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Liberty for all: Will the real 'Mr. Republican' please stand up?

Liberty and progress go hand in hand, according to The Circle Bastiat's John P. Cochran. President Taft was once known as Mr. Republican. In the present era, Cochran believes Ron Paul has taken up Taft's mantle.

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Ben Margot/AP
In this April 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas speaks at the University of California at Berkeley, Calif. The long shot presidential hopeful is nonetheless the preferred candidate for The Circle Bastiat's John P. Cochran, who believes he is continuing in the tradition of President Taft, "Mr. Republican."

I was in Washington on what was an historic day, June 28, 2012 to testify at Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, Committee on Financial Services, US House of Representatives, chaired by Congressman Ron Paul. While it would be nice to think the day was historic because Dr. Paul was continuing his informational hearings focusing on a return to sound money, other events were perhaps more important to most Americans.

In the morning I had time to wander around the Capitol area. While searching for a shady place to sit and rest, I wandered up to Robert A. Taft Memorial  and was struck by the quotation of Taft on one side of the memorial. It is ironic as I was reading these words my wife called to inform me of the Supreme Court decision on the monstrous health care reform bill. The quote, “Liberty has been the key to our progress in the past and is the key to our progress in the future.  If we can preserve liberty in all its essentials there is no limit to the future of the American people.”

How true these words are and it struck me how unfortunate we are as a people that Congressman Paul, who I was to meet later that day, is one of probably no more than a handful of men in public office who truly believe in liberty in all its essentials.

The memorial also includes this inscription, “This Memorial to Robert A. Taft, presented by the people to the Congress of the United States, stands as a tribute to the honesty, indomitable courage, and high principles of free government symbolized by his life.” The website for the memorial, reminds us that “He (Taft) was affectionately dubbed “Mr. Republican.”

As Lew Rockwell not too long ago argued, (http://mises.org/daily/2822/), based on the principles that made Taft” Mr. Republican”,  in a previous era, Ron Paul, with his honesty, courage, and high principles  should be Mr. Republican today. How much brighter our future would be if the prospects were better that this “Mr. Republican” would become next leader of the United States.

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