The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-12-27
woRTnIN61oN ADVANCE,
PuBLsHED RvHRY FRIDAY.
THos. DovRRY, Pu111sHzR.
Who Taft Is
By Walter j. Ballard

! Without doubt the strongest ant
most suitable, available man befor
the American people for election a
president in November, 1908, is Viii
liam Howard Taft, nominally Secrs
tary Of War but really Representative
at large of Americanisn in oil it
best phases and trusted as fully b,
the American people as he is by hi
commanding officer, tho President.
| Born at Cineinnatti, Ohio, on Sep
tember IL, 1857, William Howard
Taft is son of the late Alphonse
Taft, who was judge of the superior
court, Cincinnati, 1865 to 1871; Sec
rotary of war; l875-1876; attorney
general, 1e76-1877; United States
Minister to Rnssia, 1886 1887.
Passing through all the grades of
public schools of Cincinnati, William
Howard Taft graduated from the
Woodward High School in 1874
Then in Yale University for four years
graduating in June, 1878, with the de-
gree of Bachelor of Arts; second, or
salutatorian in a class of 121; also
elected as class orator. Entered the
law school of Cincinnati college in
1878, graduating in 1880 with the de-
gree of B. L. and dividing the first
prize.
: In Nav, 1880, YIN. Howard Taft
was admitted to the bar of the su-
preme court of Ohio. For about
year he served as law reporter of the
Cincinnati Times, and subsequently
the Commercial. Appointed assist
ant prosecuting attorney in January
1881. Resigned in March, 1882, to
become collector of internal revenue,
First District, Ohio, under President
Arthur. Resigned the .collectorship
in March, 1883, to enter the practice
of law. Continued his law practice
til! March, 1887, holding in the mean
time, from January, 1885, the Office
of assistant county solicitor of Ham,
ilton County. Appointed in March,
1887, Judge superior court of Cincin.
natti, to fill a resignation vacancy.
Elected in. April, 1888, to succeed
himself for five years. Resigned in
February, 1890, to become solicitor.
general of the United States, under
President Harrison. This Office Mr..
Taft relinquished in March, 1892, to
become United States circuit judge
for the Sixth Judicial district and ex-
ofcio member OF the circuit court
of appeals of tho Sixth district. In
June, 1893, Yale University honored
him with the degree of L. L. D. In
1896 he became also professor and
dean of the department of the Univer-
sity of Cincinnati.
In March, 1900, came the event
which has given the American people
the benefit of the Invaluable services
Of William Howard Taft along politi-
tical and governmental lines. A great
charge was upon our nation, namely
to bring order out chaos in the Phil
ippines, with all the world looking on,
ready to criticize every move we made
The confidence OF the people to win
a confidence hard to secure. because
400 years of Spanish oppression had
created an inboln suspicion of every
thing new, and especially of every
thing foreign, was essential. To that
great task President Mckinley called
William Howard Taft called him
from life OF peace and quietness to
life OF turbulence and worry as first
President land organizer) of the Unit
ed States Philippine Commission.
The next year, July 4, 1901, by ap-
pointment of President Mckinley, Mr..
Tafs became the first civil governor
of the Philippine Islands. Space for
bids the enumeration of the able and
loyal service he rendered in those
positions, not only to his country but
also to the islands and their people,
until in November, 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 before the Sen
ate Committee on the Philippines and
the House Committee on Insular At
fairs. His testimony before those
two committees, the press and the
conntrv IT. stands TODAY "a authOri-