William Howard Taft

“Enthusiasm for a cause sometimes warps judgment.”

“Action for which I become responsible, or for which my administration becomes responsible, shall be within the law.”

“Failure to accord credit to anyone for what he may have done is a great weakness in any man.”

“As the Republican platforms says, the welfare of the farmer is vital to that of the whole country.”

“I am in favor of helping the prosperity of all countries because, when we are all prosperous, the trade with each becomes more valuable to the other.”

“We live in a stage of politics, where legislators seem to regard the passage of laws as much more important than the results of their enforcement.”

“The world is not going to be saved by legislation.”

“The trouble with me is that I like to talk too much.”

“No, the only things which do not bother me are the elements. I can overcome them without a fight. All one has to do to get the best of the elements is to stand pat and one will win.”

“I'll be damned if I am not getting tired of this. It seems to be the profession of a President simply to hear other people talk.”

“I do not know much about politics, but I am trying to do the best I can with this administration until the time shall come for me to turn it over to somebody else.”

“A government is for the benefit of all the people.”

“If this humor be the safety of our race, then it is due largely to the infusion into the American people of the Irish brain.”

“Don't worry over what the newspapers say. I don't. Why should anyone else? I told the truth to the newspaper correspondents - but when you tell the truth to them they are at sea.”

“I have come to the conclusion that the major part of the work of a President is to increase the gate receipts of expositions and fairs and bring tourists to town.”

“Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood.”

“A man never knows exactly how the child of his brain will strike other people.”

“I am afraid I am a constant disappointment to my party. The fact of the matter is, the longer I am president the less of a party man I seem to become.”

“Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of enlightened selfishness that today is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise and new activity.”

“A system in which we may have an enforced rest from legislation for two years is not bad.”