Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-30
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
Friendly Sketch of Republican Candi-
date For President.

Friendly Sketch of Republican Candi-
date For President.
William Howard Taft, the nominee
of the Republican party for president
of the United States, comes Of a family
distinguished in the law and the pup
lie service. The first American Tafts
came Of the English yeomanry, trans
planted across the Atlantic by the great
upheavel for conscience sake which
peopled New England with its sturdy
stock. In this country they turned to
the study and practice Of the law. Pc
ter Taft was both maker and an in
tcrpreter of laws, having served as a
member of the Vermont legislature
and afterward as a judge. Alpnonso
Taft, son Of Peter, was graduated from
Yale college, and then went out to the
western reserve to practice law. He
settled in Cincinnati, and 1t was at
Mt. Auburn, q suburb of that city, on
September Is, 1857, that his son, Will
liam Howard Taft, first became a pres
idential possibility.
He was educated at Yale and grad
uated No. Of a class Of 12O. From
college he returned to Cincinnati and
began the study of law in his fathers
office. His father, Alphonso, earned
distinction in the service Of city and
state and nation, going from the su-
perior bench of Ohio, to which he had
been elected unanimously, to the place
in Grants cabinet now held by the
son, then as attorney general, to the
department of justice, and finally into
the diplomatic service as minister first
to Austria and then to Russia.
From the time he was Of age, Will
liam Howard Taft has been in the pub
lie service, and most notable Of all Is
that he was given his first really high
and responsible position, a judgeship,
by the present Senator Foraker, who,
when governor of Ohio, appointed Mr..
Taft to a vacancy in the superior court.
Mr.. Taft's public career began as as
sistant prosecutor of Hamilton county,
which includes the city Of Cincinnati.
In 1881 he became collector Of internal
revenue for the First Ohio district. A
wear later he resigned and went back
to the law, with his fathers old part
ner. H. P. Floyd. In 1888 he became
assistant county solicitor. Two years
later Governor Foraker appointed him
Judge Of the superior court to succeed
Judson Harmon, who had resigned to
enter President Clevelands cabinet. In
1886 Judge Taft married Miss Helen
Heron, daughter Of John w. Heron
of Cincinnati. They have three chill
dren, Robert Alphonso, a student at
Yale; Helen, a student at Bryn Mawr,
and Charles Phelps, I'd, who attends
the public schools in Washington.
Judge Taft attracted attention in his
court decisions, and President Harrison
requested that he become solicitor
general of the United States.
Two of the cases which he conducted
as solicitor general involved questions
Of vital importance to the entire coun-
try. The first grew out Of the seal
fisheries controversy with Great Bri-
tain Mr.. Taft won against such en-
inent counsel as Joseph H. Choate, who
is widely recognized as a leader OF the
American bar. The other was tariff
case. in which the law was attacked on
the ground that Speaker Reed had
counted a quorum when the bill passed
the house. That, too, he won. 1t was
during his term as solicitor general
that Mr.. Taft met Theodore Roosevelt
then civil service commissioner, and
began the friendship which has con-
tinued and grown ever since.
After three years, Mr.. Taft was ap-
pointed as a judge for the Sixth Fed
eral circuit Here he gave numerous
decisions affecting labor unions. One
of the most important and far-reach-
ing Of all his judgments was thai
against the Addystone Pipe company
in which for the first time the Sher-
man anti-t trust law was made living
ment of monopoly. When the case
reached the supreme court Mr.. Tart re-
ceived the distinction and unusua
honor of having his decision quoted II
full and handed down as part Of the
opinions of the high court, which sus-
tanned him at every point.
This Addystone pipe decision mark
ed the beginning Of the struggle FOL
Federal control of interstate corpora
tons, which in the later years has
come to be known as the Roosevelt
policy"
While Judge Taft opposed the reten'
ton of the Philippines, believing tha
the islands should be restored to the
F'ilipinOS, nevertheless, in March, 1900
he accepted President McKinleys offer
and became chairman Of the Philippine
commission. He sacrificed q judgeship
the acme of his ambition. Judge Taf
found the FilipinOs in state of re-
volt. For three years he labored will
them, helped to establish govern
ment, restored good feeling. and PLACED
the natives in responsible places il
the government. The task was a grea
and arduous one, but Judge Taft tri
umphed.
Three times did Judge Taft refuse t
accept a place on the bench OF tn
United States supreme court, believing