Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Taft, Stephen Harris 
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Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)

STEPHEN HARRIS TAFT. The genealogy of the Taft family in America is traced back
to a period between 1670 and 1680, when Robert Taft crossed the ocean from
England and became a pioneer in Massachusetts. From the Indians he purchased a
large tract of land in the township of Mendon, which title was afterwards
recognized as valid by the Colonial government. On the Blackstone River, near
Uxbridge, he built the first grist mill on that stream, or in that part of the
colony, in return for which service he was exempted from taxation for a number
of years. Of his large family, five were sons, viz: Robert, Thomas, Daniel,
Joseph and Benjamin, the last named being the progenitor of Stephen Harris Taft.

The Ohio Tafts are descended from the same ancestry, their most distinguished
representative in the present generation being Hon. William H. Taft, member of
President Roosevelt's cabinet and formerly identified with the Amerian occupancy
of the Philippines. He is the son of Judge Alphonso Taft, who was secretary of
war and minister to Russia under President Grant's administration.

In August, 1874, the Taft family celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of the
coming of their great ancestor to America. Many hundred Tafts and descendants of
Tafts from all parts of the United States met in Uxbridge, Mass., where Judge
Alphonzo Taft gave the genealogical address in the largest church of the town,
after which a free dinner was served in a spacious tent.

Nathaniel Taft, the grandfather of Mr. Taft, of the third generation from Robert
and a descendant of Benjamin, youngest of the five sons, moved from
Massachusetts to New Hampshire and settled in Richmond. Benjamin and his
descendants were all Quakers, Nathaniel belonging the the Unitarian branch of
that denomination, holding the same theological views as those later held by the
poet, Whittier.

Among the children of Nathaniel Taft was a son, Stephen, born and reared at
Richmond, New Hampshire, and throughout active life, a farmer. During the early
twenties he removed to New York State, where he spent the remainder of his life,
dying in 1861 at the age of seventy years. Six years later Mr. Taft's mother
died at the home of her eldest daughter, Mrs. Samuel Hart, at Fulton, New York.
Mrs. Taft's maiden name was Vienna Hanis, her mother being a sister of Hosea
Ballou, the distinguished scholar and Universalist divine of Massachusetts. Mrs.
Taft's mother and President Garfield's mother were cousins. Of Mr. Taft's
family, four daughters and three sons attained the age of maturity— Maranda,
deceased; Elizabeth, residing in Oswego County, New York; Vienna and Susanna,
both deceased; Stephen Harris; Lorenzo P., deceased, for many years a minister
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Jerome B., who was a Unitarian minister,
now deceased.

Not far from the city of Oswego, New York, on the 14th of September, 1825,
occurred the birth of the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch As a boy
he attended the common schools and later was a student in an anti-slavery
Baptist institution, known as New York Central College.

Mr. Taft's marriage, in 1853, united him with Mary A. Burnham, who was born and
reared in Madison County, New York, and died in 1897 at Santa Monica,
California. Mrs. Taft was a woman of superior ability, whose influence for good
was felt by all with whom she came in contact. She was always an inspiration to
her husband in his work. Six children were born of the union, namely— George,
deceased; William J., who is serving his fourth term as District Attorney of
Humboldt County, Iowa; Fred H., for several years City Attorney of Santa Monica;
Sydney A., residing in Minneapolis, Minn; Mary V., and Elwin S., both deceased.

Mr. Taft entered the ministry in early life, his last field of labor before
leaving New York for his western home being in Martinsbury, Lewis County. In
1862 he moved to the state of Iowa where he purchased ten sections of land in
the Upper Des Moines valley, and in the spring of 1863 brought from Lewis
County, New York, a colony of twelve familes, to the head of each of whom he
conveyed eighty acres of land at a dollar and a half an acre. The same year he
laid out the town of Springvale, now Humboldt, organized the Christian Union
church, now known as Unity church, and commenced the building of a dam on the
Des Moines River, preparatory to the erection of a saw and grist mill. Mr. Taft
named the streets of the town after distinguished statesmen, scholars and
generals of that day. He laid out and deeded to the town, two parks, John Brown
Park, embracing one block and Taft's Park, embracing four blocks, setting
hundreds of trees upon the latter, which is located in the center of the town.
He gave two lots for the school house and a lot to each of the churches first
organized, which were Christian Union and Congregational.

At the time the town was laid out a majority of the supervisors of the county
were so dominated by the influence of Dakota City (a rival town located near by)
that he could get no public road laid out to his mills so he personally took the
matter in hand, building a culvert in the low lands near the eastern end of
Sumner Avenue, and grading the same. He then employed the county surveyor and
staked out a road leading ten miles north to Lots Creek, called the air line and
also another road to the Lizard River, eighteen miles southwest. Three persons
owning land along the line of road leading north, taking advantage of Mr. Taft's
necessity, demanded $100.00 each before giving their consent to the opening of
the road, which passed along their section line. This Mr. Taft paid to avoid the
delay which would otherwise have been involved.

Mr. Taft proceeded with the erection of the mills, which involved much labor and
expense, as all the lumber and machinery had to be transported a long distance
over almost impassable roads. When completed the event was celebrated by an
oyster supper, at which hundreds of biscuits, made from the new ground flour,
were consumed. Although the mills were indispensable to the building of the town
and the success of the colony enterprise, Mr. Taft found them an expensive
luxury, as the spring floods and attendant ice successively carried away three
dams. Following the loss of the first, in 1867, he excavated a canal from the
mills to a bend in the river a half mile above the first dam. This required an
outlay of many thousand dollars which, while a heavy burden to Mr. Taft, proved
a great blessing to many families residing in Humboldt and neighboring counties,
as the work made necessary provided labor for the pioneer settlers.

Of the food conditions then obtaining and incidents attending the bringing in of
the last load of flour before recovering control of the water, Mr. Taft says: 

"At this time there were almost no settlers on the vast prairies in Northwestern
Iowa. The pioneers who had come in had selected homesteads along the streams
where they could obtain fuel and material for building their cabins and sheds
for their stock. No surplus food supplies had been accumulated, so the people
lived from hand to mouth. They had been accustomed to bring what corn and wheat
and buckwheat they had raised to my mill, so the loss of the dam was of serious
import to them to say nothing of the new arrival of settlers who were wholly
dependent upon others for their bread. The continued rains of that season had
rendered the roads almost impassable, yet all supplies had to be brought by
teams from the railroad station, which was a hundred miles away. The workmen,
who had thus far been furnished with flour and meal to take home to their
families on Saturday, knowing how difficult it was for me to obtain the
necessary food supplies, began to express solicitude regarding the future. Such
progress had been made in the construction of the new dam and the digging of the
canal that two weeks more with the force I was then employing would so far
complete the work that the mill could be set to grinding. The crucial question
with me was how to obtain provisions to supply my workmen for two weeks. 0n a
Saturday morning, late in November, I went to Fort Dodge. On reaching town I
found the price of flour to be five dollars a hundred, cash down. I tried to
negotiate for the purchase of a ton on ninety days' time, but could obtain no
flour without the money. A hundred dollars would buy the ton of flour so much
needed and win the victory so essential to all concerned, but I had not had five
dollars in my pocket for weeks. Learning that Hon. George Bassett had
Agricultural College funds to loan, I called upon him and learned that a
responsible name with my own upon a note would secure me the money. I went to
Hon. B. F. Gue, Lieutenant-Governor of Iowa, stated the conditions surrounding
me, upon which he at once signed the note and, obtaining the money, I purchased
a ton of flour, which was soon loaded and the team was on its way to Springvale
while I remained to transact some other business. In about an hour it occurred
to me that if the flour reached home before I did, none of it would find its way
to my bin, and I had the largest family of all. I immediately started for home
driving rapidly. While not able to overtake the load I came in sight of it as
the teamster was driving up to my residence. That it was seen by the workmen at
the lower end of the canal was evident and they passed the word along the line
to the men working on the dam. Spades, crowbars and scrapers were abandoned and
the majority of the workmen moved rapidly toward the load. Each man on reaching
the wagon took a sack of flour. Had I been a few seconds later I should not have
secured a single sack. As it was, I possessed myself of two of the forty sacks.
The scene was never to be forgotten by any of those who participated in it. Some
were shedding tears of gladness and devoutedly thanking God. Others were
laughing and telling me they would stick by the work to the end, while a son of
the Emerald Isle, with his sack of flour in his arms, called out:'Bully for the
boss! We knew he wouldn't let us starve.'

"About two weeks later the waste gate of the dam was closed and the head gates
of the canal were opened. I had given notice in the town paper a few days prior
that on Saturday afternoon the water would be let into the canal, so people came
from all parts of the county and some from adjoining counties to celebrate the
important event. The Springvale Brass Band was present and enlivened the
occasion with music, and short addresses were made. As the gates were being
hoisted, a Mr. George McCauley called for three cheers for the builder of the
new dam, which were given most heartily."

A skiff having been provided and placed below the gates, Mr. Taft stepped into
it and rode the advancing stream as it made its course toward the mill while the
company, headed by the band, marched down the road on the bank of the canal.

In the autumn of 1869, Mr. Taft visited the east for the purpose of soliciting
funds with which to establish a college. He laid his plans before leading
business men and scholars. Among those who approved and gave him aid were
Garrett Smith, Peter Cooper, George W. Bungay, Dr. Bellows, George W. Curtis,
William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Dr. Hale, Dr. James Freeman Clark, Dr.
Manning, Dr. Dio Lewis, O. O. Woolcut, Mrs. Anna Richmond and Caroline Richmond,
with many others. His success in obtaining funds was such that on returning home
he erected a beautiful, substantial building, costing over $40,000, located on
the bluff at the head of Garrett Smith Avenue. The building was completed and
opened for the reception of students in September, 1872. The purpose and
character of the institution is set forth in the following terms:

"We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, recognizing the Fatherhood of God and
the Brotherhood of man, associate ourselves for the purpose of encouraging
liberal education by the establishment and maintainance at Springvale, Humboldt
County, Iowa, of an institution for the education of youth in literature,
science and enlightened Christian morality, without regard to sex, race or
religious sect. The fundamental object of this association is to establish and
maintain an educational institution which shall be forever free from sectarian
control."

The original officers of the association were Stephen H. Taft, president; Ira L.
Welch, vice president; John Dickey, treasurer, and J. N. Prouty, secretary.

Of the institution, Wendell Phillips once wrote: "I take a deep interest in
Humboldt College, believing that it sustains an important relation to the
political, moral and religious welfare of a large section of our common
country." And Rev. Edward Everett Hale said in a letter to Dr. Furness, of
Philadelphia, introducing Mr. Taft: "I thoroughly endorse the educational
enterprise represented by my friend, Rev. S. H. Taft, of Iowa."

For three years students were admitted to all the privileges of the school
without tuition, which enabled a large number to attend who were altogether
incapable of paying tuition. On the occasion of the laying of the corner stone
the principal address was delivered by Hon. C. C. Cole, Chief Justice of Iowa.
Many years after this, when Mr. Taft was about to leave Iowa, to make his home
in California, President Peterson asked him for a life-sized portrait for the
college. When the presentation was made, President Peterson asked him to write
beneath the picture some motto or sentiment, which Mr. Taft at first declined to
do but, finally yielding to the request, wrote underneath the likeness: "I would
be remembered for the good I sought to do." This portrait hangs in the college
library.

Mr. Taft has been constantly engaged in reformatory work since retiring from the
ministerial field and is, at the present time, by speech, pen and money, seeking
to advance the cause of righteous civil government. His views on the power of
the ballot for good or evil are fitly expressed in his address delivered before
the graduating class of Humboldt College, July 13th, 1906, from which we quote
as follows :

"There is today no other work half so important to the welfare of our country or
of mankind, as the redemption of our government from the control of the
representatives of commercial brigandage and murderous greed and bringing it
back into harmony with the purpose for which it was founded, to-wit: to
establish justice, promote the public welfare and secure the blessing of liberty
to all. The present, dangerous state of moral confusion, commercial and
political corruption, could never have obtained but for the thoughtless and
corrupt use of the ballot; and by no other instrumentality can this nation be
saved from certain destruction but by the ballot thoughtfully, conscientiously
cast. And in this work of saving the nation with the ballot, we need women's
help, and but for the malign influence of the saloon she would have been
enfranchised long ago. The ballot is the one distinguishing insignia of American
citizenship, giving added value to all other privileges. It is the paladium of
American liberty. It is the x in the equation, equalling the sum of all other
forces, making for righteous civil government and safe-guarding human rights.
The intelligent, conscientious ballot is to the state what the holy spirit is to
the church, its cementing, energizing power; while the ignorant, vicious ballot
is to the state what a contentious, selfish spirit is to a church—a
disintegrating, destructive force. Washington said that if the Republic ever
perished it would be at the hands of its own citizens. "If our nation goes down
to destruction the contemporaneous historian will probably say that its ruin was
wrought by avarice, drunkenness and licentiousness, but the later historian
looking from a higher vantage ground of observation will say that the great
American republic was overthrown by ignorant and vicious ballots by which were
created environment fostering avarice, drunkenness and licentiousness,so that
social order and justice were overborne by injustice and anarchy.

"We very properly honor the soldier who defends the country with his gun, but
the gun is a negative force. It can kill the enemy but cannot build up the
state, while the ballot is a positive, constructive force. By it the foundations
of the state were laid and by it the Temple of Liberty is builded and must be
defended. The thoughtless, vicious citizen, with his ballot, is a hundred fold
more dangerous to his country than a thoughtless, vicious soldier with his gun;
for the worst the latter can do is to slay some of his comrades, but the
traitorous voter undermines the foundation of the state and despoils the Temple
of Liberty."

Mr. Taft took an active part in the discussion of political and moral questions
claiming public attention preceding and during the War of the Rebellion. Several
of his addresses were published. One of them, entitled "The Crisis," awakened
deep interest. This address was given before the Proclamation of Freedom was
issued, at a time when fugitive slaves seeking freedom in our military camps
were driven back to bondage by command of many of our generals. This address
concluded with the following appeal to President Lincoln to end the Rebellion by
removing its cause—by overthrowing slavery:

"If a voice of one as humble as I could reach the ear of President Lincoln, I
would remind him that the destinies of an empire more collossal in proportions
than Alexander or Caesar ever dreamed of are committed to his keeping; that he
holds in his hand the helm of the grandest ship of state that ever set sail on
the billows .of time and that it rests with him (under God) whether it shall
founder and go down before the wild storm of treason and rebellion which has
burst upon it, or sail gloriously on through the ages. I would remind him that
the destinies for weal or woe of millions living and hundreds of millions yet to
come, hang trembling in the scale which he holds in his hand—that he is about to
call down upon himself the blessings or curses of generations yet unborn. I
would remind him that there is given to him opportunity and power to serve the
cause of liberty and humanity, such as is given to mortals but once in the lapse
of ages. I would tell him of the Angel of Justice (which commissioned from God's
right hand) is now bending over Columbia's fair land, who holds in one hand a
pen dipped in the Stygian pool and in the other a golden crown; and I would tell
him that if smothering the just and generous impulses of his great soul, he
shall falter and prove unworthy of the sacred trust committed to his keeping,
then with tears (while the heavens shall be clothed in sack-cloth) shall the
Angel write upon his brow in characters of burning shame: 'Mene, mene tekel,
upharsin;' but if, heeding the voice of his conscience and his God, he shall
worthily serve the ages and the race, then shall the Angel, stooping low, place
upon his brow Liberty's crown of unfading glory while Earth and Heaven shall
resound with praise. My friends, let us pray for President Lincoln."

Among Mr. Taft's public addresses, his sermon on the character and death of John
Brown, delivered immediately after his execution in December, 1859, ranks among
the most important. It was delivered before his church in Martinsburg, New York,
to a congregation that filled it to its utmost capacity. In compliance with the
wishes of a very few radical abolitionists, the discourse was published in
pamphlet form. It received favorable notice in the New York Independent and some
other anti-slavery journals. Hon. Garrett Smith and Rev. Dr. Cheever wrote to
the author expressing hearty approval of the same. During the war many
applications were made by letter for the sermon, so that the edition was
exhausted. Rev. Dr. Morrison of Boston, when visiting at Mr. Taft's, on reading
the sermon requested him to send a copy of it to Mr. John. Forbes, of Boston, an
old time friend of John Brown. When told by Mr. Taft that it was his last copy,
he requested that it be sent to him, to be returned after he had read it. Mr.
Taft sent the discourse and when returned by Mr. Forbes there came with it a
check for a thousand dollars for his college work. Mr. John M. Williams, of New
York, also had the copy to read and on returning it sent the following letter:

                              METROPOLITAN NATIONAL BANK, 
REV. S. H. TAFT:                   NEW YORK, February 12th, 1872.

My Dear Sir:— 

I send herewith the John Brown sermon. Accept our thanks for the privilege of
seeing what you said in those troublous times of the Civil War, of the scenes of
deep interest then transpiring. A friend, seeing it on my desk, wished it to
send abroad to a friend of Lord Byron. I told him it was your last copy, and he
said his friend residing in England had a portrait of John Brown, was a great
admirer of his, for which reason he wished to send him this sermon. He has given
me a check for a hundred dollars (which I enclose) and in return wish a copy of
the sermon if it can be obtained.
                                     (Signed)    J. E. WILLIAMS.

Mr. Taft also received the following letter from Rev. Dr. Morrison, by whose
request he had sent the sermon to Mr. Forbes:

REV. S. H. TAFT:                        MILTON, MASS., March 18th, 1872.
My Dear Sir:—
I am glad that you are to have a new edition of your John Brown sermon
published. I can easily understand the feelings of the New York gentleman who
sent you one hundred dollars for the last copy you had of the old edition. It
seems to me, considering the time and circumstances under which it was
delivered, a remarkable production; one of those mysterious, prophetic
utterances made under the impulse of a higher spirit than man's, which preceded
the downfall of slavery. The way in which John Brown's name and acts apparently
so insignificant in themselves, connected themselves with the uprising of a
great nation against terrible wrong, his soul marching on, the animating spirit
of more than a million armed men, would be thought fabulous and incredible, if
such an event had been narrated as belonging to the early history of Palestine
or Rome. I thank you for doing something to refresh our memories by bringing
before us again so vividly the image of one whose name has been identified with
the greatest movement of our age.
                                (Signed)    JOHN H. MORRISON.

The following was Mr. Taft's text for the sermon.  He said:

"My text, my friends, today is John Brown. You will find it recorded in all the
public journals of the land and it will yet be inscribed in bold characters on
the record of the world's history."

The conclusion of the discourse was as follows:

"The once noble form of the departed hero and Christian patriot sleeps sweetly
in the silent tomb. But his soul has gone to that land where the bondman is free
from the master and where the voice of lamentation gives place to the song of
praise. Aye, he has gone where the outgoing of his great and loving heart brings
not peril but increased joy; where every generous and loving impulse finds a
response in the bosom of all, who tread with him the fields of everlasting life
and immortal beauty. Let us rejoice not only that "man cannot imprison or chain
or hang the soul," but that he cannot blot from the record of history the
testimony of the brave and good against wrong; for then would the death of John
Brown be an irreparable loss to humanity. But now shall his speech before the
court, his letters written in prison, and the record of his heroic, his sublime
death, be handed down as a choice legacy to our children. He shall indeed be a
favorite of history, aye more, poets shall perform pilgrimages to the place of
his tragic death to catch the inspiration which breathes anew on the banks of
the Potomac, that they may tune to sweeter and loftier strains of the lyre of
liberty. But we may not on the present occasion longer hold converse with
Freedom's chosen martyr. Ere we bid him adieu, let us in the presence of the
great and imperial Father of all breathe the solemn vow that whatever may betide
us, we will 'remember those in bonds as bound with them,' remembering that

    Whether on the scaffold high
        Or in the battle's van,
    The fittest place for man to die
        Is where he dies for man."

In August, 1874, the Taft family, many hundred in number, celebrated the two
hundredth anniversary of the coming to America of their great progenitor. Robert
Taft. The meeting was held at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and representatives of
the family were present from many states of the Union. The morning service was
held in the Congregational church and the genealogical address given by Judge
Alphonso Taft, of Cincinnati, Ohio, after which all marched to the music of the
American Brass Band to a spacious tent where dinner was served, music
discoursed, and toasts given and responded to. Hymns written by Rev. E. Staples
and Judge Chapin, whose mothers were Tafts, were sung on the occasion. Judge
Chapin read a biographical historic poem, after which the presiding officer
proposed the several toasts. Of those responding to the toasts were
Lieutenant-Governor Taft, of Vermont; Dr. Jonathan Taft, of Cincinnati; Rev. Dr.
Hatfield, and many others. The subject of this sketch being called upon
responded to the following toast: "The educators of our country are entitled to
the front rank in the march of progress and it is with commendable pride that we
introduce as one of the best, Prof. S. H. Taft, President of Humboldt College,
Iowa." Mr. Taft said:

"MR. CHAIRMAN AND KINDRED: It is not difficult to conceive of circumstances
where it would be both profitable and pleasant in responding to the sentiment
just read, to speak at length of the high mission and measureless influence of
the true educator of our lands. But this is not such an occasion and I accept
the sentiment with which my name is so pleasantly associated by the Master of
Ceremonies as being present in this connection simply to introduce me to the
large family of Tafts as one among many others, whose chief attention is being
devoted to the cause of Christian education. Agreeing therefore, with our
distinguished representative, Judge Taft, of Cincinnati, that you would rather
hear of our family affairs today than of other subjects, I will speak as seems
to me fitting on this interesting occasion. We have been drawn together, not by
the bonds of old time friendship—for we are met for the first time—but by those
of relationship. This is not so much a reunion as a first union of those of
kindred blood coming from different directions, and some from great distance to
meet and commune where lived and died our ancestors, generations ago. While
there may be too much account made of birth and blood and name, there may be
also too little account made of it. The ties of consanguinity are of nature's
giving, of God's appointment, and were designed not only to yield innocent
enjoyment but also to conduce to helpful social progress and moral growth. There
are stages of development (or states of moral debauchery rather) in the history
of society where such a gathering as this might prove a curse instead of a
blessing by being so used as to dim the moral and spiritual vision of its
members. But such will not be the fruits gathered from this meeting, for I am
sure that we shall each desire to give and receive of our best in thought and
character. Thus doing we shall part upon a higher plane than we met upon and so
shed upon each others' future pathway the light of a virtuous friendship. Not
only shall we make acquaintance with each other, but we shall learn of our
ancestry what many of us could not have known by any other means and, per
chance, aid our distinguished relative, of Ohio, Judge Alphonso Taft, to round
out and further develop our family tree. In reporting to this meeting regarding
the Tafts of whom I have knowledge, I have to say that they are industrious,
frugal, worthy citizens and were all loyal to the government during our late
Civil War. In religion they are Protestants of the Protestants, not only denying
the religious authority of councils or the Pope, but also denying the authority
of any ecclesiastical body to legislate for the individual in matters of belief,
faith or conscience.

My genealogical report will be very brief for the reason that my knowledge of
the ancestral line is limited. I remember that Nasby once commenced a lecture in
Boston by gravely saying: 'Ladies and Gentlemen:    We are  all
descended from--we are all descended from--grandparents.' Well, I had learned
that much, and was quite certain that the line extended much further back. If I
had heretofore entertained any doubts on that point, what I see and enjoy today
would altogether remove them. My grandfather, Nathaniel Taft, settled in New
Hampshire in the latter part of the eighteenth century, where he resided until
his death. He had a number of children. Among the names they bore were David,
Daniel, Nathaniel, Rufus and Stephen, the last named being my father. His mother
was grandfather's second wife. My father and his brother David left New
Hampshire in the early part of the present century and settled in Richfield,
Otsego County, New York, whence my father soon moved a hundred miles further
west into Oswego County. Uncle David had a number of sons, two of whom,
Ferdinand and Nathaniel, also moved into Oswego County.

My father married Miss Vienna Harris, whose father, Stephen Harris, lived and
died in Richmond, New Hampshire. My parents had seven children who lived to
years of maturity, four girls and three boys, all but one of whom are still
living. One of my brothers, Jerome B. Taft, who took an active part in
protecting Kansas from the curse of slavery, died in the autumn of 1863.

In 1853 I married Miss Mary A. Burnham, of Madison County, New York, and in the
spring of 1863 went west with a colony of over forty persons and settled upon a
tract of land in the Des Moines Valley, which I purchased of the State of Iowa.
Here I have since been at work, building up a town and establishing an
institution of learning. We have had six children, five of whom are still
living, namely, four sons and one daughter. My brother, Lorenzo P. Taft, has a
family of four daughters and one son, and the brother who died left one son,
Wendell Phillips Taft. My four sisters are married and all have families.

I trust I shall be pardoned if, in this connection, I speak of some incidents in
my own history which, under ordinary circumstances, would hardly be appropriate,
but which the present occasion would warrant. We learn from the admirable
historic address to which we have listened this morning that our gre2t
progenitor, Robert Taft, was an active participant in a colony enterprise, in
connection with which he bought and sold much land, built bridges, made roads
and bore other burdens incident to a pioneer life. It seems that all unbeknown
to myself I have in the order of divine providence been repeating the history of
our family in the line of colony work for, as already remarked, I took with me
to the distant west a company of friends, bought a large tract of wild land and
entered upon the work of building up society, in the course of which it fell to
my lot to open up roads, build bridges and mills and dispose of numerous pieces
of real estate. The county records show that I have sold over eighty farms and
many hundred pieces of town property since commencing this colony enterprise.
This work has not been all sunshine and prosperity; but instead, want of means
with which to do, loss by floods, sickness, severe trials and exposure, have
dimmed the light of many a day, but at no time have I been bereft of that hope
and strength which comes of an assurance that I was doing the work to which I
had been appointed of God. The burden would have been lighter had I known as I
now do that like and severer experiences had been the lot of our great
progenitor, whose memory we so sacredly cherish today. The family history which
I have given, taken in connection with the numerous descendants of Robert Taft
here assembled, who represent a still larger number not here, warrants us in
congratulating ourselves that our family does not belong to the number which are
running out because of self-imposed sterility. That this is true of many
families is painfully evident. On this subject an able scholar and careful
observer, Dr. Nathan Allen, of Lowell, said in an address delivered in June
last, before the Massachusetts Medical Society: 'It is safe, we believe, to
state that the average number of children to each marriage has diminished nearly
one-half since the present century commenced.' And he further adds, 'If this
decrease is continued another hundred years in the same proportion as in the
past it will, in all probability, remove the old New England stock from the
stage. Their record will exist only in history. In this quiet, gradual decline
of population is one of the greatest problems of the age.'

Well, Mr. Chairman, that impeachment does not apply to the Taft family, and I am
glad of it. I am told that little or no credit is due to the male line in which
the name descends, since the mothers generally bore other names than Taft. And
then I submit to you, Mr. Chairman, whether it is not creditable to our side of
the house, that we have been able to select and possess ourselves of such good
and noble wives.

I will add but a few words more. The growth of our family tree has been
hopefully vigorous and promises well for the future. We need not concern
ourselves to try to settle the question as to whether we originally ascended
from the lower forms of animal life or have descended from a state of angelic
perfection; for, if from the former, then have we made noble progress upward,
and if from the latter, the evidence warrants us in believing that we are making
our way home again. Let us remember that there is given to mankind a surplus of
vital force beyond what is necessary for the performance of the ordinary
functions of life and that the use made of this surplusage deteimines the
destiny of individuals, families and nations. If devoted to self discipline, in
knowledge and virtue, so as to find expression in noble, helpful acts and high
aims, then does its possessor walk the pathway of the just which grows brighter
and brighter unto the perfect day; but if devoted to selfish ends and merely
animal pleasures, then does it lead down to moral corruption and spiritual
death. May it be ours to come into such harmony with the divine order and such
virtuous relationship with each other that the spiritual breezes of heaven as
they move through the branches of the family tree may make still sweeter music
in the future than in the past, thus making glad the hearts of men and angels. I
offer in conclusion the following sentiment:

Our Family Tree—Removed from Old England two hundred years ago and planted at no
great distance from Plymouth Rock. May it continue to gather strength and beauty
from each succeeding century and yield such fruits of vigorous, virtuous man and
womanhood that the approbation of the good and the favor of Heaven may ever rest
upon it, causing it to extend its roots and multiply its branches through all
coming time.

In 1879, on the resignation of Rev. Julius Stevens as pastor of the Christian
Union Church of Humboldt, Mr. Taft was asked to resume his pastoral relations
with the church, which he resigned when entering upon his educational work. Up
to this time the society had held its meetings in the school house. Mr. Taft
agreed to serve the church for a year on condition that steps be at once taken
to build a house of worship, toward the expense of which he would contribute the
salary he received for the year and donate a lot for the church. With this
understanding he resumed the pastorate. While the attendance at the meetings and
Sunday School was altogether satisfactory but partial progress was made toward
building. The coarse lumber was bought and placed on the ground, as also most of
the stone for the foundation. As Mr. Taft believed that a house of worship was
indispensable to the welfare and future growth of the church, he agreed to labor
another year, donating his salary as before. The coursing stone for the
foundation having been dressed and mechanics' labor being difficult to obtain,
and money scarce, Mr. Taft, with his son, William, as mason tender, took in hand
the building of the foundation walls, which were completed before cold weather
in autumn. The secretary of the church, J. M. Prouty, had procured plans and
specifications for the building from a Chicago architect and, with these before
him, Mr. Taft proceeded to lay out the frame work of the building and
superintend its erection. The church was completed and dedicated as had been
planned and Mr. Taft says: "The day on which the house was dedicated and
christened Unity Church, and Miss Mary A. Safford was installed pastor, as his
successor, was one of the happiest days of his life."

Mr. Taft's work as an abolitionist and a prohibitionist and a founder of an
institution of learning, has given him the personal acquaintance of many of the
distinguished men and women of the past and present century; among them were
Garrison, Phillips, Sumner, Longfellow, James Freeman Clark, Edward Everett
Hale, Dr. Manning, Senator Wilson, Joshua R. Giddings, A. Bronson Alcott, Fred
Douglass, Garrett Smith, George W. Curtis, Mrs. Lucy Stone Blackwell, Antoinette
L. Brown, Mary Livermore, Dorothy Dix, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Julia
Ward Howe. Of the above he has entertained as guests at his home, A. Bronson
Alcott, Garrett Smith, Fred Douglass, Mrs. Livermore, Lucy Stone Blackwell,
Antoinette L. Brown, Julia Ward Howe and Susan B. Anthony.

Mr. Taft regards the establishment of righteous civil government as
indispensable to the preservation of our nation from destruction, holding that
the licensed poison drink traffic, so far from being a legitimate business, is a
system of legalized robbery and murder and that the political parties, which for
a money consideration give legislative sanction to the saloon, betray their
sacred trust as administrators of the government, violate the national
constitution by bargaining away the public health and the public morals, and
that by such alliance with the criminal class, make the government the despoiler
instead of the protector of its citizens, thereby not only discrowning the
government of all moral power but making it a potential teacher of immorality
and graft. And that the corrupt financial, political and social conditions
everywhere obtaining where this traffic of death is licensed, are but the
legitimate harvest from the seed sown by these rum-ruled parties and that the
preservation of Christian civilization demands the triumph of a political party
pledged to righteous civil government.

Mr. Taft is a total abstainer from the use of intoxicants, eats very little
meat, drinks neither tea nor coffee, reads without glasses, never uses a cane
when walking. He is an early riser, writes more easily in the morning than at
any other time, is always busy either in his office, library or garden, and
takes as deep an interest as ever in social, political and religious questions.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities: prefaced with a brief
history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County,
1542 to 1908: supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and
embellished with views of historic landmarks and portraits of representative
people.

Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)


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