The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-06-26

tioaal convention has nominated for the pres-
dency a man exceptionally equipped, not only
and achievement. to perform the delicate and
arduous duties of the greatest office in the
he has given himself with single minded, de-
votion to the public service He has displayed
ally dauntless courage, an unsuitable inte-
gritty, quick and all embracing sympathy, a
Gus insight into human nature, sure and
nnwayerng Judgment executive ability fo OF
| hard work In all the years of its history
the republican party has never selected an ss
tried beforehand, and so amply proved equal
to the task.
Family of Jursts.
! Mr. Taft comes of a family distinguished
in the law and the public service the nrst
American Tafts, came of the English yeoma an
great upheaval for conscence's sake which
peopled New England with its sturdy stock
practice ctIs ' Of the law. Peter Taft was both
maker and an Interpreter OF laws, , having
ture and afterwards a Judge Alphonso
Taft, of Peter was graduated from Yale
Reserve to practice law. He settled in Gin
cnns and it was at Mt ubqTn n sqoq nie
son, William Howard Taft, first became
presidential possibility.
nest regard for public duty too little known
in these days of the colossal and engrosslng
father earned distinction in the service of
city and state and n nation going ge from ec tas
unanimously, to the place in Grants cabinet
now held by the SON then as attorney n ea gem
into the diplomatic service as minister first
to Austria and then to Russia e His sd sans
of that staunch New England stock with
whom conscience is the arbiter of action and
duty performed the goal of service
His Mothers Influence.
1t her express command that sent him
away from her last fall when both knew
her life. He had promised the Filipnos that
he would go to Manila and in person formally
first concrete experience in elf-government,
and he, more than any other man, l had made
ipinos would impIte his failure to sinister
with result vastly unfortunate to them and
to us. Mr. Taft. saw all that very clearly
have remained at home. But she forbade. She
said his duty lay to the people he had started
volved what each thought to be the final part
ing she commanded him to 60 He went and
Much was to be expected of boy of such
tation. He began by growing big physically
He has a tremendous frame. The cartoonists
as mountain of flesh. But if they had
still honestly portrayed his frame they would
have represented man above the average
weight.
Of course he went to Yale. His father had
been the first alumnus elected to the corpora
ton, and when young Taft had completed his
preparatory course at Andover he went to
New Haven for his college training. He was
play but Still got fun out of work. He did
enough in athletics to keep his 225 pounds of
his time to his studies When the class of
rs was graduated Taft was its salutatorian,
having finished second among 12O He was
then not quite IL
He went back to Cincinnati and began, the
study of law in his fathers office, at the same
time doing court reporting for the newspaper
owned by his half brother Charles P Taft
his work so well, however, that Murat Hal
stead, editor of The Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette employed him to work for that pa
per, at the increased salary of $25 week.
While he was doing this he was keeping
Cincinnati Law school from which he
graduated in 1880, dividing first honors with
another student, and being admitted to the
bar afterward
His Respects to BIackmailer.
That fall there occurred one of the most
celebrated and characteristic incidents In ms
life. man named Rose was then running
matchmaking paper in Cincinnati. He had
the reputation of being a dangerous man: He
accompanied by gang of roughs ready to
assault any whom he wanted punished Al
phonso Taft had been the unsuccessful candi-
date for governor at that election, and Roses
paper slanderously assailed him. For once
young Taft forgot his judicial temperament
and legal training, and instead of setting the
law the blaekmailer he marched down to
his office and gave Rose terrific thrashing.
When Rose begged for mercy Taft said: =
IF you'll agree to leave town I'll let up.
I'll come down here again tonight, and if you
are still here then this thing is only a start"
Rose was glad to get off on such terms.
He quit Cincinnati that night and his paper
never appeared again. Young Taft had had
his first spectacular fight, and it was in be-
1t is not the purpose of this little sketch
to attempt detailed biography of Mr.. Taft:
It merely seeks; by discussion of a few of
the more important events of his life to show
what manner of man he is. They reveal him
as a student of application and ability; a man
wrath, but terrible in anger courageous, ag
excessively honest and straightforward; reader
is foundation on which experience may build
very largely, and that is what it has done
The Call to Public office.
He was hardly out of his boyhood when
of the years since then he has devoted him
self to the public service First he
ty, and helped to drive out the old Campbell
ring, whose influence long had dominated the
Collector of internal revenue for ret the NE first ohio
district, and demonstrated the same ability in
he ne ae S the and went
back to the practice of law. with his fathers
old partner H. Floyd In 1888 he became ;anae
Governor Foraker appointed him judge of the ]
superior court to succeed Judson Harmon
In 1886 Judge Taft married Miss Helen
of Cincinnati They have three children Ro-
s bert AphqnTo Sow Student at Yale Helen hai6s a
ington
His. Judicial Career Begun.
His appointment judge. of the superior
court was the beginning of the judicial Ca. career
was as so eminentIy fitted He ts' made such
record as judge that at the close OF his
appointed term he was trlumphantly erected
another