The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-02-26
ONE POSITION
REMAINS Open
Taft Cabinet Complete, With Ex-
CeptIOn Of Treasury Portfolio
HAS FIVE PROMINENT LAWYERS

Combined Legal Skill Of AbIest Mind,
Will Be Utilized In Effort to Secur.
Constitutional Legal Restrictions o.
Corporate Abuses-Dickinson oil
Tennessee, a Democrat, ReIiquishes
$35, goo Salary to Take Position
Philadelphia, Feb. President
Elect Taft arrived here Sunday morn
ing from Cincinnati. and is the guest
of DR.. S. w. Mitchell. In giving an
account of his day here Mr. Taft re-
marked that he had wakened Fhila-
delphia up at the unusual Sunday
morning hour of o'clock, for which
he felt he owed an apology.
Mr.. Taft admits he is making head
way in the selection of secretary of
the treasury, but maintains that the
place is not yet filled. Franklin Mac
Veagh and Myron T. Herrick are two
of the men under consideration. With
this exception the Taft cabinet is
complete, and when officially promul-
gated shortly before his Inauguration,
will be found as follows:
Secretary of state, P. c. Knox of
Pennsylvania; attorney general, G.
w. Wickersham of New York secre-
tary of war, j. M. Dickinson of Ten
nessee; secretary of the navy, G..
Won L. Meyer of Massachusetts; sec
rotary of commerce and labor, Charles
Nagel of Missouri; secretary of the in
terror, R. A. Ballinger of Washing
ton; postmaster general, F. H. Hitch
cock of Massachusetts; secretary of
agriculture, James Wilson Of Iowa.
1t will be observed that in this list
are five lawyers, of whom, Taft be-
lieves, there are none better in the
1t may be stated that this
fact is not mere coincidence, but
is an accomplishment which has been
planned and striven for by
the inconag president and bears a
most important relation to what he
believes to be the important work of
his administration.
Constitutional legal restrictions of
corporate abuses are the accomplish
ments he will strive for. The ex-
rene difficulties of first framing such
measures and then of securing their
enactment have confronted Taft with
great force. To meet them with sue
less he believes will require the COM
,ined legal skill of the ablest minds
lie can bring to the task.
1t requires little Imagination, there
ore, to picture Taft's expectancy to |
re that when a reform recommenda-
ion shall be made to congress it will |
ave first had careful weighing as to
IS necessity and efficiency, the great
st care in it's preparation with a view
D exact Justice, and possess a techni-
al legal correctness which will in
ure its efficacy before the courts.
Such measures, it Is believed, will |
ot only commend themselves for |
heir intrinsic merit to the national |
legislators, but may also be expected |
o have behind them the weight OF !
popular approval. With this known |
areful consideration with regard to |
he lawyers in his cabinet, II Is in
eresting to know something of the |
personality and legal achievements of
he latest acquisition, j NJ. Dickin-
on, who accepted the war portfolio at
he hands OF Taft in Cincinnati Sat
Irday.
Mr.. Dickinson will give up the posi-
ion of general solicitor for the Illi-
lois Central railway system and a
alary OF $35, 900 a year to become a
.abinet minister. He is 81 years of
Ige, a native of Mississippi, served
hree months in the Confederate army !
IS a boy, graduated from the Unlvers-
ty of Tennessee and finished his
.ducation in Germany. Dickinson
las always been a Democrat, although |
lie is a personal friend of President
Roosevelt and refused to vote for
Bryan.
Mr.. Dickinson was selected by
President Roosevelt to present the
OF the United States before
he joint high commission which ad-
listed the Alaskan boundary dispute
between this country and Great Brit
lin, and his presentation of this case
Won for him an international reputa-
ion. He has just retired as president
II the American Bar association. /
In view of the fact that his will be
he hand which will have immediate
supervision of the Panama canal con-
Dickinson may be expected
o go to the isthmus of Panama at an
,arly day and thoroughly familiarize
himself with conditions there.