, 1907-08-26

1887, judge supreme court of Cincin-
natl. TO fill a resignation vacancy.
Elected in April, 1883, to succeed him
sci for five years. Resigned in Feb
ruary, 1890, to become solicitor-general
of the United States, under President
Harrison. This office Mr.. Taft relin-
pushed in March, 1892, to become Un-
tied States circuit judge for the sixth
judicial district nj ex-ofiicio member
of the circuit court OF appeals of the
sixth district. In June, 1898, Yale uni
versity honored him with the degree
of LII. ID. In 1896 he became also pro-
fessor and dean Of the law department
of the University of Cincinnati.
In March, 1900, came the event
the benefit of the invaluable services
of William Howard Taft along politi-
cal and government line. A great
charge was upon our nation, namely to
bring order out of chaos in the Philip
pines, with all the world looking on,
ready to criticise every nov we made.
The confidence of a people TO win. a
confidence hard to secure, because 400
years of Spanish oppression had Great
new, and especially of everything
foreign, was essential. To that great
task President Mckinley called Win.
lam Howard Taft-called him from a
life of peace and Quietness, to a life
of turbulence ana worry as first presi'
dent land ~organizer) of the United
States Philippine commission. The
next year July 4, 1901, by appointment
of President Mckinley, Mr.. Taft be
came the first civil governor of the
Philippine islands. Space forbids en-
umeration of the able and loyal ser
vice he rendered. in those positions, not
only to his country but also to the isl
ands and their people, until in Novem.
Der, 1901, he was forced by illness to
turn over the office of governor to Vice
Governor Wright. In December, 1901,
by order of the secretary of war, Mr.
Taft came to Washington to testify be-
fore the senate committee On the Phil
ippines and the house committee on in
sular affairs. His testimony before
those two committees lasted six weeks
and was most favorably received by
the committees, the press and the
country. 1t stands today as authora'
tive on Philippine matters.
In February, 1902, the University of
Pennsylvania honored itself and Mr..
Taft by comforting upon him the de-
gree of LII. d. Both Harvard and
| Miami universities did likewise in
l1905.
On May II, 1902, by order of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Root,
Mr.. Taft sailed from the United States
to Rome on a most delightful mission
to confer with Pope Lee XIII concern
ing the purchase by the United States
of the agricultural lands belonging to
religious orders in the Philippines. He
held conferences with the committee of
cardinals over two months-June and
July-and reached a general basis of
agreement. The Importance of this
successful and completed negotiation is
obvious, telling for all time in our hold
ing and administration OF those vaiu-
able and necessary possessions. This
piece of work alone proves conclusively
that William Howard Taft has all the
high diplomatic qualities necessary to
make a successful president. OF his
executive ability there is no question.
1t has been shown in a hundred ways
in the Philippines, in the war depart
lment and In the several Offices he held
prior to entrance into political life.
Returning to the Philippines in Au-
gust, 1902, Mr.. Taft took up the work
temporarily laid down and resumed Of
fee as civil governor till December %,
I19O3, when he sailed for the United
States to become secretary of war,
which important office he still holds.
With Secretary Taft's able work
since his return home the American ma
ton and the world are familiar. His
visit to Panama in November and De-
cember, 1904; his tour Of inspection of
the Philippine islands in the summer of
1905, with a party of senators and rep
resentatives; his crisis mission to Cuba
last fall under direction of the presi.
dent by means of which revolution was
nipped in the bud; his temporary ser
vice as provisional governor of that
island; his visit to Panama, Cuba and
Porto Rico in March and April, 1907,
fixing certain difficulties which had
arisen. In each of these cases the
emergency found the man, and that
man was William Howard Taft. In
June and November, 1908, emergency
will again be seeking a man. and viii
again find Taft