If the man in the White House had as much sense as I have, he would name you for the Supreme Bench without asking, and “draft” you, as Roosevelt says.  By the way, I gave the suggestion of “draft” in a talk I had with him a month or so ago.

The political situation is interesting, but altogether un-lovely. ...  It looks as if Clark might be the nominee on the Democratic side.  Taft is gaining in strength, and somehow I cannot feel that Roosevelt will ever be in it, although you know how I like him.  The situation seems a bit artificial.

Give my love to Mrs. John.  As always yours,

FRANKLIN K. LANE

TO GEORGE W. LANE

Washington, February 23, 1912

My dear George,—­ ...  Yesterday I delivered an address before the University of Virginia on A Western View of Tradition—­which when it is printed I will send out to you—­and in the afternoon was taken up to Jefferson’s home, Monticello.  It is on a mountain, the top of which he scraped off.  It overlooks the whole surrounding country, most of which at that time he owned.  He planned the whole house himself, even to the remotest details, the cornices and the carvings on the mantels, the kind of lumber of which the floors were to be made, the character of the timbers used, the carving of the capitals on the columns, the folding ladder that was used to wind up the clock over the doorway, the registers on the porch that recorded the direction in which the wind was coming, as moved by the weather-vane on the roof, the little elevator beside the fireplace ... and a thousand other details.

...  I would like nothing better if I had any kind of skill in using my hands than to take a year off and build a house.  It is a real religion to create something, and you do not need a great deal of money to make a very beautiful little place.  You must have one large room, and the house must be on some elevation, and you must get water, water, and water. ...  It is water that makes land valuable in California or anywhere else.  Affectionately yours,

F. K. L.

TO CARL SNYDER

Washington, March 6, 1912

My dear Carl,—­I have this minute for the first time seen the copy of Collier’s, for February 24, 1912, and therefore for the first time my eyes lighted upon your most delicious roast of the Commerce Court. ...

I do not know what the outcome of this movement will be.  The only settled policy of government is inertia.  The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, I believe, proposes to abolish the appropriation for the Court, which looks like a cowardly way to get at the thing, but perhaps it is most effective.  However, I really doubt if they will have the nerve to do this.  It is a mighty critical year, I think, in our history.  It looks