Evening star., 1909-03-04
New Occupant of the White House
a Man Who Laughs and Fights
---As Secretary of War He
Earned the Sobriquet of *tSec-
retary of Peace" -Calm Judg-
ment, Alert Sense of Right and
Courage Among the Striking
Characteristics of the Man Who
Will Steer the Ship of State.

other qualities. His judicial temperament,
| founded upon deep-seated. comprehen-
| sive and ever alert sense Of right and
| wrong: his courage, proved by repeated
and strenuous tests; his calm imperturb-
able Judgment, and his all embracing
sympathy are characteristics that have
| been often and widely noted. They are his
| by right OF inheritance from generations
| of broadminded. upright men and women,
| The development of his country has ex-
tended the range of his opportunity and
given greater scope to his activities than
was enjoyed by Alfonso Taft, his father.
or Peter Rawson Taft, his grandfather,
but in character and intellect he is their
true descendant.
1.-The American people know Mr.. Taft
as man of pervasive good humor, al
ways ready with a hearty laugh and
other side has not often appeared. but
he is capable of tremendous wrath Moth
ing arouses 1t more quickly than unfaith-
fulness to a trust or an exhibition of de-
ceit. Injustice in any form stirs him to
the bottom instantly.
HE has a broad, KEEN quick. ALIEN
bracing sympathy, always ready to re-
spond to any call. His sense Of Justice
Is wonderfully quick-springing and alert
which enables him to derive real pleas
ure from his task. These qualifications
are the endowment of an unusually gifted
man.
are clearly traceable back through his
family. The first Tafts came from Eng
land, drawn from the yeomanry and
brought by conscience's sake to New
England. They turned to the study and
practice Of law, and his ancestor. Peter
Taft, was both a maker and interpreter
of laws. He was a member of the Yer
mont legislature and afterward was made
a Judge. He sent his son Alphonso Taft
to Yale, whence he graduated in the law
and went west to seek his fortune. He
began the practice of law in Cincinnati
and William Howard Taft was born at
Mount Auburn, a suburb of the Ohio
city. September Is. 1857.
Guidance of Father.
While the son was growing up he en-
joyed the companionship and guidance Of
his father. who was prominent in public
affairs. He was surrounded by an at
mosphere of regard for public duty and
the responsibilities Of citizenship The
father was elected unanimously to
place on the superior bench. where later
the son also was to sit. President Grant
took him into the cabinet. first as Secre-
tary of War and afterward Attorney Gen.
eral The son was destined to fill one of
these cabinet offices and take prominent
place under another. The senior Taft
also had diplomatic experience as min
lister in turn to Austria and to Russia
This formative period of William H.
Tafts life was greatly Influenced by his
land stock. one Of the Torreys She
taught him that conscience is the arbi-
ter OF action and duty performed the
goal OF service 1t was destined that
the teachings OF duty and disinterested
ness in public service which she instilled
into the lad should be exemplified in the
man In a peculiarly sad manner, personal
to herself. In her last days, with the
end OF her life inevitably at hand. she
lived up to her teachings and compelled
him to sacrifice his feelings and her own
upon the altar Of public duty.
1t fell out that he was due to return to
Manila to formally open the Filipino as
sembly. He had promised it. and the
performance. Failure would have led the
Filipinos to misunderstood, perhaps to
distrust his motive. Yet his mother was
surely nearing her end. He could not in
turn She firmly bade him go. and before
he could return she had passed away.
Environed by Helpful Influences.
With such father and mother the
youth OF William H. Taft was environed
with the most helpful influences. He
grew up in a good climate and became a
hardy lad. He was OF unusually large
frame and fond of outdoor life, but he
could study as well as play. and made
a good record In the public schools OF
Cincinnati He went to Yale, where his
father had been the first alumnus, and
buckled down to his studies. devoting
just enough time to athletics to keep in
good physical trim.
He graduated second among 100 in the
class OF '18. and was salutatorian, though
marely twenty-one. He had his own way
to make in life, however and he returned
to Cincinnati to study law in his fathers
office. incidentally earning So week on
the newspaper owned by his half brother.
Charles P. Taft. He did everything we'll
that he undertook, however, and soon
Murat Halstead had brought him over to
the Commandments and advanced
him to S25 week All this time he was
keeping up his studies at the Cincinnati
Law School. graduating in 1880 dividing
first honors with another student.
He soon put foot upon the lower rung
OF the ladder Of public career he was des-
tined to climb. He was made assistant
prosecuting attorney OF Hamilton county
and in 1881 became collector Of internal
| revenue. He returned to the practice OF
law year later and was junior counsel
OF the bar committee which broke up a
notorious ring in city politics. In 1885 he
became assistant county solicitor.
Members Of Family.
Judge Id1C III 1880 mdrFleQ MISS Helen
Heron. daughter OF John W. Heron
of Cincinnati. They have three children.
Robert Alphonso, student at Yale Hell
en-. student at Bryn Mawr and Charles
Phelps. I'd. who has been attending the
public schools in Washington.
Mr. Taft in 1887 was appointed Judge OF
the superior court by Gov. Foraker. sue
ceeding Judson Harmon. whom President
| Cleveland had taken into his cabinet.
| Harmon is now Governor of Ohio, and
| Foraker goes out of the Senate the day
| Taft becomes President of the United
States
| With his appointment on the superior
bench he began the judicial career which
| all along had been his ambition And
| to say that 1t has been his ambition ever
since. He is essentially Judge rather
| than a politician. he would have taken
| place on the United States Supreme
] bench long ago II he had been permitted
| to have his own way, and there are those
| who believe that II vacancy had oc-
! CURED In the chief justiceship prior to
| the presidential campaign the politicians
| would have had a hard time inducing Mr.
| Taft to be their candidate for the presi-
| Dental nomination, assuming he had the
| choice OF the chief justiceship He de-
| spises politics and he has not a very high
! opinion of some classes of politicians He
| has never stultified himself for political
| ambition and he never WILL X simply
| isn't In him TO do so.
Record as Superior Judge.