Explore Quotes by William Howard Taft

I am glad to be going. This is the lonesomest pace in the world?

Politics, when I am in it, makes me sick.

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.

I wish to reiterate all the reasons which [my predecessor] has presented in favor of the policy of maintaining a strong navy as the best conservator of our peace with other nations and the best means of securing respect for the assertion of our rights of the defense of our interests, and the exercise of our influence in international matters.

My impression about the Panama Canal is that the great revolution it is going to introduce in the trade of the world is in the trade between the east and the west coast of the United States.

We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.

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.

Constitutions are checks upon the hasty action of the majority. They are the self-imposed restraints of a whole people upon a majority of them to secure sober action and a respect for the rights of the minority.

We are imperfect. We cannot expect perfect government.

Golf in the interest of good health and good manners. It promotes self-restraint and affords a chance to play the man and act the gentleman.