The Washington herald., 1909-01-31

large sums OF money for his opinion he
becomes chary about venting them loose
" Mr. Knox IS no more sensational
than d safe deposit vault. He has never
coined but one phrase, OF, more pre-
cisely. given new application 10 an old
phrase. that has met with temporary but
widespread popularity. after the North
ern Securities case had been decided IN
favor OF the government. capital was
slsrmed. and the then Attorney General
promised that the Department Of Justice
would not run amuck' against great
corporations. The phrase was quickly
caught CD and has It's brief day, but was
presently oyershadowe5 by the freSh
coinage from the White House mint
Il may be expected that the Taft ad-
ministrafion-~ VIII have better luck in
having its treaties ratified by the Senate
than Mr.. Roosevelt. and Mckinley be
fore him, had John Hay, as Secretary Of
state. was not on cordial terms with the
Senators Many OF them had suffered
from that able Secretary's wit. Mr.
Roots relations with the Senate have
been cordial. IL not close. AR Knox viii
have the advantage OF his Two immediate
predecessors ia the State Department in
this respect. Despite the comparative
brevity Of his service at the Capital he
has become an influential Senator. He
viii go to the State Department with
the confidence OF the Senator's. He an
derstands the Senatorial mind: ne has
acquired the Senatorial traditions. and g
knowledge OF Senatorial views and stand
ards. which cannot fail 70 be Of service
In the four years 10 come Mr. Knox has
had no previous experience in diplomacy.
but neither had Mr.. Root. nor several
other previous heads Of the Department
Of State who achieved fame for them
selves and substantial things for the
country while holding the Office
HIS Law Practice.
BIr. Knox was 50 years old on May S
last He wss IS years Old when he came
first 10 Washington 10 become Attorney
General in President McKinley's Cabinet.
His only previous experience in public Of
fee was as assistant United States dis
trict attorney for the Western district Of
Pennsylvania in 1876. He held this Office
but a short time before resigning TO de-
vote HIS time TO his law business. In the
building Up Of his law practice he was
spared the hardships that attend the
early efforts of SO many lawyers. He Sc
cured a good business from the start.
which grew with the passing of the
years, until the firm Of Knox & Reed
was known as the most prosperous at
the Allegheny County bar. While Mr..
Knox has been attorney for men Of large
means, his corporation practice was lin
ited. He had known H. G s9rick from boy
hood. and through him became attorney
for the Carnegie Steel Company. Ltd He
however. had no part in the formation Of
the United States Steel Corporation.
It Is not generally known that the re-
port Of the committee appointed April.
1865, to investigate the management Of the
Equitable Life Insurance Society was
written by Senator Knox. Mr.. H c.
Frick was the chairman OF that commit
tee, and he engaged AZ Knox in an advjs-
ory capacity 10 help in the investigation.
which resulted in finding that the officers
Of the society had fallen short OF their
duty and had employed loose and irreg-
ular methods IN the management. The
reorganization OF the management was ef-
fected under the report OF the committee
drawn by Mr.. Knox.
The Panama Title.
President Roosevelts recent special
message on the Panama Canal gives Mr..
Knox credit for the work which he. as
Attorney General, did In connection with
the purchase OF the waterway. a piece Of
work which Senator Knox himself calls
his most important legal accomplishment.
Upon Mr.. Knox. as Attorney General. de-
volved The duty or securing a good title
TO the property OF the Panama Canal
Company.
Senator Morgan. Of Alabama. the cham
pion Of the NIcaragua route. urged that