The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-12
STORY OF THE MEN WHO Will
SIT IN TAFT'S CABINET.

Roosevelt's first campaign he was as
sistant secretary to the republican ma.
tiOnal committee, and was later APP
Ipointed first assistant postmaster gen.
eral. He resigned that position when
the Taft campaign was opened to take
charge of Mr.. Taft's interests. Suisse
quently he was elected chairman OF
the republican national committee
which post he still holds. During his
first years as government clerk in
Washington, Mr. Hitchcock found time
to take Il law course at Columbian
university, and on graduation was ad-
mitted to the bar in the District OF
Columbia and three years later was
admitted to practice before the SUI
preme court of the United States.
Among other associations he is mem
Der of The American Economic associ-
alton, the American Statistical associ-
alton and the American Association for
the Advancement of Science Mr..
Hitchcock is bachelor
James Wilson.
If Secretary Wilson continues to hold
the agricultural portfolio until next
! November, he will have broken the rec.
ord for continuous cabinet service,
which is now held by Albert Gallatin,
once secretary of the treasury, who
served II years, eight months and Is
days. Secretary Wilson was appointed
at the ouset of the Mckinley admin
istration. He was born in Ayrshire,
Scotland, in 1885, and at the age of II
was brought to this country by his
parents. He was educated in the pub
lie schools of Iowa and at Iowa col
lege. He engaged in farming and, en-
tering state politics, was member of
the 18th, 18th, and l4th assemblies of
Iowa, being elected speaker of the as
sembly in his last term He served
three terms in congress. In the 18th
lcongress his seat was contested and the
opponents of General Grant, who was
then nearing his end at Mount Me-
Gregor, used the seating contest for a
fllibuster to defeat the Grant retire-
ment bill. Mr.. Wilson saved the meas
ure by resigning on the stipulation
that the Grant bill should be immedi.
ately passed.
Franklin MacVeagh.
Franklin MacVeagh, merchant, who
will be the next secretary of the treas
ury, was born on a farm near Phoenix
vile, Chester county Penn. He was
graduated from Yale as B. A., in 1862,
and from Columbia Law school, New
York, in 1864, and began practice with
his brother. Wayne MacVeagh, but, his
health failing he abandoned law and
went west. Shortly after he esta-
lished in Chicago the wholesale gro
Gerry house of Franklin MacVeagh &,
company, which for many years has
been one of the largest in the country,
and from which it is reported he has
only recently resigned. He is also a
director of the Commercial National
bank and other Chicago corporations.
Mr.. MacVeagh is distinguished in
Chicago not only as most successful
merchant, but especially for his active
work in behalf of civic progress and
reform. He became president of the
Citizens association of Chicago in 1874,
and continued to hold the office several
years afterward making it the instru-
ment for many important political re-
forms. AT the head of the bureau of
charities he added greatly to the eff
fectivcness of that organization, and
as chairman of the Municipal Art
league and otherwise he has been
faithful worker for the identifying of
Chicago by extension of the boulevard
system and in many other ways. He
has also taken an active part in the
work of the National Civic Federation.
Mr.. MacVeagh was until recently affili-
ated with the democratic party and in
1898 he was nominated in convention
by the democracy of Illinois for the
United States senate. He made can.
vass OF the state, but was defeated in
legislature. He married Miss Emily