Semi-weekly herald., 1908-06-22

KNOX .......-... %
Hughes %
Although Roosevelts name was not
presented he received three votes.
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
AT Chicago yesterday the Republic
ans nominated the next president OF
the United States In the person OF
William Howard Taft of Ohio. A more
representative iuan bas seldom been
named for this nigh position. True,
there are some who favored one CT
the favored sons" but Taft was the
great favorite of ehs people, as sh ,wn
by the vote.
AS matters now stand 1t Is going to
be Taft vs. Bryan. The Herald does
not believe that the voters OF the
United States will for one moment con
slider Bryan the proper man to elect
as chief executive. Mr.. Bryan has
made too many switches and poses
too often to command the support of
those having the welfare of the nation
at heart. Personally, Bryan is respect
ed. but not as stateman. Hence
there seems little question Of Tafts
triumph at the polls by handsome
majority. While many Of our readers
know more or less OF Mr.. Taft's career,
a resume will be Interesting at this
time:
Il
| At College.
| OF course he went to Yale. His
father had been the first alumnus
elected TO the corporation, and when
young Taft had completed his prepara-
tory course at Andover he went to
New Haven for his college training.
He was big, rolliclsing, good natured
boy who liked play but still got fun
| out OF work. He did enough in ath-
letics to keep his 225 pounds of muscle
in good condition, but gave most of
his time to mis- studies. When the
class OF rs was graduated Taft was
its salutatorian, having finished sec
ond among l20. He WAS then not quite
I2l.
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 salary at first was Sc a week.
He did this work SO well, however.
that Murat Halstead, editor Of the
| Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, EN-
| ployed him to work for that paper. at
the increased salary OF $25 a week.
While he was doing this he was
keeping up his studies, taking the
course at the Cincinnati law school,
from which he was graduated in 1880,
dividing first honors with another stu
dent, and being admitted to the bar
soon afterward.
His Respects to a Blackmaiier.
That fall there occurred one of the
most celebrated and characteristic in
cidents In his life. A man named
1
paper in Cincinnati He had the rep
utatfon Of being a dangerous man
He had been a prize fighter, and was
usually accompanied by gang of
toughs ready to assault any whom he
wanted punished. Alphonso Taft had
been the unsuccessful candidate 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 on the black
mailer he marched down to his office
and gave Rose terrible thrashing
When Rose begged for mercy Taft
said:
"1f you'll agree to leave town I'll
let up. I'll come down here again to-
night, and If you are still here then
this thing is only 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 spectacu-
lar fight, and it was In behalf OF some
body else, ..t..
The Call to Public Office.
He was hardly out Of his boyhood
when he was called to public office,
and m most of the years since then