The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-05

Washington, March 4.-PreSident Taft's official family is composed of men, the majority of whom he has been associated with in political or so- cial life at some time, and the greatest harmony is expected to prevail among them. Brief sketches of the lives of the cabinet members are presented as follows;
 Phlander c. Knox.
 Philander Chase Knox, who will be MT. 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 Ill the vacancy caused by the death of Matthew M. Quay. Like most of his colleagues in the new cabinet MT Knox is a lawyer and first came into national prominence as Attorney General in MT. McKinley's first cabinet when he successfully prosecuted the Northern Se- curities case. MT. Knox is o6 years old, having been born in Brownsville, Pa, May 6, 1853 After graduating from Mount Union college at Alliance, O., he began the study of law in Pittsburg and three years later was admitted to the bar in that city. When MT. Knox was only 24 years of age he was appointed assistant United States district attorney for the western district of Pennsylvania. After a short term in this office. however, he resigned and entered private practice with James H. Reed, under the firm name of Knox & Reed. The firm became counsel for many large interests and 1t is said that Mir 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 Steel com pany, and directed the legal end of that famous labor disturbance. When in 1901 MT. Mckinley appointed him Attorney General MT. Knox's participation in the Homestead affair caused some opposition on the part of labor organizations to his confirmation. As Attorney General MT. Knox not only prosecuted to successful issue the governments suit against the Northern Securities company, but con- ducted the case against the so-called beef trust with the result that that combina- tion was dissolved by the final decree of the United States supreme court. MT. Knox has been credited also with having prepared and carried through the Panama canal purchase in 1903. It was shortly after the conclusion of the Panama pur- chase that MT. Knox was 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 full term expiring in March, 1911. It was at Mount Union college that Ma for Mckinley first became acquainted with young Knox. 4Mr. Mckinley was at that time prosecuting attorney of Stark county and the acquaintance begun when they were both young finally ripened into the friendship of later years, and cul- minated in the Pensylvanian's entry into the second Mckinley cabinet It has al ways been understood that President Me Kinley sought to induce MT. Knox to ac- cept the Attorney Generalship in his first cabinet, but the offer was declined on the plea of private interests. MT. Knox Is entitled to twice write the degree Of LID after his name, both the University of Pennsylvania and Yale university hay ing conferred that honor upon him. Richard A. BaIIinger.
 Four states may claim proprietary in terest in Richard A. Ballinger, the new Secretary of the Interior. He is native | of Iowa, having been born In Boonsboro, l in 1S59 after practicing law in Illinois l for while he removed to Alabama, and | in 1889 he became resident of Port 1 Townsend in Washington state. The next | year he was appointed United States com | missioner at Port Townsend and later | was elected judge of the superior court | of Jefferson county. Five years ago MT. | Ballinger was elected mayor of Seattle, l and when his term as mayor expired l President Roosevelt appointed him com l missioner of the general land office.
 AS a practitioner at the bar MT. Bal l finger made a speciality of the admiralty l and maratime laws, and his position as l commissioner of the general land office | gave him wide knowledge of the land
 laws and other important problems which
 will fall under his jurisdiction as Secre- l tary of the Interior.
 MT. Ballingers s father studied law in the
 office of Abraham Lincoln, and his ances- l tors on both sides participated in the
 war of the Revolution and the war of 1872 He was prepared for college in the public 1 schools and is a graduate of Williams
 college, class of 'S4. He is the author l of "Ballinger on Community Property
 and of "Ballinger's Annotated Codes and
 Statutes of Washington" MT Ballinger is a republican state committeeman for