Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
THE TAFT CABINET.
Sketches Of the Men who VIII Aid
prcSent dminlnf lion.


Following are brief sketches OF the
different members Of the Taft cabinet.
showing the training they have re-
ceived for the important administra-
tive positions they are occupying:
PHILANDER c. KNOX.
Phlander Chase Knox, who will be Mr.
Tafts secretary Of State, re-enters the
cabinet after five years in the United
states Senate. to which he was appointed
In June, 1904. to fill the vacancy caused
by the death OF Matthew NJ. Quay. Like
most OF his colleagues In tho new cab
met Mr.. Knox is q lawyer and first came
into national prominence as attorney
general in Mr.. Mcitnley's first cabinet
when he successfully prosecuted the
Northern Securities case. Mr.. Knox is
flfty-six years old. having been born In
Brownsville. Pa. May 6. 1853 After
graduating from Mount Union College
at Alliance. Ohio. he began the study Of
law In Pittsburg and three years later
was admitted to the bar in that cfSy
when Mr.. Knox was only twenty-four
years of age he was appointed Assist
ant United States district attorney for the
western ulSNTlCt OF HennSylVdNId. RItcT
a short term In this office. however. he
resigned and entered private practice
with James II. Reed. under the Arm name
Of Knox & Reed. The firm became
counsel for many large interests and II
"a said that Mr.. Knox has received some
Of the largest fees ever paid in this
country. During the Homestead riots In
1892 he was counsel for the Carnegie
that famous labor disturbance. When
in 1901 Mr.. Mckinley appointed him at
torney-general Mr.. Knoxs participation
IN the Homestead affair caused some op-
position on the part OF labor organiza-
tions 70 his confirmation As attorney
general Mr.. Knox not only prosecuted TO
a successful issue tho governments suit
against the Northern Securities company.
but conducted the case against the So
called beef trust with the result that that
combination was dissolved by the final
decree Of the United states supreme
court. Mr.. Knox has been credited also
with having prepared and carried
through the Panama canal purchase in
1908. 1t was shortly after tho conclusion
~ tho Panama purchase that Mr.. Knox
was appointed to the United States SEN
vacancy caused by the death OF Senator
Quay and afterward he was elected by
the Legislature for the full term expir-
Ing in March. 1911.
1t was at Mount Union College that
Major Mckinley first became acquainted
with young Knox. Mr.. Mckinley was
at that time prosecuting attorney OF
Stark county. and the acquaintance he
xr-1o hot 0,o
rpened into the friendship Of later years.
and eliminated In the Penrsvlvanian's
entry into the second Mckinley cabin
Fl. It has always been understood that
President Mckinley sought 10 induce
Mr.. Knox to accept the attorney -gener-
elship In his first cabinet. hut the offer
was declined on the plea Of private In
terests. Mr.. Kncx Is entitled to twice
write the deg'ec OF LID. after his
name. both this University Of Pennsylva-
MIA and Yale University having conferred
that honor upon HIN.
RICHARD A. BALLINGER.
-Four States may claim n proprietary
interest in Richard A. Ballinger, the new
secretary OF the interior He Is a native
OF Iowa. having beer bon in Boonsboro
for a Will, lie removed to Alabama, and
in 1889 he became a resident OF Port Town
send IN Washington State. The next
year he was appointed United States
commissioner at Port Townsend and later
was elected judge of the superior court
Of jefferson cour'y. Five years ago nv.
Ballinger was elected mayor of Seattle
and when his term mayor expired
President Roosevelt appointed him com
missioner of the general land office.
AS a practitioner at the bar Mr.. Ball
niger made a specially of the admiralty
and maritime law. and his position as
commissioner OF the general land Office
gave him a wide knowledge OF tho land
laws ana other important problems which.
will fall under his jurisdiction az secro-
tary of the interior
Mr. Ballngers father studied law
IN the ONCE Of Abraham Lincoln
and his ancestors on both sides par
tfciDated in the war Of the Rev
oluton and the war Of 1872. He was
prepared for college in the public schools
and is a graduate Of williams College,
elias, OF "a. He Is the auther OF "Balling-
er or Community Property" and of
''Ball,nge-'s Annotated Codes and Stat
ute of Washington" Mr. Ballinger Is n
republican State committeeman for the
State Of Washington. and was a mem
ber Of the advisory committee during the
last campaign
JACOB NJ. DICKINSON.
Jacob McGavock Dickinson. the new
secretary Of war. is tho southern mem
her OF President Taft's cabinet A Miss
issippian by birth. ne Is n citizen of Ten
Eessee and as Cleveland democrat
supported Mr.. Taft for the presidency
Probably his most notable public service
was as counsel for the United States In
the Alaskan boundary case before the
Arbitration Tribunal in London in 1903
He was an assistant attorney general
Of the United States during Cleveland's
administration. and has been general
counsel for the Illinois Railroad COM
rany for some years, spending most Of
his time In Chicago where the general
Offices Of that company are located Mr.
Dickinson is fifty-eight years old. hay
Ing been born in Columbus, Mississippi
IN 1851. He Is graduate ~ the Cniver-
sity OF Nashville. from which school he
has degree as master OF arts. and he
studied law at Columbia university at
tho University Of Leipsic. and in Paris.
lie Is president OF the American Bar
association. and belongs to the Chicago
club. the Onwentsia and the Iroauois
clubs. all OF Chicago. Mr.. Dickinson is
the owner OF the famous Belle Meade
stock farm in Nashville.
GEORGE Won LENGEREE MAYER