New-York tribune., 1906-07-17
NAGOON A COMING MAN
rmsrnor of Canal Zone Slated for
Higher Honors.
iron me Tribune Buraau-I

-s that be. slated for far higher honors in
not distant future. furnishes remarkable
s.,otion Of the oft repeated assertion that
- ,s no future for man in the government
- Seven years ago Mr.. AIagoon was q
s.-or in Lincoln. Neb., with good but mod
,raotice. and was little known outside Of
I'm state To-day he holds the most inn
..rt place IN the canal zone. and has al
- outgrown it, and higher honors viii soon
~ - his lot while ultimately he will, in the
-.,,oation OF his superiors be selected for a
-. in the Cabinet or a seat in the Supreme
rryt And his rapid promotion has been won
- cheer ability and indomitable energy, for
sr has he commanded what Is known IN
lexington as influence"
.,s were Governor 0Iagoon TO accomplish no
.-e IN the service OF his country than the
..sieyements which already stand TO his credit
=. record might be regarded as an enviable one,
- 70 which such men as Theodore Roosevelt
v1bu Root William H. Taft, and even Senator
1rorgan. Of Alabama. have pointed with gratih-
,.ton and pride, because it was the work OF
!, able American lawyer. who has enjoyed the
.,nadence and appreciation OF his superiors.
when Mr Magoon assumed the duties Of
law officer Of the Bureau of Insular Affairs. in
March 1889. he had the good fortune to find
timself under the immediate direction OF Elihu
poot then Secretary Of War. The Secretary
vss quick 10 detect the ability OF the young
,,sbraskan who had been selected TO interpret
n. JURISPRUDENCE OF the Philippines. Cuba and
Porto Rico and to reconcile the often conflict
eng legal principles of Spanish and American
,.w and in a short time Judge Magoon-he
,nvittingly acquired the title with the Office
bseame the trusted legal adviser Of no less
,ov-ver than the Secretary Of War himself too
bnsv with large enterprises 70 study the dusty
,ores. In this capacity no task proved too
svsuous no investigation too tedious and no
nnoblen 100 abstruse for the energy and appll-
cation Of Judge AIagoon. and he won the hearty
admiration and appreciation OF Secretary Root
F7ss decisions and legal opinions were. by direc-
non Of the Secretary, published in book form
under the title, The Law Of Civil Government
Inder Military Occupation" and it has been
necessary 10 produce two editions since the first
vas exhausted. Judge Magoon also acted as
sDecial counsel for the Secretary Of War, CO.
opsrating with the attorneys OF the Department
az Justice in defending the famous diamond
rings case and several OF a similar character
before the United States Supreme Court.
When. in 1904, this country had acquired pro-
yisional sovereignty Of the Panama Canal Zone
Secretary Taft found urgent necessity for
able furist TO prepare a code to meet the Pc
cuiar conditions existing In the zone and every
thing in Judge Magoon's experience seemed pc
ouiarly 70 qualify him for the position. He was
appointed in June Of that year. When he called
at the White House to thank the President the
Executive said 10 him:
When man has won his spurs as you have
there IS no need of his thanking anybody 20
wear them
Magoon blushed like a girl when he heard
this frank praise from the big Chief" but he
replied with his usual quick wit, and the Presi-
dent asked him if he were not OF Eibernian de-
scent The Judge explained that he was a
Minnesotian born. Of New England ancestry,
and the President told him he was "a credit 70
both East and West
As counsel for the Isthmian Canal Commission
Judge AIagoon not only solved the numerous
knotty problems affecting the conduct OF the
commission. G1ut he also prepared the laws OF
the zone which are still in force. and which
were the subject of high praise from Senator
Morgan Of Alabama, during the recent session
Of Congress. Senator Morgan. 1t will be re-
called is not an admirer of the administrators
canal policy and convinced thar the canal
should have been constructed by the Nicara-
guam route he has contested every foot Of
progress made and has exerted his great legal
ability in criticism Of every step taken. But
while oriticising everything else connected with
the ADMINISTRATION Of the canal and its af-
fairs NJ Morgan declared that justice COM
peIled ham warmly to commend the laws Of
the zone. the administration Of justice there and
The ability with which Judge Magoon had de-
vised The code.
Judge Magoon IS more than an able jurist He
Is 2 diplomat He is big man, constructed
much on the lines Of Secretary Taft mentally
physically and temperamentally. And what
Tart did for the Filipinos 3IagoOn was calcu-
lated 70 Go for the Panamans- And ne has
done il When, a little more than a year ago.
the President determined to reorganize the 18th
uian Canal Commission he made Judge Ma
goon member, and then designated him as
Governor Of the Panama Canal Zone Later ne
was nominated also as Minister TO Panama. an
Office he has since filed. although without re-
Enumeration
Il IS as Governor Of the Panama Canal Zone
that COON has won the renewed admiration
q the administration. which IS certain 20 result
II his further material preferment When ne
went 10 the isthrus in June, 1905, he found de-
plorabie conditions. The zone. and, in fact the
entire Republic Of Panama. were stricken with
yellow fever, and the republic was on the verge
Of revolution a not unusual condition with
Latin-Arnerican republic.
The people Of Panama had been ordered 70
clean up by Mr.. Magoon's predecessor, but
tney were loath 10 take orders Iney had Dsen
ordered TO keep the peace" but sucn an ofueF
they regarded almost as insult to their man.
hood Governor Nagoon gave no orders, ana
yet he accomplished all he set out 70 do, He did
Il by persuasion and appeals TO the pride OF the
people You are an American republic ana
the peopIe of me United States expect great
things Of you" said the new Governor in his
Fourth Of July Grafton last year, ana tnaI vas
his text throughout the cleaning up days his
suayity and diplomacy made II possible Tor COR
onel Gorgas his expert assistant al the head OF
he sanitary division TO eradlcaIe al Cne
sources of ,eIlozv fever contagion. The Pana-
mans always urged on by his expansive
smile and fatherly consideration, aided and as
sisted The result IS that for the first time IN