POLITICS: IN THE GRAVEYARD OF BETRAYAL

William Howard Taft and Teddy Roosevelt were best friends. Taft was became the 10th Chief Justice of the country and served in this position for ten years from 1921-1931. Taft happened to be a trusted ally of President Roosevelt who gave him the position of Secretary of War in 1900. In 1907 Taft announced his candidacy for presidency and was elected President in 1908.

After Taft assumed the presidency Roosevelt decided to run again (after already serving two terms before), and in course, began criticizing his friend to gain notoriety and prominence with voters. Taft, never understood the change in his friend. So dazed by his friend’s attack on him, he never attempted to defend himself. In the end Roosevelt got his wish, he became the Republican candidate, but in the end, lost the presidential race to to Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

Roosevelt lost the election, but in doing so, he lost much, much, more–without ever knowing it.

Six months after Wilson’s inauguration… Roosevelt died. Long after the funeral was over, a single man was seen standing alone at Roosevelt’s grave side, weeping uncontrollably. I wonder if Roosevelt had seen that man, his friend, William Taft, crying at his grave, if it would make any difference. Is the prize of politics so great that someone must be willing to loose the most important things in life to gain it? I wonder.