New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-03-05
ADVISERS OF MR.. TAFT
THEIR CAREERS OUTLINED
Al Men Of Noteworthy AchieUe-
ment Along Special Lines.


after over four years in the United States Senate
to which he was appointed in June. 1904. 10 hu the
vacancy caused by the death of Matthew :. quay
Like most Of his colleagues in the new CABINET
Mr.. Knox is lawyer. and first came into natloiia
prominence Attorney General in Mr. Mckinney
first Cabinet when he successfully prosecuted the
Northern Securities case. Mr.. Knox IS hfty-slx
years old, having been born in Brownsville Pehh'
May s, 1858. After being graduated from Mount
Union College at Alliance, Ohio, he began the STUDY
OF law in Pittsburg and three years iater was
admitted to the bar in that city. When Mr. Knox
only twenty-fOur years old ne was dP-
pointed Assistant United States District Attorney
for the district of Pennsylvania AFTER
short term in this office, however he resigned ana
entered private practice with James H. Reed under
the firm name OF Knox & Reed. The firm became
counsel for many large interests and II Is SAID thaI
Mr.. Knox has received some of the largest tees
ever paid in this country During the Homestead
riots in 1892 he counsel for the Carnegie steer
Company. and directed the legal end OF that IA
nous labor disturbance. When, in 1901, Mr.. NC
Kinley appointed him Attorney General, Mr. knoxs
participation in the Homestead affair caused some
opposition on the part Of labor organizations 10
his confirmation AS Attorney General Mr.. Knox
not only prosecuted successful issue the govern
ments suit against the Northern Securities Com
pany, but conducted the case against the so-cA4eu
Beef Trust, with the result that that combination
was dissolved by the final decree OF the Unl'ed
States Supreme Court. Mr.. Knox has been cred
ited also with having prepared and carried through
the Panama Canal purchase, in 1903 1t was snort
Iy after the conclusion of the Panama purchase
that Mr.. Knox appointed TO the United states
Senate by Governor Pennypacker to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Senator Quay, and AFTER
ward he was elected by the Legislature for the 1uIl
term expiring an March 1911.
RICHARD A BALLINGER. the new Secretary
OF the Interior. is a native of Iowa. having been
born in Boonsboro in 1853; after practising law IN
Illinois for a while he removed TO Alabama and in
1859 he became a resident of Port Townsend IN
Washington State. The next year he was appointed
United States Commissioner at Port Townsend ana
later was elected judge OF the Superior Court OF
jefferson County. Five years ago Mr.. Ballnger
was elected Mayor of Seattle, and when his term
as Mayor expired President Roosevelt appointed
him Commissioner of the General Land Office.
JACOB MGAvOCK DICKINSON. the Sec
rotary Of War IS the Southern member Of Presi-
dent Tafts Cabinet. Mississppian by birth. he Is
a citizen Of Tennessee and Cleveland Demo
crat supported Mr. Taft for the Presidency. Prob
ably his notable public service was as counsel
for the United States in the Alaskan boundary case
before the arbitration tribunal in London I'm 1903.
He was an Assistant Attorney General Of the
United States during CIevelands administration
and has been general counsel for the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad Company for some years, spending
most OF his time in Chicago. where the general
offices OF that company are located
GEORGE Won LENGERKE MEYER, who goes
from the Postmaster Generals ofhce to the Navy
Department. brought into the Cabinet in Feb
ruary 1907, to succeed Postmaster General COrtel-
yu. He at that time ambassador TO St. Peters
burg to which post he had been transferred from
Rome where he had served five years ambas
sador. Mr.. Meyer is a native of Boston, in which
city he was born IN 1865. After being graduated
from Harvard he entered the employ OF commits
sion firm and some years later became member
Of the firm Of Under Meyer. East India mer-
chants which had been established by his father.
GEORGE w WICKERsHAM New York's rep
tornev General is a member of the law firm in
which President Taft's brother Henry W. Taft, IS
a partner, and he is known expert in rail-
road law. Although resident OF New York City,
Mr. Wickersham Is native OF Pennsylvania. hav
ing been born In Pittsburg in 1855. He first studied
civil engineering at Lehigh University, but later
entered the Law School of the University OF Penn
sylvania, from which he holds the degree of Bach
elor of Laws He Immediately entered practice in
Philadelphia. but later went to New York and
ISOLATED himself with the firm Of Chamberlain.
Carter & Hornbower. A year later he became
managing clerk OF the firm OF Strong & CadwaIa-
der. of which President Tafts brother is mem
Der. and eventually taken into partnership.
CHARLES NAGEL. of st. Louis. the Secre-
tary of Commerce and Labor. is better known
among lawyers and educators than to the public at
large although he served member OF the Mis-
souri, House of Representatives and Is member of
the Republican National Committee. He is native
Westerner. having been born in Colorado County,
Tex. In tsR.
FRANK H. HITCHCOCK, Mr.. Taft's Postmaster
General. although the youngest member of the
Cabinet, is perhaps better known TO the general
public than any of his colleagues by Of the
prominence he attained chairman of the Repub-
lcan National Committee in the recent campaign.
Mr.. Hitchcock is only forty-two years of age. and
since left school has been in the employ of the
government. He a native of Ohio. but received
his education I'm Massachusetts. to which state his
parents removed while he quite young. Being
graduated from Harvard in 1891. he obtained
cIerkship in the Department of Agriculture. Later
Secretary Wilson made him chief OF the division o.
foreign markets. and when the Department OF
Commerce and Labor was organized he was made
its first chief clerk In Mr.. ROosevet's campaign
he was assistant secretary TO the Republican Ma
tionaI Committee, and was later appointed First
Assistant Postmaster General. He resigned that
position when the Taft campaign was opened, to
take charge Of Mr.. Tafts interests. subsequently
he was elected chairman OF the Republican Ma
tionaI Committee which post he still holds
JAMES WILSON, if he continues to hold the
Agricultural portfolio until November, Will have
broken the record for continuous Cabinet service,
which Is now held by Albert Gallatin. once Sec
rotary of the Treasury, who served twelve years,
eight months and twenty-five days. Secretary VIII
son was appointed the outset Of the first NcKin-
ley administration. He was born in Ayrshire, Scot
land in 1895. and at the age Of seventeen was
brought to this country by his parents. He was
educated the public schools Of Iowa and at Iowa
College. He engaged in farming. and. entering
state politics, member OF the 18th, 18th and
14th Assemblies OF Iowa. being elected Speaker OF
the Assembly in his last term. He served three
terms in Congress.
FRANKLIN MACVEAGH. merchant. who will
be the next Secretary Of the Treasury. was bonn
on a farm near PhRnixvilIe. Chester County
Penn. He was graduated from Yale in 1862. and
from Columbia Law School. New York. in 1864 and
began practice with hts brother. Wayne MacNeagh
but his health failing, he abandoned law and went
West Shortly after he established in Chicago the
Wholesale grocery house OF Franklin MacFeaSh