Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-01-11
WHO is TAFT?

Without doubt the strongest
and most suitable, available man
before the American people for
election as president in Novem-
1905. is William Howard Taft,
nominally Secretary of War but
really representative at large of
Americanism in all its best
phases and trusted as fully by
the American people as he is by
his commanding Office. the pres
ident
Born at Cincinnati, Ohio, on
September 16, 1857, William
Howard Taft is son of the late
iAlphonso Taft who was Judge of
the superior court, Cincinnati,
1865 to 1871; secretary of war,
l1875-1876; attorney general, 1876
1877; United States Minister to
Russia, 1885 1887.
Passing through all the grades
of the public schools of Cincin
natl, William Howard Taft gradu-
ated from the Woodward High
School in 1874. Then in Yale
University for four years, grad
uating in June 1873, with the
| degree of Bachelor of Arts;
second, or salutatorian in class
of II; also elected as class orator.
Entered the law school of Gin
cinnati college in 1873, gradual
ing in 1880 with the degree of B.
L. and dividing the first prize.
In May 1880, VIM. Howard
T11f 4 u 70 Of
the supreme court of Ohio. For
about a year he served as law
reporter of the Cincinnati Times,
and subsequently the Cincinnati
! Commercial. Appointed assist
ant prosecuting attorney in Jan
uary, 1881. Resigned in March,
1882, to become collector of in
ternal revenue. First District,
Ohio, under President Arthur.
Resigned the collectorship in
March, 1888, to enter the prac-
tice of law Continued the law
practice till March, 1887, hold
ing in the meantime, from Janu-
ary, 1885, the Office of assistant
county solicitor of Hamilton
county. Appointed in March,
1887, judge superior court of
Cincinnati, to fill a resignation
vacancy. Elected in April. 1888,
to succeed himself for five years.
Resigned in February, 1890, to
become solicitor general of the
United States under President
Harrison. This office Mr.. Taft
relinquished in March, 1892, to
become United States circuit
judge for the sixth judicial dis
trict and ex-oficio member of
the circuit court of appeals of
the sixth district. In June, 1898
Yale University honored him
with the degree of LII. D. In
1896 he became also professor
and dean of the law department
of the University of Cincinnati.
In March, 1900, came the event
which has given the American
lpeople the benefit of the invalu-
able services of William Howard
Taft along political and govern
mental lines. A great charge
was upon-our nation, namely to
bring order out of chaos in the
philippines, with all the world
looking on, ready to criticise
every move we made. The con
fidence of the people to win a
confidence hard to secure, be-
cause 400 years of Spanish op-
ipression had created an Unborn
suspicion of everything new, and
Especially of everything foreign,
was essential To that great
task President Mckinley called
William HowardTaft- called him
from a life of peace and quiet
ness to life of turbulence and
worry as first president (and. or
ganizer) of the United States
Philippine Commission The
next year, July 4, 1901, by ap-
pointment of President McKin-
ley, Mr.. Taft became the first
civil governor of the Philippine
Islands. Space forbids the
enumeration of the able and 10y
al service he rendered in those
positions. not only to his country
but also to the islands and their
lpeop4e, until in November, 1901,
he was forced by illness to turn
over the Office of governor to
Vice-Governor Wright.
In December, 1901, by order
of the Secretary of War, Mr..
Taft came to Washington to tes-
tifv hafopo tho Caro4o