New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-06-24
summarizing the work done by w. 81.
Taft upon the bench. said:

Taft upon the bench, said:
Judge Taft's work on the bench calls
for especial comment not only
count of his singular fairness and ability.
but also on account Of the significance {
which many Of his decisions have since
assumed. He delivered opinions estab-
fishing the principle that under the inter-
state commerce statutes mandatory in
functions will lie directing railway Off
GERS and employees to preserve the sta
tus quo until cases can be brought up for
deliberate hearing. This decision is based
on the contention that the condition of a
railroad is not one of rest, but of action;
that the constant operation Of train serv-
Ice may be likened to river of which
the current must be allowed to flow with
out Interruption. He decided here as
well as upon the bench Of the superior
court Of Cincinnati that the so called sec
ondary boycott was illegal-viz, the boy
colt of an employer or dealer because he i
patronizes another against whom the i'm
mediate or primary boycott is declared
It was, however, held by Judge Taft in 4
the railway cases that striking employees
might cease work Immediately where
their. grievance against the company of
their employment was a direct one, and
his reasoning In this case was made the
basis for a decision in a later case in
which his exact words in favor of the
right Of railway employees to strike were
quoted.
1t was his distinction also to render the
first important decision under the Sher-
man antitrust act of 1890 This was in
the case OF the Addyston Pipe and Steel
company, which, with other manufacture
ers of certain products had divided the
country into sections in which each Of
the concerns involved in the agreement
was to have the exclusive right to sell.
Judge Taft in an opinion pointed out the
distinction between legitimate incidental
contracts in restraint of trade and those
deliberately designed to restrict compe-
tttion and enhance prices. The latter
were held to be violations Of the anti
trust act when relating to interstate COM
merce. The United States supreme court
sustained this decision.
It will be noted that up to this time
practically all the positions held by Mr..
Taft were appointive and that most of
| his work had been on the bench. In
| March, 1900, he started in a new field
| the executive. Mr.. Mckinley appointed
him to the presidency of the Philippine
commission. Mr.. Mckinley, in consid-
.ering men for this position, remarked
that man would be needed who was
! fitted both to be president and chief
/ justice of the supreme court. Judge
Day, his companion at the time, an
swered, "That means Judge Taft
Mr. Taft has often said that his
greatest ambition was to sit on the
supreme bench of the United States.
/ At the end of 1902 he was twice offered
the position Of justice Of the supreme
court, but he asked that he be allowed
to finish the work that he had started
In the Philippines. However, when he
had finished there he was made secre-
tary of war under President Roosevelt
What he has done while secretary of
war is more or less fresh in the minds
Of the public. He has been twice in
Cuba after Instructions, acting as q
i pacifcator. He has been in control OF
the Panama canal. He has interested
himself deeply in those possessions OF
the United States which lie outside OF
the states, and he is in reality a sor
tary of war. He has been called "tht
busiest man in a busy government
''Big Bill'' Taft and Little Sunshine
the present candidate is designated by
his friends because of his great size
he is six feet high and tips the beam a
something over 300 pounds-and th,
4 genial cheerfulness and good nature
which proverbially are the concomi
tants of embonpoint. But, although
those who know him say his natural in
clination is toward the bright side O.
things and a pacific and amiable ad
justment of each and every difficulty
his record shows he is none the less 6
fighter of the utmost belligerency wheI
occasion calls for a display of this
| quality.
His debut in public life was marked
by a scrimmage. He had been dele
gated by local reform party in Mt
Auburn, suburb Of Cincinnati, where
i Is, 1S57-to watch a polling place or
4 election day. He was Informed tina
one of band of roughs who had gath
cred near by was intimidating voters
and young Taft went over to see abou
it. One offender, big stonemason
resented his interference and menaceG
him with a thrashing, whereupon, 81
y the SCOTy EuuS. IdlI AuOCkou uuu uOWl
with a blow delivered with such force
that the man was cured of any desire
to contest his authority.
Other stories of his physical proves
include the election, neck and crop, Of
a political boss who was interfering
with a meeting and innumerable en-
counters with tyrant seniors during his
student days at Yale, in which he was
almost invariably victorious. But The
pugilistic act Of his career which has
been most adverted to by the chroni
clers was drubbing he administered
to the editor of a so called society peri
odical in Cincinnati who had assaile6
the character Of his father.
Young Taft waited upon the offender
and, having Informed him that the OBJ
ject of his visit was to chastise him
proceeded to do so in manner, tx
quote one biographer, $50 monumental
cataclysmic. cosmic and complete" thai
on the following day the editor sus
| 1o/7 1of+ fr>rx nd rr,oc