Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-25
Washington Bureau of
The Ottumwa Courier
washington. D. c., June %.

w IL W., JuHC
1t will take big man to fill Secre-
tary Taft's place as head Of the War
Department., President Roosevelt
realizes this better than anyone else
can and he believes that he made no
mistake when he picked General Luke
E. Wright of Tennessee for the place.
General Wright is Democrat and
this fact has led to much comment on
the political phases of his selection for
the important post of secretary OF war.
Entirely apart from politics, however,
there are strong reasons for the selec-
ton of General Wright and there can
be no doubt he is admirably fitted to
step into the shoes Mr.. Taft will va
cate.
1t is not always understood that the
war department was grown into, per-
haps, the greatest of the executive de-
partments. Since the era of expansion
the responsibilities on the secretary Of
war have been tremendous. He Is
not merely the head of the war de-
partment proper, that Is, of the mill
tary branch of the administration. He
is the responsible secretary of in
sular affairs. The vexing questions OF
the Philippines are his to settle. He
has to watch over the perpleXing prob
lens arising from intervention in
Cuba. The conduct of the canal zone
and of canal affairs generally imposes
on his shoulders burdensome respon-
sibilities. Far-reaching problems
come before him by reason of the fact
the war department engineers are en-.
trusted with the carrying out of the
river and harbor work.
An ordinary man would break down
is few weeks under such respon.
sibilities and the best answer that the
friends of Secretary Taft can make to
his critics is to point to the way in
which he has borne the huge burdens
of his office.
! Now, General Wright is expected to
take up the burden that Secretary Taft
carried long and successfully. 1t Is
a reasonable expectation, if General
Wright lives up to his past record
that he will make an excellent secre
tary of war.
General Wrights home is in Mem
phis and he is native OF Tennessee
He was born in 1S47 His father
Archibold Wright, was chief justice
of Tennessee. His wife is daughter
Of Admiral Raphael Semmes, of the
! Confederate navy whose record Of
exploits in wiping Northern commerce
from the ocean is familiar. Genera
Wright served through the civil wal
as a Confederate. He was in the ar
tillery and his record was an honor
able one. He was for eight years at
torney general of his state. 1t was
as attorney general that he gained
the title of General He did MOI
rise to that rank in the service of the
| Confederate army, as is apparent
from the fact he was but eighteen
i years old when the war ended He
! studied law and has risen to the ranl
of Tennessee's leading lawyer He
( gained prominence in 1878 by reason
of his activity in the measures take1
in Memphis and In that part Of the
country to overcome the yellow fevel
scourge.
1 President Mckinley appointed Gen
eral Wright member of the Philip
pine commission March 16, 1900. I'm
] portant duties devolved upon him In
cidental to the sickness of Governo
Taft the Office Of vice governor wa.
created October 20, 1901, and Genera