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William Howard Taft

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William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was the 27th President of the United States (1909–1913) and 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921–1930). He worked as an judge on the Sixth Circuit, Governor-General of the Philippines, Secretary of War to Theodore Roosevelt and Solicitor General. Between 1914 and 1920, he was the Kent Professor of Law at Yale University.

Sourced quotes

  • "I am a Unitarian. I believe in God. I do not believe in the divinity of Christ, and there are many postulates of the orthodox creed to which I cannot subscribe."[1]
Simple: I am a Unitarianist and I believe in God. But I do not believe that Jesus Christ was God, and there are many ideas in the traditional creeds that I do not understand.
About the quote: Quoted in a letter to Yale University (1899).
  • "We are all imperfect. We can not expect perfect government."[2]
Simple: No person is perfect. So people cannot expect their government to be perfect.
About the quote: Address at a banquet given by the Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce of Washington, D.C., May 8, 1909.

References

  1. Henry F. Pringle, William Howard Taft: The Life and Times, volume 1, page 45 (1939)
  2. Presidential Addresses and State Papers of William Howard Taft, volume 1, chapter 7, page 82 (1910)

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