Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-22
HENRY CLAY IpE,

HENRY CLAY IDE.
The proposed changes to be made
in the personal of the United States
authorities in the Philippines brings
into prominence again the name of
Henry Clay Ide. Since the organiza-
ton of the Philippine commission Mr..
lde has occupied place among its
members and he is now slated for the
post OF vice governor of the islands in
January. This promotion will come
as a deserved recognition for his SER
vices, which as the head of the de-
partment Of finance and justice, have
been arduous and eminently valuable.
Mr.. Ide's life has been an exceedingly
busy one and in every line of activity
in which ne has been engaged he has
displayed the same industry and abil-
| ity that has characterized his work
as member of the Philippine commits
sion.
A native of Caledonia county, Yer
mont, he was born in Barnet, in Sep
TENDER, 1874. He received his acade-
mic graduation at ST Johnsbury acad-
envy and entered Dartmouth college in
1862, graduating four years later as
valedictorian of his class. From 1866
to 1868 he was principal of ST. Johns
bury academy and the following year
was master of the Getting high
school at Arlington, Mass. He then
began the study of law in the office
of Judge Benjamin Steele at St.
Johnsbury and was admitted as a
member of the bar of the supreme
court of Vermont, December, 1870. In
1871 he began the practice of law
at st. Johnsbury, He served as states
attorney of Caledonia county from
ator from 1882 to 1886 and delegate
| to the republican national convention
in 1888. In 1891 he was appointed by
President Harrison to represent the
United States as commissioner to the
Samoan Islands to act in conjunction
with the representatives of the Eng
fish and German governments. Two
years later he was appointed by the
three governments to act as chief JUS
tice for Samoa and served in that ca
pacity until 1897 when he resigned.
[ In February, 1900. when it was
deemed advisable to create a commits
sion to organize civil government in
the Philippine Islands Mr.. Ide was.
selected by President Mckinley to-
gether with Governor w. H. Taft,
Luke E. Wright, Dean c. Worcester,
and Bernard Moses to effect this work
In September, 1901, President Nc
Kinley named him as the head of the
department of justice and finance, in,
which position he had exclusive
charge of the bureaus of banking, cur
rency, treasury, auditing, customs ser
vice, internal revenue and the admin
istration of justice.
Among the qualifications that equip
Commissioner Ide for the duties of
the important office to which he is
to be appointed is long exper-
fence in business affairs. Before COM
ing to the Philippine Islands Secre-
tary Ide had served for years as di-
rector or president of important bust
ness corporations among which may
be mentioned the First National bank
of st. Johnsbury, 'rredegar National
bank at Jacksonville, Alabama, ELY
Hoe & Fork company of st. Johnsbury,
Dupon Payer Hammer company of st.
Johnsbury,. Jacksonville Oil Mill com
pany OF Jacksonville, Alabama, Glen
wood company of Chattanooga, Tenn,
and Upper Coos & Coos Valley rail-
road companies of Vermont.
His last professional work, before
the appointment as commissioner of
the Philippines Islands, was in admin
istering and closing out the affairs of
the defunct National bank of Albu-
querque, New Mexico He, for many
years, was the confidential adviser of
the e. & T. Fairbanks Scale company
and of the Connecticut River Lumber
company, two of the largest corpora
tions in New England, besides acting
in the same capacity for many small
er industrial enterprises, and conduct
ing a large general practice of his
profession.
Mr.. Ide has always been held in
high esteem by Governor Taft and his
work in formulating the greater part
of the laws that have been put in eff
feet in the islands eminently qualify
him for the duties of vice governor
to which he will soon succeed.