William H. Taft 1916 Typed Letter Signed - "Roosevelt's 'Never Say Die' Courage And Tenacity"
27th President.
Two-page typed letter signed "Wm. H. Taft", to Clarence H. Kelsey, May 23, 1916, personal stationery from New Haven, Connecticut.
TAFT PRAISES TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S "NEVER SAY DIE COURAGE" AND RAILS AGAINST A "FEATHERHEAD" PROFESSOR FOR SUPPORTING TR AT THE GOP CONVENTION.
I have your letter of May 22nd, and thank you for sending me the City Real Estate Certificate No. 1227 for one $1,000. bond of the Gretsch Building Number Four, Inc.
It is an indication of Roosevelt's 'never say die' courage and tenacity that he is keeping up the fight. I can not think he will be successful, although the wobbling character of men impresses itself on one as one grows older. Still I think the men were pretty well selected, and there are enough of the leaders so anxious to prevent Roosevelt's nomination that they will be driven into the support of Hughes, although they do not take Hughes with any great satisfaction. I think Roosevelt is bound to accept Hughes.
I am very much disgusted with something I did here. Professor Bingham, the Peruvian explorer, came to me a month or two ago and said he wished to go into politics, and asked me if I would speak to Colonel Ullman about it. I did, and as Ullman is most accommodating, he made him an alternate from this district. Bingham is a man whose wife is very wealthy, and he is able to do anything he chooses. He has not been carried off by the Roosevelt boom. Without regard to the fact that I helped him in and that Ullman is an anti-Roosevelt man, and that he is only an alternate, he now comes out for Roosevelt. This shows why an academician is not fitted for politics. He is a featherhead when he goes into the maelstrom. He has no substance. BIngham’s plea is his better opposition to Wilson. So he proposes to vote for a man who calls Wilson names, but who would be one of the weakest candidates we couple put up against Wilson, and thinks he is doing God-service and is courageous and independent in supporting such a man. He does not realize because he can not see beyond his nose, that with Roosevelt nominated, and defeated as he would be, we would have Roosevelt and Perkins as old men of the sea on the shoulders of the Republican party in control of its organization and determined to run it forever, with Roosevelt as a perennial candidate. This will be Bingham's only venture in politics. Nobody will ever trust him again because he has not shown either judgment or loyalty. I don’t know whether I ought to write him a letter or not. I am so utterly disgusted with him that I am afraid if I did I would say some thing I might regret. Perhaps I had better let him find out his own misery.
Clarence H. Kelsey (1856-1930) was a close friend and Yale classmate of William H. Taft.
Provenance: The Forbes Collection, Christies, November 15, 2005, Lot 166
27th President.
Two-page typed letter signed "Wm. H. Taft", to Clarence H. Kelsey, May 23, 1916, personal stationery from New Haven, Connecticut.
TAFT PRAISES TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S "NEVER SAY DIE COURAGE" AND RAILS AGAINST A "FEATHERHEAD" PROFESSOR FOR SUPPORTING TR AT THE GOP CONVENTION.
I have your letter of May 22nd, and thank you for sending me the City Real Estate Certificate No. 1227 for one $1,000. bond of the Gretsch Building Number Four, Inc.
It is an indication of Roosevelt's 'never say die' courage and tenacity that he is keeping up the fight. I can not think he will be successful, although the wobbling character of men impresses itself on one as one grows older. Still I think the men were pretty well selected, and there are enough of the leaders so anxious to prevent Roosevelt's nomination that they will be driven into the support of Hughes, although they do not take Hughes with any great satisfaction. I think Roosevelt is bound to accept Hughes.
I am very much disgusted with something I did here. Professor Bingham, the Peruvian explorer, came to me a month or two ago and said he wished to go into politics, and asked me if I would speak to Colonel Ullman about it. I did, and as Ullman is most accommodating, he made him an alternate from this district. Bingham is a man whose wife is very wealthy, and he is able to do anything he chooses. He has not been carried off by the Roosevelt boom. Without regard to the fact that I helped him in and that Ullman is an anti-Roosevelt man, and that he is only an alternate, he now comes out for Roosevelt. This shows why an academician is not fitted for politics. He is a featherhead when he goes into the maelstrom. He has no substance. BIngham’s plea is his better opposition to Wilson. So he proposes to vote for a man who calls Wilson names, but who would be one of the weakest candidates we couple put up against Wilson, and thinks he is doing God-service and is courageous and independent in supporting such a man. He does not realize because he can not see beyond his nose, that with Roosevelt nominated, and defeated as he would be, we would have Roosevelt and Perkins as old men of the sea on the shoulders of the Republican party in control of its organization and determined to run it forever, with Roosevelt as a perennial candidate. This will be Bingham's only venture in politics. Nobody will ever trust him again because he has not shown either judgment or loyalty. I don’t know whether I ought to write him a letter or not. I am so utterly disgusted with him that I am afraid if I did I would say some thing I might regret. Perhaps I had better let him find out his own misery.
Clarence H. Kelsey (1856-1930) was a close friend and Yale classmate of William H. Taft.
Provenance: The Forbes Collection, Christies, November 15, 2005, Lot 166
27th President.
Two-page typed letter signed "Wm. H. Taft", to Clarence H. Kelsey, May 23, 1916, personal stationery from New Haven, Connecticut.
TAFT PRAISES TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S "NEVER SAY DIE COURAGE" AND RAILS AGAINST A "FEATHERHEAD" PROFESSOR FOR SUPPORTING TR AT THE GOP CONVENTION.
I have your letter of May 22nd, and thank you for sending me the City Real Estate Certificate No. 1227 for one $1,000. bond of the Gretsch Building Number Four, Inc.
It is an indication of Roosevelt's 'never say die' courage and tenacity that he is keeping up the fight. I can not think he will be successful, although the wobbling character of men impresses itself on one as one grows older. Still I think the men were pretty well selected, and there are enough of the leaders so anxious to prevent Roosevelt's nomination that they will be driven into the support of Hughes, although they do not take Hughes with any great satisfaction. I think Roosevelt is bound to accept Hughes.
I am very much disgusted with something I did here. Professor Bingham, the Peruvian explorer, came to me a month or two ago and said he wished to go into politics, and asked me if I would speak to Colonel Ullman about it. I did, and as Ullman is most accommodating, he made him an alternate from this district. Bingham is a man whose wife is very wealthy, and he is able to do anything he chooses. He has not been carried off by the Roosevelt boom. Without regard to the fact that I helped him in and that Ullman is an anti-Roosevelt man, and that he is only an alternate, he now comes out for Roosevelt. This shows why an academician is not fitted for politics. He is a featherhead when he goes into the maelstrom. He has no substance. BIngham’s plea is his better opposition to Wilson. So he proposes to vote for a man who calls Wilson names, but who would be one of the weakest candidates we couple put up against Wilson, and thinks he is doing God-service and is courageous and independent in supporting such a man. He does not realize because he can not see beyond his nose, that with Roosevelt nominated, and defeated as he would be, we would have Roosevelt and Perkins as old men of the sea on the shoulders of the Republican party in control of its organization and determined to run it forever, with Roosevelt as a perennial candidate. This will be Bingham's only venture in politics. Nobody will ever trust him again because he has not shown either judgment or loyalty. I don’t know whether I ought to write him a letter or not. I am so utterly disgusted with him that I am afraid if I did I would say some thing I might regret. Perhaps I had better let him find out his own misery.
Clarence H. Kelsey (1856-1930) was a close friend and Yale classmate of William H. Taft.
Provenance: The Forbes Collection, Christies, November 15, 2005, Lot 166