The Holly chieftain., 1908-10-02
TAFT As LAWYER
and JUDGE
Pienesrsd tie Way for tie "Rooss-
veit Policy" Concersiag
Trusts.
Successful q Lawyer in Important
Gases and Authority -
Jurist.

Nj. Tart was 1ArQiy OUT OF MS boy
hood when he was called to public Of
Ace, and in most Of the years since
then he has devoted himself to the pub
lie service. First he was Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney Of Hamilton
County, under Miller Outcalt, now one
of the leading lawyers Of Ohio. In
1881 he became Collector of Internal
Revenue for the First Ohio District,
and demonstrated the same ability In
business that he had shown in the law.
A year later lie resigned that Office
and went back to the practice of law,
with his fathers old partner, H. P.
Lloyd. In 1884 he became the Junior
counsel Of a Bar Committee to con-
duct testament proceedings against
Campbell, whose methods of practicing
law had brought on the hearing Of
the Hamilton County Courthouse in
Cincinnati. Though technically unsuc-
cessful, Mr.. Taft made a good reputa-
ton from his conduct of this matter,
and Campbell was drawn from Cincn-
natl. In 1886 he became Assistant
County Solicitor. Two years later Gov:
srnor Foraker appointed him Judge
of the Superior Court, to succeed Jud-
son Harmon, who had resigned to enter
President Cleveland's cabinet.
His Judicial Career Begun.
His appointment as Judge Of the Su.
perior Court was the beginning of the
judicial career which was Taft's am
bition, and for which he was so emil
nently fitted. He made such record
as Judge that at the close Of his
appointed term he was triumphantly
elected for another term. But already
he had attracted attention outside his
State, and he had served but two years
Of the five years for which he had been
elected when President Harrison asked
him to take the difficult position Of So
licitor General of the United States.
This was an Office of the utmost i'm
portance, involving not only wide learn
ing and tremendous application, but
the power Of clear and forceful pres
sntation Of argument. Two Of the
General involved questions of vital i'm
portance to the entire country. The
drst grew out Of the seal fisheries con-
tr0versy with Great Britain. Mr.. Taft
won against such eminent counsel as
Joseph II. Choate, who is widely recog-
nized as leader Of the American bar.
The other was a tariff case in which
the law was attacked on the ground
that Speaker Reed had counted a quo
rum 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 continued and
grown ever since and which has had
such far-reaching influence upon the
lives of both men.
On the Federal Bench.
Mr.. Taft's record as solicitor general
% clearly proved his fitness for the
bench. that after three years In Wash
ingon he was sent back to Ohio as
Judge Of the Sixth Federal Circuit, a
post generally recognized as prelimi-
nary step to the Supreme Court, which
was then the goal of his ambition.
It was during his seven years on the
federal bench that Mr.. Taft's qualities
~ q Judge became known throughout
the country. He was called upon then
to decide some Of the most important
cases that have ever been tried in the
federal courts, in the conduct of which
he established an enviable reputation
for learning, courage and fairness
three essential attributes of great ju-
rist. His power of application and his
ability to turn on enormous masses of
work received ample demonstration
during this time. It was In this period
Of his service that he rendered the Ia
Dor decisions which have made him
famous a. an upright and fearless
Judge. In his treatment Of both labor
and capital he showed that here was
q Judge who knew no distinction Of
parties when they appeared ~ litigants
before him. He voiced the law as he
knew 1t and the right a. he saw 1t, no
matter where the blow fell or whom 1t
struck. If sometimes the decisions
wel,t against what organized labor at
that time believed to be its cause, 1t
must not be forgotten that no clearer
or broader statement Of the true rights
Of labor has even been made than in
some of his judicial utterances. Law
yers conducting litigation in other
courts on behalf Of labor unions have
often cited these decisions Of Judge
Taft in support Of their contentious.
Neither should 1t be forgotten that one
Of the most important and far reach
ing Of all his judgments was that
against the Addystone Pipe Company,
In which for the first time the Sher-
nan antitrust law was made living,