Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-03-17
PHILANDER c. KNOX.

Taft's secretary of state reenters the
cabinet after five years in the United
States senate. to which he was ap-
pointed in June, 1904, to fill the vacan-
cy caused by the death of NJ. S. Quay.
Mr. h2"y is a lawyer and first came
into national prominence as attorney
general in Mckinley's first cabinet
when he successfully prosecuted he
Northern Securities case. Mr.. Knox
is fifty-six years OLE, having been born
in Brownsville, Pa, May 6, 1853. Alter
graduating from Mount Union cole ge
at Alliance, Ohio, he began the study
of law in Pittsburg and three years
later was admitted to the bar. When
twenty-four years of age he was ap-
pointed assistant United States dis
trict attorney for the western district
of Pennsylvania. After a short term
in this Office, however, he resigned
and entered private practice with
James II. Reed. The firm became
counsel for many large interests and
~ - Sf11A tu0@ As1A" NINA nGo ACtGlNCu
some of the largest fees ever paid in
this country. During the Homestead
riots in 1892 he was counsel for the
Carnegie Steel Co., and directed the
legal end of that famous disturbance.
In 1910 Mr.. Mckinley appointed him
encouragement. AS attorney-gen-
eral Mr.. Knox not only prosecuted to
successful issue he governments
suit against the so-called beef trust
with the result that that combina-
ton 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 1903
1t was shortly after the conclusion of
the Panama purchase that Mr.. Knox
was appointed to the United States
senate by Governor Pennypacker to
fill the vacancy caused by the death
of Senator Quay, and afterward he
was elected by the legislature for the
full term expiring in March, 1911.
RICHARD A. BALlNGER.
Richard A Ballinger, the new sec
rotary of the interior, is a native of
Iowa, having been born in Boonsboro
in 1859. After practising law in Hi
nois for while he removed to Ala
bama, and in 1899 he became resi-
dent of Por: Townsend in Washington
state. The next year he was appoint
ed United States commissioner at Port
Townsend and later was elected Judge
of the superior court of Jefferson
county Five years ago Mr.. Ballinger
was elected mayor of Seattle, and
when his term as mayor expired
President Roosevelt appointed him
commissioner of the general land of
fee. AS a practitioner at the bar
Mr.. Ballinger made a speciality of
admiralty and maritime law. Mr..
Ballinger's father studied law in the
office of Abraham Lincoln, and his
ancestors on both sides participated
in the war of the revolution and the
war of 1872. He was prepared for
college in the public schools and is
graduate of Williams college, class
of "a. He is the author of Ballinger
on Community Property and of Ball
myers Annotated Codes and Statute
of Washington.
JACOB M. DICKINSON.
Jacob McGavock Dickinson, secre-
tary of war, is the southern member.
A Mississippian by birth, he is a
| citizen of Tennessee and as a Cleve-
land democrat supported Mr., Taft for
the presidency. His most notable
public service was as counsel for the
/ United States in the Alaskan boundary
case before the arbitration tribunal
in London in 1908 He was an ass
sistant encouragement of the United
States counsel for the Illinois Central
railroad company for some years,
spending most of his time in Chicago,
where the general Offices OF that com
pany are located. Mr. Dickinson IS
ifty-eight years old, having been
born in Columbus, Mississippi, In 1851.
He Is graduate of the University of
Nashville, from which school he has
a degree as Master Of Arts, and he
| studied law at Columbia university, at
the University of Leipzig and in Par
is. He is president of tn American
Bar association and owner of the IA
nous Belle Meade stock farm in Nash
vile.
GEORGE Won LENGERkE MEYER.
George Won Lengerke Meyer, who
goes from the postmaster generals
Office to the navy department. was
brought into the cabinet in February.
1907. TO succeed Postmastef General
Cortelyou. He was at that time am
bassador to St. Petersburg. to which
post he had been transferred from
Rome, where he had served five years
as ambas sador. Mr.. Meyer is a nat
i've Of Boston, in which city he was
born in 1855. =
GEORGE w. WIckERsHAM.
New York's representative in the
new cabinet Is George w. Wicker.
sham. who becomes attorney general.
Mr.. Wiekersham is a member OF the
law firm in which President Taft's
brother, Henry W Taft. is a partner
and he Is known as an expert IN rail
road law Although a resident OF
Na,,- VrrI. CfFx NJ N~sa1-are ha ~, gg a