WIST Quotations

Taft, William -- “Adequate Machinery for Judicial Business,” Journal of the American Bar Association (Sep 1921)

Dave — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:00:24 +0000

Delay works always for the man with the longest purse.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
“Adequate Machinery for Judicial Business,” Journal of the American Bar Association (Sep 1921)

Taft, William -- (Attributed)

Dave — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 19:24:57 +0000

Too many people don’t care what happens so long as it doesn’t happen to them.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
(Attributed)

Taft, William -- Ladies Home Journal (May 1919)

Dave — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 14:38:11 +0000

No tendency is quite so strong in human nature as the desire to lay down rules of conduct for other people.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Ladies Home Journal (May 1919)

Regarding the temperance movement. Quoted in Robert J. Schoenberg, Mr. Capone (1992).

Taft, William -- Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers (1916)

Dave — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 14:30:38 +0000

Substantial progress toward better things can rarely be taken without developing new evils requiring new remedies.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers (1916)

Taft, William -- Speech, Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC (8 May 1909)

Dave — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 13:26:13 +0000

We are all imperfect. We can not expect perfect government.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Speech, Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC (8 May 1909)

Taft, William -- Speech, Lotus Club (16 Nov 1912)

Dave — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:10:15 +0000

The intoxication of power rapidly sobers off in the knowledge of its restrictions and under the prompt reminder of an ever-present and not always considerate press, as well as the kindly suggestions that not infrequently come from Congress.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Speech, Lotus Club (16 Nov 1912)

Taft, William -- Speech, Methodist Conference, Ocean Grove, NJ (15 Aug 1911)

Dave — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 23:54:24 +0000

Enthusiasm of the cause may sometimes warp judgment.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Speech, Methodist Conference, Ocean Grove, NJ (15 Aug 1911)

Taft, William -- Speech, Milwaukee (17 Sep 1909)

Dave — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:25:14 +0000

We have passed beyond the time of what they call the laisser-faire school which believes that the Government ought to do nothing but run a police force.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Speech, Milwaukee (17 Sep 1909)
(Source)

Taft, William -- Speech, Young Men’s Hebrew Association, New York (20 Dec 1914)

Dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 13:15:15 +0000

There is nothing so despicable as a secret society that is based upon religious prejudice and that will attempt to defeat a man because of his religious beliefs. Such a society is like a cockroach — it thrives in the dark. So do those who combine for such an end.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Speech, Young Men’s Hebrew Association, New York (20 Dec 1914)

Taft, William -- Veto Statement for the Arizona Enabling Act (15 Aug 1911)

Dave — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 18:06:11 +0000

No honest, clear-headed man, however great a lover of popular government, can deny that the unbridled expression of the majority of a community converted hastily into law or action would sometimes make a government tyrannical and cruel. Constitutions are checks upon the hasty action of the majority. They are the self-imposed restraints of a whole people upon a majority of them to secure sober action and a respect for the rights of the minority.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930) US President (1909-13) and Chief Justice (1921-1930)
Veto Statement for the Arizona Enabling Act (15 Aug 1911)
(Source)

Taft vetoed the admission of Arizona to the US with a state constitution that allowed popular recall of judges.