Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-06-20
Wright
Luke +. Wright i Of Tennessee
viii Be Next SeCfe.
tary Of War
President Desires to Emphd.
size There Is No North,
No South

No South
Washington, D. O., June 19.Sec-
rotary Taft today presented to the
president his resignation to take eff
feet June 80 and it was announced at
the White House that Luke 2. !
Wright Of Tennessee, will be APP
pointed secretary of war to succeed
Mr.. Taft. In making this appoint
ment the president was influenced
somewhat by desire to recognize
in an emphatic way that there is no
longer any dividing line between the
North and South, and that all good
Americans are in thought and deed
one, and the president was infiuenc-
ed still more by the fact that Cover
nor Wright's personal attributes and
experience perfectly fitted him for
this position. i AZ .s .5
4l5 Wr1ght'S History.
Washington, D. c., June 10 The
correspo ndence between President
Roosevelt and Secretary Taft relating
to the latter's resignation, is very
brief. Secretary Taft simply said
in his resignation:
is.I hereby tender my resignation
as secretary of war to take effect
June Both next
S8 The president in his reply said 4:
your resignation is hereby ac-
cepted to take effect June 30th.
The resignation was dated yester-
day and acceptance dated today.
Tt was stated at the White House
that as the president so recently as
yesterday had given out a formal
statement concerning his high esteem
for Secretary Taft, it was not deem
ed necessary to repeat what he then
said. The statement given out at
the White House concerning Mr..
< Wright's appointment says:
AS Philippine commissioner and
later as vice governor and governor
he won the affection and regard Of
! the army to high degree and many
OF the most distinguished Of the
men who served in the army at the
time he was in the Philippines have
urged his appointment because they
/ felt In a peculiar way that he was
their champion and in a particular
way understood their needs. This
IS especially true as regards the men
who were union veterans Of the Civ
III war for these feel that he was es-
\ pecially interested In their welfare.
Moreover, his great administra-
tive and legal ability peculiarly fit
him to deal with the problems in the
Philippines, Panama and Cuba, for
the work of. the war department is
now such that only a man with spec
ial fitness and unusual training is
4 able to do justice to It. OF all the
men in the country the president
feels that Luke Wright is the best
man equipped to take UP the work
OF the department, which for the
last several years has been under
I the control arst Of Root, and then
of Taft.
AS young man he was a captain
In the Confederate army. He is one
Of the leading lawyers not only Of
his state. but Of the entire South.
He has also been foremost in advo-
eating and insisting upon fair treat
ment for the colored people. He
first definitely established his repu-
tatfon in the terrible days of the
yellow fever epidemic at Memphis,
when he practically made himself
4 mayor Of the town and took charge
Of all relief measures showing what
may justly be called heroic devotion
1 to duty and indifference to his own
4 life, together with masterful quail
ties Of the successful administrator
4 in q great crisis. He was himself
struck down by the plague he was
fighting, but lived to see 1t stamped
{ out and himself to take part In in
Producing into Memphis the hygenic
measures which have since made It
one Of the most model health cities
Of the world.
He was appointed by President