliked from his visits to Europe. Taft also wanted to replace the Roosevelt-appointed ambassador in London, Whitelaw Reid, but Reid, owner of the New-York Tribune, had backed Taft during the campaign, and both William and Nellie Taft enjoyed his gossipy reports. Reid remained in place until his death. These were signed in August Neither Taft nor Knox a former senator consulted with members of the Senate during the negotiating process. By then many Republicans were opposed to Taft and the president felt that lobbying too hard for the treaties might cause their defeat. He made some speeches supporting the treaties in October, but the Senate added amendments Taft could not accept, killing the agreements. These included a settlement of the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, a long-running dispute over seal hunting in the Bering Sea that also involved Japan, and a similar disagreement regarding fishing off Newfoundland. The sealing convention remained in force until abrogated by Japan in However, Taft did express support for the creation of an international arbitration tribunal and called for an international arms reduction agreement. The Page 12

13 Republican Party had made the high tariff the central plank of their economic policy since the end of the Civil War, but Taft and some other Republicans had come to believe that the Dingley Act had set the rates too high. Though the high tariff protected domestic manufacturing, it also hurt U. Roosevelt had largely avoided the tariff issue, but Taft became the first Republican president to actively seek to lower tariff rates. Payne, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, had held hearings on tariff reform in late, and sponsored the resulting draft legislation. On balance, the bill reduced tariffs slightly, but when it passed the House in April and reached the Senate, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Nelson W. Aldrich, attached numerous amendments, all of which raised rates. La Follette, who urged Taft to say that the bill was not in accord with the party platform. A conference committee reconciled the two bills, and both houses passed the compromise, which Taft signed into law on August 6, Taft favored the House bill due to the more substantial rate reductions it contained and would have preferred more substantial reductions than those provided by the tariff rates. However, he feared potentially dividing his party by wielding his veto power. The wounds inflicted during the tariff debate never healed. Suits brought against the Standard Oil Company and the American Tobacco Company, initiated under Roosevelt, were decided in favor of the government by the Supreme Court in That company had been expanded under Roosevelt, who had supported its acquisition of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company as a means of preventing the deepening of the Panic of, a decision the former president defended when testifying at the hearings. Taft, as Secretary of War, had praised the acquisitions. Gould suggested that Roosevelt was likely deceived into believing that U. Steel did not want to purchase the Tennessee company, but it was in fact a bargain. For Roosevelt, questioning the matter went to his personal honesty. Steel, demanding that over a hundred of its subsidiaries be granted corporate independence, and naming as defendants many prominent business executives and financiers. The pleadings in the case had not been reviewed by Taft, and alleged that Roosevelt "had fostered monopoly, and had been duped by clever industrialists". Another antitrust case that had political repercussions for Taft was that brought against the International Harvester Company, the large manufacturer of farm equipment, in early Supporters of Taft alleged that Roosevelt had acted improperly; the former president blasted Taft for waiting three and a half years, and until he was under challenge, to reverse a decision he had supported. Pinchotâ Ballinger controversy Puck magazine cover: Roosevelt departs, entrusting his policies to Taft Roosevelt was an ardent conservationist, assisted in this by like-minded appointees, including Interior Secretary James R. Garfield son of President James A. Garfield and Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot. Taft agreed with the need for conservation, but felt it should be accomplished by legislation rather than executive order. He did not retain Garfield, an Ohioan, as secretary, choosing instead a westerner, former Seattle mayor Richard Ballinger. Roosevelt was surprised at the replacement, believing that Taft had promised to keep Garfield, and this change was one of the events that caused Roosevelt to realize that Taft would pursue different policies. In, Clarence Cunningham, an Idaho entrepreneur, had found coal deposits in Alaska, and made mining claims, and the government investigated their legality. This dragged on for the remainder of the Roosevelt administration, including during the year â when Ballinger served as head of the General Land Office. This violated conflict of interest rules forbidding a former government official from advocacy on a matter he had been responsible for. Wickersham dated two days previously. Taft asked Elihu Root by then a senator to look into the matter, and Root urged the firing of Pinchot. According to Pringle, this "was an utterly improper appeal from an executive subordinate to the legislative branch of the government and an unhappy president prepared to separate Pinchot from public office". Brandeis, proved that the Wickersham report had been backdated, which Taft belatedly admitted. This differed from Roosevelt, who would not remove or replace black officeholders with whom local whites would not deal. Taft followed through, removing most black office holders in the South, and made few appointments from that race in the North. Washington felt that most blacks should be trained for industrial work, with only a few seeking higher education; W. DuBois took a more militant stand for equality. He thus failed to see or follow the humanitarian mission historically associated with the Republican party, with the result that Negroes both North and South began to drift toward the Democratic party. The Mannâ Elkins Act Page 13

14 established the Commerce Court and increased the authority of the ICC, placing telegraph and telephone companies under its authority and allowing it to set price ceilings on rail fares. Taft also oversaw the establishment of a domestic parcel post delivery system. Taft opposed its inclusion in the bill because in form and substance it was almost exactly the same as an earlier tax that the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional in Pollock v. As an alternative, the president encouraged Congress to propose a constitutional amendment allowing the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on the United States Census. By February 3, it had been ratified by the requisite number of states 36 to become the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Constitution, as it was adopted in, stated that senators would be elected by state legislatures. During the s, the House of Representatives passed several resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment for the direct election of senators. Each time, however, the Senate refused to even take a vote. Additionally, a number of states began calling for a constitutional convention on the subject. Article V of the Constitution states that Congress must call a constitutional convention for proposing amendments when two-thirds of the state legislatures apply for one. An amendment to the Constitution establishing the popular election of United States Senators by the people of the states was approved by Congress on May 13,, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification. By April 8, it had been ratified by the requisite number of states 36 to become the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Enabling Act of would have allowed Arizona and New Mexico to join the union as one state, but Arizona had voted against the combination in a referendum. Taft biographer Lurie suggested that each expected the other to make the first move to re-establish their relationship on a new footing. Nevertheless, he wrote that he expected Taft to be renominated by the Republicans in, and did not speak of himself as a candidate. New York, he accused the federal courts of undermining democracy, and called for them to be deprived of the power to rule legislation unconstitutional. This attack horrified Taft, who privately agreed that Lochner had been wrongly decided but strongly supported judicial review. Page 14