We have passed the time of ... the laisser-faire [sic] school which believes that the government ought to do nothing but run a police force. William Howard Taft More Quotes by William Howard Taft More Quotes From William Howard Taft Too many people don't care what happens so long as it doesn't happen to them. William Howard Taft carelongpeople Repeat mantra: Donuts are not vitamins, donuts are not. William Howard Taft vitaminspresidentialfitness The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by those who seek it, serve it, live it. It cannot be uttered; it can only be felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it according to his quest and capacity. Like all things worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone. William Howard Taft dedicationknowingmen The man with the average mentality, but with control, with a definite goal, and a clear conception of how it can be gained, and above all, with the power of application and labor, wins in the end. William Howard Taft winningaveragemen Enthusiasm for a cause sometimes warps judgment. William Howard Taft judgementcausesenthusiasm If they will play fair I will play fair, but if they won't then I reserve all my rights to do anything I find myself able to do. William Howard Taft ablerightsplay We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage. William Howard Taft sacrificeinspirational-lifegreatness Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood. William Howard Taft presidentialinspirational-lifewriting We can't have a decent government unless those in power exercise self restraint. William Howard Taft governmentselfexercise No tendency is quite so strong in human nature as the desire to lay down rules of conduct for other people. William Howard Taft strongpeoplethinking The real secrets of Masonry are never told, not even from mouth to ear. For the real secret of Masonry is spoken to your heart and from it to the heart of your brother. Never the language made for tongue may speak it, it is uttered only in the eye in those manifestations of that love which a man has for his friend, which passeth all other loves. William Howard Taft realbrotherheart The world is not going to be saved by legislation. William Howard Taft presidentialsuccessworld Presidents come and go, but the Supreme Court goes on forever. William Howard Taft presidentgoes-onforever Substantial progress toward better things can rarely be taken without developing new evils requiring new remedies. William Howard Taft progresstakenevil Unless education promotes character making, unless it helps men to be more moral, more just to their fellows, more law abiding, more discriminatingly patriotic and public spirited, it is not worth the trouble taken to furnish it. William Howard Taft patriotictakencharacter The cheerful loser is a sort of winner. William Howard Taft winnercheerfulloser The President can exercise no power which cannot be fairly and reasonably traced to some specific grant of power in the Federal Constitution or in an act of Congress passed in pursuance thereof. There is no undefined residuum of power which he can exercise because it seems to him to be in the public interest. William Howard Taft presidentpowerexercise I do not allow myself to be moved by anything except the law. If there has been a mistake in the law, or if I think there has beenperjury or injustice, I will weigh the petition most carefully, but I do not permit myself to be moved by more harrowing details, and I try to treat each case as if I was reviewing it or hearing it for the first time from the bench. William Howard Taft lawmistakethinking We are all imperfect. We can not expect perfect government. William Howard Taft can-notgovernmentperfect I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many other of the postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe. William Howard Taft atheismbelievereligion
