The sun., 1908-06-19

| heart Of his youth, and it is said that his
income then was about 500 month. Mrs.
Taft was Miss Helen Heron. daughter
Of John W. Heron, a former United States
District Attorney and partner Of Rutherr-
ford B. Hayes. Miss Heron finished COL
lege about the time Mr. Taft left Yale and
she taught for time in a private school,
She believes in thorough education for
women. The honeymoon was spent in
Europe, after which the Tafts returned to
make their home in Cincinnati.
cal. In politics he worked and fought
| at the primaries. at the polls and in the
| conventions. At one time he had a real
physical fight, il fight 1t could be called
which had only one side to it. Taft's father
had been defeated for election as Governor.
the, politicians trading off votes boldly.
and his son was In no very amiabe frame
OF mind as far as local politics went.
| His neighbors Of the Mount Auburn SEQ
ton where he lived had organized puri-
| and Taft was delegated to watch certain
| polling place where intimidation was to be
tried. Another watcher called his attention
| to thug who was intimidating voters and
| Taft started for him. The man was de-
scribed as a big stone mason: When he
saw Taft coming he swaggered up to him
| and wanted to know what Taft was doing
around the polling place anyway.
Taft didn't say anything, but hit the man
| one and he fell in heap. Then Taft said:
Let's find out what's the trouble, here
| now
With all of bis more than feet and 240
pounds Taft is recorded as only having had
| one other fight Of the f1stic sort. The editor
OF scurrilous sheet had libelled his father
In a way Taft couldn't stand. 1t was said
OF old Judge Taft among his nelghbors that
he only knew the first names Of three women
| and that one OF these was his wife. The
scurrilous sheet. however, DETAINED the old
man vilely and when 4Old Bill heard Of 1t
half brother, Charles P. Taft, tried to dis
suade him. The brothers met the editor
on the street and -Old Bill knocked him
down and rubbed his nose on the sidewalk.
and then sat on him until the man agreed
to take the next train out Of town.
-Four years after his marriage Mr.. Taft
was appointed by President Harrison
Solicitor-General of the United States. and
in this important office his real public career
began. at the age Of s., when, in the words
OF adolescence was growing sturdy and full
Of character"
Taft won for the Govern ment two i'm
portant cases while he held this office, and
in 50 50 doing won national fam fame for himself
he had on his hands the defence Of the Gov
ernment in the Sayward case growing
out Of the old seal fisheries dispute. The
revenue cutters in Bering Sea had captured
the Canadian schooner Sayward fifty-pine.
ordered her sold. and the owner. backed
'by the Canadian and British Governments
demanded damages.
Suddenly. to the surprise of the American
Government, which was considering pro-
posal Of arbitration received from Great
Britain, the case was brought into the Fed
eral Supreme Court in an application of the
owner and the Canadian Minister Of Justice
with the consent Of Great Britain for writ
prohibiting II the forfeiture proceedings
On this the new Solicitor General set to
work. his opponents being Calderon Car
Isle, Jr.. and Joseph H. Choate. He brought
forth brief of 800 pages and the Government
W on the case.
Soon following came the important case
Of firm OF importers who sought to break
the then new Mckinley tariff on the ground
Of unoonstitutionality, the allegation being
set up that the bill had not been regularly
passed owing to Speaker Reeds method Of
won their case In the Circuit Court. but the
Government had carried 1t to the Supreme
Court
Speaker Reed had announced "A members
voted, and this number. with the 1888 mem
bers who voted for the bill. made a suffi.
clent number for the required quorum. 212.
The contention Of the importers was that
members present and not voting were not
doing business and must be held to be
absent. Taft inquired what good there
would be in compelling the attendance
OF members IL they could break a quorum
by simply refrainlng from voting. The
Government won the appeal.
In his three years as Solicitor General
Taft felt himself TO be doing the big things
he liked and when he returned to Cincinnati
he went back as Judge Of the Federal Court
for the Sixth Circuit, which includes Ohio.
Michi gan, Kentucky and Tennessee and
has record for graduating its members
to the Supreme Bench at Washington. Il
Before passing TO that period, however.
In which Judge Taft was to become a more
notable national figure by reason Of some
Of his decisions In cases Of widespread
effect on the general community, It 10 perti- |
nent to point out that while he was In the |
Solicitor Generals office in those early 'oOs |
he made tho acquaintance Of Theodore |
Roosevelt. then q Civil Service Commits !
sioner. IL was then that these two men |
became close friends and mutual admirers, |
though they were vastly different In |
temperament and In almost every quality |
and habit Of mind or aotion. President !
Harrison used to fret and drum with HIS |
fingers upon his desk whenever Commits |
sioner Roosevelt came to his office on busi- |
ness. however short the interview might be. |
while he welcomed the visits OF Mr. Taft. |
The association Of Roosevelt and Taft. |
ginger 70 Tafe Ths friendship has usysr |