The bee., 1908-10-01
Every Stage of His Career Sig
nalized by important Pioneer
Ing in Law or Statecraft
FIRST FIXED RIGHTS OF LABOR
Decided That a Combination Of Work.
ingmen to Raise Wages or to OBJ
tain Other Advantages is Not
Contrary 20 Law First
Mnde Effective sherman
Antitrust Law.

William II. Taft is an originator, a
constructive statesman, not a follow
er. He has initiative, positive con-
victions and he acts upon them. This
has been proved by every step In his
public career. He Is a natural lead
er, progressive and altruistic He is
animated by the strongest sense OF
loyalty and the obligations OF friend
ship when they do not conflict with
duty or what he thinks and knows is
right.
No stage OF his progression from a
law office I'm Cincinnati to the portfo-
Ito OF war has been unmarked by ac-
complishment, by important pioneer
ing In the sphere Of law or statecraft.
His career has been self made.
As Judge OF the Superior Court of
ohio he laid down the Interpretation
OF the law OF the secondary boycott.
or a boycott against a person not a
party TO the. original trade dispute
He outlined and definitely fixed the
rights OF labor when he decided that
a combination by workingmen to
raise wages or obtain other material
advantages is not contrary 70 law. In
the Addyston pipe case, decided by
him when on the Federal circuit
bench, he for the first time made ef-
fective the Sherman antitrust law
and showed how IL could be success
fully invoked against criminal combi-
nations OF corporations. Here he ap-
piled to the suppression OF an illegal
combination Of capital the identical
principles he had previously been
criticised for utilizing in curbing ille-
gal combinations of employees.
When he became Solicltor-General
Of the United States, at the age of
'thirty-three, he won for the United
States an all-important international
decision in the Alaska seal fisheries
dispute with Great Britain. He saved
the Mckinley tariff bill when Il was
attacked in the courts by absolutely
proving the legality OF the procedure
which had resulted in fits passage.
In the Philippines he inaugurated
the policy of attraction" which in
less than a decade reduced the ISL
ands and their 100000 of conten-
tious, mixed and rebellious peoples
from a state of chaos to an orderly,
self-sustaining nation, partially self
governing and with the certain pros
pect OF ultimately attaining to COM
,plete autonomy by education and ex-
perience. In this single task alone
Mr.. Taft originated and carried out
measures which admittedly equal the
accomplishments OF Cromer, Eng
lands great colonial administrator.
Mr.. Taft was at the head and front
of our Intervention in Cuba, rendered
necessary by the revolution of two
years ago. He went to Cuba, and by
his diplomacy, irmness and the
strength OF his personality induced
the disputing factions not TO resist
our troops with arms. He devised a
provisional government and put II
into successful operation. Then he
took up the task of organizing a per-
manent government according to the
provisions of the Cuban Constitution.
He succeeded, and within few
months the Cubans will again be Civ
en- fun control of their own affairs.
His guiding hand has been potent
in shaping the fortunes OF the new
Republic OF Panama and maintaining
its integrity and stability. AS Secre-
tary OF War he became the response
BILE head of the construction of the
Panama Canal. He brought his tai
ents as organizer and administrator
to bear upon the canal situation
when conditions on the isthmus were
most discouraging. The success or
the project is now assured, so much
so that Mr.. Taft has been able TO fix
approximately a definite date when
the work will be completed.
These are only few of the thou
sand and one tasks that Mr.. Taft has
undertaken and accomplished, some
OF them in the face OF obstacles that
seemed insurmountable. And in all
Mr.. Taft. as one writer put II, has
been seeking only results, and not
personal glorification.