The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-06-25
TAF THE NOMINEE.

Conventin in Chicago last
week, William Howard Taft,
of Ohio, nd Secretary of War,
was nominated for the Presi-
dency onthe first ballot. The
total number of votes was $50,
and 491 would have been a ma
jority, BIT Mr.. Taft received
7O2 voteson the first ballot.
Othersvoted for were the fol-
lowing:
Hughes of New York, 63;
Cannon, f Illinois, 81; Fair
banks, of indiana, 40; Knox, of
Pennsylvania, GO; LaFolette, of
Wisconsin, %: Foraker, of
Ohio, 4: Roosevelt of New York,
3.
Mr.. Taf was placed in nomi-
nation bfore the Convention
by Congressman Theodore E.
Burton, otOhio.
The following brief sketch
appeared in the News and OBJ
server til, day after the nom
nation:
"Mr. Tat was born in Mt.Au-
burn, the aristocratic suburb
of Cincinnati, on the fifteenth
of September, in 1857. His
father was a man Of wealth and
influence a learned lawyer and
able judge, and was Attorney
General i Grants cabinet and
Minister;o Russia. The candi-
date, BON with a silver spoon
in his mmth, was educated at
Yale. Ee was a good scholar
and graduated before he was
twenty-me as valedictorian of
his class. He began the study
of law il his fathers office and
did the curt reporting at the
same tine on his brothers
newspaper. Later, his talent
is a newspaper man was re-
cognized by Murat Halstead,
and he became a member of
the staff3f the Cincinnati Com
mercial-Gazette. In 1880 his
father was the unsuccessful
Republican candidate for Gov
ernor Ct Ohio. A man by the
name If Rose, who had been a
prize-ighter, severely criticiz-
ed the oder Taft, and the son.
feeling nat his father had been
slanderusly assailed, went to
the Newspaper office and gave
Rose a terrible thrashing, for
young Taft was big in size and
an athlete. When Rose beg
ged for mercy, Taft is reported
to have said:
"'1f you'll agree to leave
town Illlet up. I'll come down
here again tonight, and if you
are still acre then this thing is
only start.
Rose vas glad to get off on
such terms. He quit Cincinna-
ii that night and his paper
never appeared again.
"Mr. Thft entered into the
practise O law, but has almost
since he became Of age been an
ofice-holder. Every office he
he has he'd has been by APP
pOintment He has never been
elected to office. First he was
appointedassistap prosecuting
attorney; in 1881 he was ap-
pointed Collector of Internal
Revenue; in 1888 he was APP
pointed assistant county solicit
tor; i'll 1885 Governor Foraker
appointed him Superior Court
Judge; WHEN Mr. Harrison was
elected president he appointed
Mr.. Taft Solicitor General, and
later appointed him Federal
Circuit Court Judge, which po-
sition he held until President
Mckinley made him chairman
of the Philippine Commission
in March 1900. He was ap-
pointed by President Roose-
welt Secretary of War in 1904
to succeed Elihu Root.
In that position he has
had important duties to per-
form and has shown that he
possessed administrative abili-
ty Of a high order. He is re-
garded also as the most accom-
plished diplomat in the admin
istration and was sent to the
Philippines, to Panama and to
Cuba to settle difficult matters.
1t was while he was Solicitor
General that Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Roosevelt became warm
friends. The President was
then on the Civil Service Com
mission.
"Such is the public career of
Mr. Taft. To administrative
ability, diplomatic talent and
capacity for work, he adds
knowledge of men and tact in
dealings with them. He gets
on with all who are thrown
in contact with him, loves a
Joke. and has many qualities