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Unreasonable Men
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THE DISCUSSION IS OPEN - WEEK SIX - PRESIDENTIAL SERIES: UNREASONABLE MEN - May 16th - May 22nd - Chapter Six- The Smile - (pages 123 - 142) - No Spoilers, please
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Therefore, you may discuss any element or quote, event or person or anything else dealing with Chapter Six and pages 123 though 142. You may also discuss anything that came before in the book - so the Preface through page 142 are the only pages that can be discussed here. Try to read with the group so that you are NOT posting any spoilers.
We do have spoiler threads where you can post anything - glossary, bibliography threads, the introduction and Book as a Whole thread.
But the weekly threads are non spoiler.
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The moderators are doing a superb job of putting together explanatory write-ups that they have drawn from a variety of sources with links, citations, books. etc.
For Week Six, they have made the following entries - so please check out the glossary.
Chapter Six
1. Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts
2. Senator Julius Caesar Burrows of Michigan
3. Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft (June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943)
4. Senator Knox of Pennsylvania
5. Representative James Sherman of New York
6. 1908 Democratic Convention
7. Woman's Suffrage in the United States
8. Thomas Gore from Oklahoma.
9. 1907-1908 Gentleman’s Agreement with Japan
10. Albert Cummins, Governor of Iowa
11. Chester Long of Kansas
12. Joseph Bristow
13. Cross of Gold speech given by William Jennings Bryan
14. National Monetary Commission
15. Paul Warburg
Link to Glossary:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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Chapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142)
Everyone, for the week of May 16th - May 22nd, we are reading Chapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142).
The sixth week's reading assignment is:
Week Six -May 16th - May 22nd
Chapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142)
"The trouble with Taft is that if he were Pope he would think it necessary to appoint a few Protestant Cardinals"
--Uncle Joe
Chapter Overview and Summary:
Chapter Six - The Smile
Chapter Six begins in Greenwich, Connecticut and the year is June 1,, 1908 and the chapter end in New York City on December 29, 1908 .
The chapter begins with Lincoln Steffens fed up with muckraking, and thinks that Roosevelt is leaving the field to Taft who would forfeit the popular sentiment that Roosevelt has aroused. He was sick of muckraking and was seeking an answer to society's fundamental problems and wanted to bring about a change in the American mind. He decided to begin this quest by writing an article titled "What the Matter is in America and What to do About It." Probably an article that could have been written today in 2016 as well as 1908.
Roosevelt felt his old friend was dabbling in dangerous ideas. Steffens fired back with a letter which showed that the two old friends had drifted sadly apart.
At the Republican Convention there was an ovation that lasted for 46 minutes, 55 seconds but it was for the wrong man. Nellie Taft was nervous but her husband finally prevailed. In Denver another major party had their convention - the Democrats chose another leader - William Jennings Bryan.
Roosevelt tried to mentor the successor that he groomed by telling him that "I believe you will be elected if we can keep things as they are - so be very careful to say nothing, not one sentence that can be misconstrued."
On the campaign trail - Taft's smile was a big hit. America was in love with Taft's smile.
Aldridge in the meantime - in August 11, 1908 landed on the English coast with several members of the Monetary Commission to study the banking systems. Allison was too sick to join him. More bad news was ahead for Aldridge when he returned home. But Europe had changed Aldridge's point of view and in some ways Aldridge who decided that he would build an American monetary system.
Bryan tried to rebrand himself as a moderate progressive. And Roosevelt found a lot to be concerned about when Taft was off fishing and golfing and giving TR the silent treatment. Taft seemed to do a bit better after LaFollette endorsed him as a progressive in principal.
Taft wins the election and TR is dee-lighted.
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How history might have changed if the Republican Convention of 1908 would have nominated Teddy Roosevelt for another term. It wouldn't have taken much for that to have taken place. Even though Teddy wasn't nominated, he certainly tried to control Taft's campaign and the issues he wanted to move forward. I think the two editorial cartoons that Bentley shared sum up how people view Taft as a candidate. Chapter Six continues to match the 1908 election and the 2016 election including the Democratic Party passing a resolution to ban Asiatic immigrants from entering the US (page 130) and Taft's plan to call a special session to revise the tariff. I think Taft made a serious mistake in making tariff revision his top issue. Tariffs always have two sides to them split people rather than developing unity. It will be interesting to see how this is played out in Chapter Seven.
Today, the issues are similar on these two issues controlling immigration and hulting free trade to protect American manufacturing ie Ford have to pay a high tariff on cars they build in Mexico.
I was surprised that so many people in power did not take woman suffrage seriously. Both parties seemed to just ignore the movement and keep politics in the hands of white men.
"The trouble with Taft is that if he were Pope he would think it necessary to appoint a few Protestant Cardinals" --Uncle Joe Not the trouble at all! A president ought to serve all Americans, even those who did not elect him. Presidents before Taft had chosen cabinet members from opposing parties, in the spirit of cooperation. TR himself was more of a policy man than a party man. The problem with Taft, in TR's mind, was that he was not progressive enough. He did not prove to be the crown prince TR expected him to be; therefore, TR was not so "dee-lighted" in the end.
I enjoyed this chapter! I never knew that Taft's smile was such a big deal - the pictures in history books are always so presidential that I don't think of him as a happy man. Would love to hear one of the songs about it! I didn't realize (or maybe just didn't think about it) that he had never held an elective office before. I wonder if it is important to have a president who has experienced campaigning and all the parts of the election process...Several phrases caught my eye. Steffens' quote (125) that corruption can always be traced to "somebody trying to get out of Government some special right..." I agree - but that is an age-old problem that may never be solved. LaFollette said basically the same thing (124) about people always wanting some special privileges. I see that today (to the point that I have begun to hate the word "privilege"!).
Also interesting was Taft's comment (142) that his wife was the politician and "she will be able to meet all these issues" - seems women have had a great influence on the presidency many times. And yet most were not willing to give women the vote!
With all the presidents who have loved golf, I wonder why nobody ever put in a golf course at the White House!
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It is true that none of them thought that it was important to give women the right to vote - sad state of affairs.
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Taft I think used TR to get what he wanted. TR wanted Taft to be the person to carry out his own policies into the future even though he was going to be off hunting or doing whatever he wanted to do. I think that TR was loyal to Taft in many many respects but I also believe that Taft was only loyal to Taft and his wife Nellie was the same way - pulling the strings in the background. TR did not have the loyal protege that he thought he had. And once Taft had the power - I think he liked it even though he hated the process of politics which he had to endure in order to get this power in the first place. And Nellie sure liked it. She sounds similar to Wilson's wife.
Bentley wrote: "Robin - that was more the way it was done in terms of the vice president being from an opposing party at the time of the founding fathers - but it did not always work out practically and sometimes ..."Is there a book on Nellie that would tell more about this?
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by Carl Sferrazza Anthony (no photo)Review from Booklist:
Although much has been written about the active roles played by Dolly Madison, Edith Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton in their husband's administrations, the astonishingly dynamic Helen "Nellie" Taft has been largely ignored by biographers and historians alike. Politically ambitious on behalf of her husband, William Howard Taft, she shrewdly stage-managed his career and presidential campaign. Once her husband was elected, she upset traditionalists by insisting on being seated next to him in the open carriage on Inauguration Day. During Taft's tenure as president, her behind-the-scenes clout was legendary. In addition to advising her husband on a variety of governmental matters, she supported the controversial women's suffrage movement and fought to improve working and living conditions for the burgeoning influx of immigrants. Although her unconventional look-at-me attitude rankled many, she was genuinely devoted to both Will and to her many causes. This lively biography provides an illuminating glimpse into the life of an until-now under appreciated First Lady - - Margaret Flanagan
Bentley wrote: "There is this one: by Carl Sferrazza Anthony (no photo)Review from Booklist:
Although much has be..."
Thanks! Amazon appreciates you but my bank account doesn't...
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The posting was in response to your message 12. Goodreads is owned by Amazon of course - but here at the History Book Club we are all just volunteers and professionals who love non fiction books.
Didn't know Amazon owned Goodreads! Two of my favorite sites! Usually I only get fiction books from the library - non-fiction ones I want to keep...
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Bentley wrote: "Robin - that was more the way it was done in terms of the vice president being from an opposing party at the time of the founding fathers - but it did not always work out practically and sometimes ..."You may be interested in this resource on Mrs Taft
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It's fascinating to me how one small detail can make such a huge impact on an election - in this case, Taft's smile. I didn't know much about Taft before this book, and certainly didn't know about his smile. Perhaps that means that Howard Dean will one day not be remembered for the "Dean Scream". I was also struck by how Taft was a bit of an accidental politician, an oddity given that so many presidential candidates are intensely ambitious. TR's desire to continue his agenda through Taft made this situation possible. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, especially since Taft already is showing signs of independence. The serendipity of events makes history so interesting.
Bentley wrote: "Jim it might be me but I could not get the link to launch" Fixed, My skills in html need refreshing.Jim wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Robin - that was more the way it was done in terms of the vice president being from an opposing party at the time of the founding fathers - but it did not always work out practicall..."
I think that Taft was a legal/judiciary man, not a politician but was pretty much overpowered by his friendship with TR and got pushed into taking the VP position. Once that happened, the die was cast when TR said he wasn't going to run for a third term. Taft was painted in a corner and was suddenly running for President, a position he really did not want. I'm not sure that he could be called lazy, he just didn't play the game of running around the country speaking from the back of a train nor did he have the personality to excite the crowds as TR did. His attitude and lack of active campaigning had to be a huge disappointment to TR who wanted to keep his policies in the spotlight, thus the trouble began.
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Robin wrote: ""The trouble with Taft is that if he were Pope he would think it necessary to appoint a few Protestant Cardinals" --Uncle Joe Not the trouble at all! A president ought to serve all Americans, eve..."
Interesting. I interpreted that quote more in the light of Taft not being sure of the direction he wanted to go and always hedging his bets. Of course given the party dominance mindset of someone like the Speaker, your interpretation also makes sense.
I would like to plug (hopefully I can do this right) Doris Kearns Goodwin's book The Bully Pulpit. Interesting look at the early life of Taft, especially compared to that of Roosevelt.
I really liked the parts of the chapter dealing with Bryan. We often think of him (if we do at all) as the firebrand "Cross of Gold" prairie populist, and in a distant second place as the anti-war Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson. This chapter sheds light on the transformation he underwent from rabble rouser to "elder statesman" of the Democratic Party. He may have done better in 1908 using this image had it not been for TR's popularity and the fact that he tried to run as a moderate progressive and simply got out-progressed by the Republicans (as weird as that is to hear in the year 2016).
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
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But since this book is about Unreasonable Men - this slight diversion which does not have to do with these men is OK - even though she might have been able to be called in her own right - an unreasonable woman! (smile)
Excerpt:
"She had long tried to get planted in Washington some of the Japanese trees that bloomed cherry blossoms each spring, a vision shared by David Fairchild, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official. Nellie Taft liked the concept, having seen the blossoming trees during a springtime festival in Japan. She envisioned and ordered the cherry blossom trees to be planted in a single row as a long drive, rather than along the banks of the Potomac where Scidmore thought the water could reflect their color. By order of the First Lady, the Agriculture Department began uprooting all available cherry blossom trees that could be found around the country, sending them to Washington and transplanting them in the single row Nellie Taft wanted. Only later did she enlarge her concept from a drive lined with the cherry blossom trees into an entire park filled with them.
The trees, some reportedly blooming pink flowers, were in place by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 17 when Mrs. Taft and the President drove down for the first public concert in the new “democracy park.” In her large purple-ribbon hat and black dress trimmed in white lace, Nellie “worried herself almost sick,” fearing nobody would show up. Instead, a “terrible crush” of an estimate 10,000 people were there, from all segments and levels of society. Symbolically, Mrs. Taft invited Walter Loving, the African-American conductor who led the Constabulary Band in the Philippines to conduct. Among the pieces chosen for her program of music was “Reminiscences of All Nations.”
Hearing about her trees and concert, a Japanese scientist visiting Washington met with the First Lady. She agreed to his idea of having the city of Tokyo donate some two thousand of its cherry blossom trees to her park, as a symbol of the unity between the two global powers.
And then, it seemed to all go to hell. Exactly one month to the day of her first concert, Nellie Taft’ suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak and embarrassed to appear in public. Five months later, the initial shipment of cherry blossom trees from Japan arrived in Washington only for it to be discovered the trees were diseased, and had to be destroyed. Political antagonism with former President Theodore Roosevelt began to worsen to the point of a split with his friend plagued Will. Still relearning to speak, Nellie was unable to fully participate in their partnership and his presidency suffered as a result. Bad luck seemed to rain on Mrs. Taft’s good intentions. As the appropriately-titled and popular song of the era (a recording of which is below) suggested, Nellie had to wait ’til the sun shined.
When the sun did shine again, it blazed down on her.
By 1910, the Mayor of Tokyo promised a new shipment of trees. This time he sent three thousand. They arrived in healthy condition and were pruned and fed and kept flourishing before being planted two years later. Mrs. Taft recovered much of her speaking ability – and used it well. She got a $25,000 Congressional appropriation out of Senator Boise Penrose for new landscaping and further improvements in the park. Although the press did not attend, her big, historic moment came on March 27, 1912. That morning, the American First Lady, along with the Japanese Ambassador’s wife, Iwa Chinda, picked up ceremonial silver-plated shovels, and planted the first two of the new cherry blossom trees.
Thus, through a century of generations, Nellie Taft is remembered for the natural beauty of spring’s rebirth beneath the famous pink cloud that comes to Washington once a year – even though her reason for creating the park has been entirely forgotten or ignored.
Among the thousands of trees that have since been planted, the two from 1912 survive to this day.
The Taft and Chinda trees are near a stone Japanese lantern and marked by a plaque.
And Nellie Taft’s band concerts are still held in West Potomac Park, at the Jefferson Memorial, and all colors and creeds of people sit and join together to enjoy the free music.
And, close by, just across the Potomac from the cherry blossoms, Will and Nellie Taft rest together, buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Will was finally made Chief Justice in 1921, serving for a decade before his death. Nellie Taft continued to live in Washington until her death in 1943.
It’s unclear whether the Cherry Blossom Festival officials are aware of or eager to disseminate the truth behind the trees and, if so, shared it with Michelle Obama when she planted a new cherry blossom tree in the park on the centennial of the day Nellie Taft did.
The fact that the 2012 tree was planted by a First Lady who is the first African-American in that position, however, is the most meaningful honor of all to the spirit of Nellie Taft and her vision of what democracy could look like".
Harry Tally - Wait 'Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1906)
Give a listen - https://youtu.be/cbFvLanfDus
Source: Carl Anthony site: http://carlanthonyonline.com/2012/04/...
And Michele Obama - the first African American First Lady planting a cherry tree in honor of the spirit of Nellie Taft and what her vision of democracy could look like:
The original tree planted by Mrs. Taft still stands, near the stone Japanese lantern, seen at far left.
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Helen Taft with her hand on the crank and May Allison check out a "new" movie camera. (The date on the photo appears to be 3-6-1907)
Nellie Taft liked to surf, smoke, drink and gamble, playing cards here on a ship to Asia.
More:
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/...
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/...
https://www.nps.gov/nama/blogs/First-...
http://carlanthonyonline.com/2012/04/...
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg....
Thanks for the link on Nellie Taft! Very interesting information!
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Not the trouble at all! A president ought to serve all ..."
Thanks Nick:
Here is how the citation should look - book cover, author's photo if available and always the author's link:
by
Doris Kearns Goodwin
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Nellie Taft with her son Robert and daughter helene (Taft National Historic Site)
Three children, two sons, one daughter: Robert Taft (8 September 1889 - 31 July 1953); Helen Taft [Manning] (1 August 1891 - 21 February 1987); Charles Taft (20 September 1897 - 24 June 1983)
I think this photo shows the steeliness of Nellie Taft - no wallflower.
More:
http://bschlichting.blogspot.com/2012...
Aside: When TR wrote to both Nellie and Taft himself or when he called Nellie to visit for a talk - I think TR knew who was the "boss" and in the driver's seat.
Things I learned from this chapter:Women's rights were greatly advanced in Colorado as compared to the remainder of the country.
Taft really was not interested in being a politician. He longed to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Taft refused to take money for his campaign from several of the "money men", e.g., Rockefeller.
Taft was a Unitarian.
Both Roosevelt and Taft took very long vacations. I know that John Adams was notorious for staying away from Washington while he was president. Wonder how many of the other presidents took such extended vacations. I guess I won't be able to fault George Bush the II for his many vacations.
Lastly, that Aldrich, the co-king of the standpatters, actually wanted to implement radical changes that would stabilize America's financial system. I have a feeling that when he saw his buddies dying and he knew that he would soon be meeting his maker, he wanted to be able to point to something positive rather than a life in pursuit of greed.
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Adams really did not have the White House in the sense of George W's day - so yes you can fault George W if you like.
However, many many presidents have had Summer White Houses or have gone away to family retreats - Hyannis, California, Maine, Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia or wherever.
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1800
John Adams moves into White House
On this day in 1800, President John Adams, in the last year of his only term as president, moved into the newly constructed President’s House, the original name for what is known today as the White House.
Adams had been living in temporary digs at Tunnicliffe’s City Hotel near the half-finished Capitol building since June 1800, when the federal government was moved from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington, D.C. In his biography of Adams, historian David McCullough recorded that when Adams first arrived in Washington, he wrote to his wife Abigail, at their home in Quincy, Massachusetts, that he was pleased with the new site for the federal government and had explored the soon-to-be President’s House with satisfaction.
Although workmen had rushed to finish plastering and painting walls before Adams returned to D.C. from a visit to Quincy in late October, construction remained unfinished when Adams rolled up in his carriage on November 1.
However, the Adams’ furniture from their Philadelphia home was in place and a portrait of George Washington was already hanging in one room. The next day, Adams sent a note to Abigail, who would arrive in Washington later that month, saying that he hoped “none but honest and wise men [shall] ever rule under this roof.”
Although Adams was initially enthusiastic about the presidential mansion, he and Abigail soon found it to be cold and damp during the winter. Abigail, in a letter to a friend, wrote that the building was tolerable only so long as fires were lit in every room. She also noted that she had to hang their washing in an empty “audience room” (the current East Room).
John and Abigail Adams lived in what she called “the great castle” for only five months. Shortly after they moved in, Thomas Jefferson defeated Adams in his bid for re-election. Abigail was happy to leave Washington and departed in February 1801 for Quincy. As Jefferson was being sworn in on March 4, 1801, John Adams was already on his way back to Massachusetts, where he and Abigail lived out the rest of their days at their family farm.
Source: History.com
More:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presi...
https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/... (with video from John Adams television special depicting how very bad things were)
Prior to that he was in Philadelphia
http://www.ushistory.org/presidentsho...
Bentley wrote: "Just a suggestion to folks who want to get some books and money is an object. They do now - I think it has a been a few years since it was purchased but goodreads has been able to maintain their ow..."cost of books..... unless you are a much faster reader than I am it is generally a lower cost per hour than a movie - and you can (no charge) pass it on.
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Agree - yes his subsequent note indicated that he was able to fix the html which was posted correctly. So all is well.
I found it interesting that La Follette introduced Taft as "progressive in principle." (p. 138) The media latched onto the word progressive as a code word for supporters of La Follete's movement, but the phrase itself seems like it could be a backhanded compliment. Perhaps Taft is progressive in principle but not in practice, especially considering the contrast between TR's pragmatism to La Follete's progressivism. It seems to me that Taft didn't have very many ideas of his own but was just doing what Roosevelt coached him to do. Did La Follete really think that Taft would fight for progressive principles?
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Michael - why did LaFollette have so much confidence in Taft who appeared to many as making forgettable speeches and not standing for that much on his own?
Bentley wrote: "In the case of John Adams before the White House was built or in the process of being built - living in Washington was literally like trying to live in a swamp. He can be forgiven for spending time..."faulting George W - go to it.
Trump's one claim at creditability.
This was really a very good chapter. Steffens and his link to TR - are there real friends in politics (who ran to McCain's defense after Trump the jerk made his "capture" remark?)?I was thinking I would have to read a book about Taft sometime but now I think that Nellie Taft will have to come first - all delayed George W (as in Washington) coming up.
I get the impression here that Taft really took what advancement he could from who he could. I cannot really believe one could play golf every day for a month - I can hike most days for a month but need my reading and relaxing time. I have to think that judges had a lot of free time back then.
That he went onto the Supreme Court is interesting - he did not stop "working" in the privileged way it seems.
so then is Aldrich a patriot - does he come to see while in Europe that a better banking way is possible and necessary for America? - is he an expedient?
Sorry Mr. Michael I am wondering about the choice of title "Unreasonable Men" - are they just men with different reasons and different goals and who seem to be unreasonable to the Aldrichs and other in power? - maybe unreasonable for the time but to who - JP Morgan and pals?
The book and the HRC continue to expand my wonder and understanding of history and people.
Yeah Nellie!!!
Bentley wrote: "Michael - why did LaFollette have so much confidence in Taft who appeared to many as making forgettable speeches and not standing for that much on his own?"Good question, Bentley. I realized that I did a poor job of communicating La Follette's ambivalence about Taft. Bob was on very good terms with Bryan, and Taft was a bit of a question mark, so he was probably tempted to withhold his endorsement, but I believe that party loyalty won out.
In
, biographer Nancy C. Unger (no pic) notes that LF also delivered a speech praising Bryan, and she found a revealing quote from one of Taft's supporters who was present for LF's endorsement:"[A]bout four minutes before he finished his speech he had become very worked up and had to take off his collar-for the purpose, some of the boys said, of enabling him to get out the word 'Taft,' which he had been unable to pronounce up to that time."
In a previous comment, Kacy also noted the phrase, "progressive in principle," sounds like a backhanded compliment. She could be right, though I interpreted the statement as meaning that Taft had progressive principles, not that Taft was only progressive in theory.
Vincent wrote: "I am wondering about the choice of title "Unreasonable Men" - are they just men with different reasons and different goals and who seem to be unreasonable to the Aldrichs and other in power? - maybe unreasonable for the time but to who - JP Morgan and pals?"Hi Vincent, we had a spirited debate about this in the first week. The title is an allusion to a quotation by George Bernard Shaw, which I used as the epigraph: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." I interpret Shaw's use of the word "unreasonable" as ironic and sought to convey that in the book title.
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Vincent go back to the Week One thread and you can read all about it (the spirited debate).
by Nancy C. Unger (no photo) - @Michael - you get pretty close at times (smile)
Bentley wrote: "Week Six - May 16th - May 22ndChapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142)
Everyone, for the week of May 16th - May 22nd, we are reading Chapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142).
The sixth wee..."
love the old political posters!
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Great opportunity so take advantage of it.
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Taft sounds like a reluctant President forced into the limelight by a domineering boss (Roosevelt). This makes sense since Roosevelt has always been impetuous (San Juan Hill and other portions of his history) compared to Taft who has pursued the lawyerly and political appointments type of political life. Roosevelt is shrewd in choosing a successor. However anyone who chooses a successor must ensure that successor is the type he or she wished. Unfortunately most people want their successor to be pliable. This is apparent with Roosevelt showering Taft with unsolicited advice. I often wonder if Hillary Clinton was not the real President Clinton (sorry for the aside). In this case, the successor relations between Taft and Roosevelt appears to be far more dangerous. Roosevelt does not appear he wants to give up the key attribute he has had for so many years...control. This situation can lead to almost a civil war. Pitting the old crowd against the new. The youngling trying to stretch his own wings while the old feels violated due to his feelings of being spurned by someone who owes him. Taft and Roosevelt are this type of relation.The monetary system is still churning in the background too. Also interesting is the passing of individuals that open up risk to those who hold power over the Senate. Just as in today, when someone passes, that uneasy feeling of risk appears.
Bentley wrote: "One of the most lasting and continually enjoyed contributions of Nellie Taft as First Lady, was that she personally arranged for the planting of the 3,020 Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal ..."
Thank you for sharing about the cherry trees! My colleagues back east post about the Cherry Blossom Festival each year and share photos. They're beautiful - and now I know that we all owe our thanks to Nellie Taft!
I learned a few things in this chapter as well - I agree with Savannah - it seems that women in Colorado had much more freedom than those back east.
Also, it seemed from the way Michael wrote it that both Taft and Bryan ran on pretty much the same platform. So, I guess I have to attribute Taft's victory to being Roosevelt's choice, and to his smile. I didn't realize that he had such a winning smile, but you can see it prominently featured in the cartoons that Bentley posted.
It also seems that campaigning back then was much less harried than it is now - you just get on a train and circle the country, stopping wherever to make speeches. I wonder how well our politicians would do without microphones. I didn't really think about it until Michael mentioned how hoarse Taft was as the campaign went on.
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Jack I think that there were many opportunities where TR could have still been in the limelight and shunned it - maybe to bolster Taft up as his own man but still.
I think there was a deep seated resentment probably exacerbated by Nellie as to Roosevelt's intentions - in some respects some of the actions by Taft were avoidable but were certainly intended in part to embarrass TR or ditch him - even if we only see the silent treatment that TR got - you would come to that conclusion. Also Nellie did not care for TR's wife either.
I think TR saw Taft as his protege - not his lackey - and a mentor would do all of the things that TR did - but a protege would not have acted as Taft did - I do not believe.
If Taft had not tried to I think catapult TR into a powerless black hole - I think TR might not have run for the third term. But it had to be upsetting to realize that the person you placed in the White House was trying to usurp your legacy as much as it was for Taft to realize that his mentor was basically trying to jettison him out. I think that TR (if he had not promoted Taft) would have been able to accomplish even more and I think he was a very compelling president. I have not ever felt so inclined towards Taft - but you have to give him his due - I agree.
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One of the most lasting and continually enjoyed contributions of Nellie Taft as First Lady, was that she personally arranged for the planting of the 3,020 Japanese cherry trees ar..."
You are welcome Robyn. And if TR had not promoted Taft - I know that he would not have been President.
I enjoyed this chapter because I knew absolutely nothing about Taft. I smiled a few times while reading. Taft seems like an anti-politician. I loved that he was playing golf and fishing instead of campaigning! I also liked that he had a mind of his own and didn't follow Roosevelt as Ted had predicted. It was also interesting to see how the trip to Europe changed Aldrich's point of view. Nowadays we rarely hear of American politicians learning from other countries. I might be wrong, but I think we have grown used to thinking we are the best and "we can do it."
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Hunt for Red October (other topics)Almost President: The Men Who Lost The Race But Changed The Nation (other topics)
Thunderstruck (other topics)
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism (other topics)
I Have Seen the Future: A Life of Lincoln Steffens (other topics)
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Tom Clancy (other topics)Scott Farris (other topics)
Erik Larson (other topics)
Doris Kearns Goodwin (other topics)
Peter Hartshorn (other topics)
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For the week of May 16th through May 22nd, we are reading Chapter Six of Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels who Created Progressive Politics by Michael Wolraich.
The sixth week's reading assignment is:
Week Six - May 16th - May 22nd
Chapter Six - The Smile - (pages 123 - 142)
We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.
This book was kicked off on April 11th. It is never too late to start a book here at the History Book Club.
We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, local bookstore or on your Kindle. This weekly thread will be opened up today (sorry but away on travel).
There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.
Bentley will be moderating this discussion and Assisting Moderators Teri, Jill, Bryan, and Samanta will be backups.
The author Michael Wolraich will also be actively participating in the moderation with Bentley. We welcome him to the discussion.
Welcome,
~Bentley
TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL
REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.
Notes:
It is always a tremendous help when you quote specifically from the book itself and reference the chapter and page numbers when responding. The text itself helps folks know what you are referencing and makes things clear.
Citations:
If an author or book is mentioned other than the book and author being discussed, citations must be included according to our guidelines. Also, when citing other sources, please provide credit where credit is due and/or the link. There is no need to re-cite the author and the book we are discussing however.
If you need help - here is a thread called the Mechanics of the Board which will show you how:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
Also the citation thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Introduction Thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Table of Contents and Syllabus
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Glossary
Remember there is a glossary thread where ancillary information is placed by the moderator. This is also a thread where additional information can be placed by the group members regarding the subject matter being discussed.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bibliography
There is a Bibliography where books cited in the text are posted with proper citations and reviews. We also post the books that the author used in his research or in his notes. Please also feel free to add to the Bibliography thread any related books, etc with proper citations. No self promotion, please. We will be adding to this thread as we read along.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts - SPOILER THREAD
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Directions on how to participate in a book offer and how to follow the t's and c's - Unreasonable Men - What Do I Do Next?
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