Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-01
The Taft Cabinet.

Their guesses have been of general
interest, but, as usual. in most in
stances they have been wide of the
mark. The list of names as now Of
fcially announced has few upon it
which were among those mentioned
two or three months ago. One or two
names are there which everybody ex-
pected to see upon the list, Secretary
Wilson remaining at his post and
Chairman Hitchcock filling the Office
of postmaster general. Then the Sc
lection of Senator Knox as secretary
of state was announced by President
elect Taft himself soon after his
election. Most of the other places on
the list are filled by men far less gen
orally known to the country at large.
| OF the nine men who will sit about
President Taft's official table only two
have ever served in Congress. Some
Of the others have held judicial posi-
tions or high appointive offices, but
|
| life. This is not for a moment to be
| taken as an indication that it will not
be strong cabinet All of it's men,
| bers are men of affairs who have made
good in their professions and in bust
ness, and when the list is considered
| it is to be remembered that President
elect Taft has earlier shown himself
| to be q splendid judge of men. Six Of
the nine are lawyers and they are men
Of the highest standing in the legal
profession Geogra phically, the new
cabinet meets the requirements to an
exceptional degree and every section is
| represented in way that cannot fail
to give it satisfaction, both as far as
the man himself is concerned and as
to his official place. Just word as to
each of the nine men who will hold the
highest positions in the gift Of the new
President as he enters upon the duties
Of his administration this week:
Philander c. Knox, secretary of
state, is the present senator from
Pennsylvania and is recognized as one
OF the strongest men in public life. He
has represented Pennsylvania in the
Senate since June 10, 1904. Senator
Knox is d native of Pennsylvania, is
So years old, q graduate of Mt. Union
College, Ohio, and has been given u
Ill. D. by Pennsylvania and Yale. He
was admitted to the bar in 1875, and
before going to the Senate his only
office OF prominence was that of Unit
cd States district attorney for western
Pennsylvania.
Franklin MacVeagh, secretary of the
treasury, is also a native of Pennsyl-
vania, but has for many years been a
leading business man in Chicago. He
is graduate of Yale in the Glass of
'G2 and of the Columbia Law School
two years later. He soon gave up law,
however. and has been a Chicago bus
mess man for Il third of a century. He
is q cousin CT Wayne MacNeagh, who
was in the cabinet of Garfield as at
torney general. He was himself
Democrat not many years ago, and i'll
1894 was the candidate of that party
for United States senator from Hi
nois. He has never held public office,
but his standing in Chicago is indi~
Gated by the fact that he is president
of the Bureau of Charities of that city
ard also of the Municipal Art League,
while he is also on the executive COM
inittee of the National Civic Fedora
ton.
Jacob NJ Dickinson, secretary Of
bn hnr nf
new cabinet He is appointed from
Tennessee, but was born farther South.
in Mississippi, in 1851. Like MacVeagh
he was also a Democrat in earlier
years, but saw the error Of his ways
some time ago. He graduated at the
University of Nashville in 1871. and.
like MacVeagh. studied law at Column
bia in New York. His standing as "a
member of the bar is Indicated by the
fact that he was president of the
American Bar Association in 1903.
He was counsel for the government
before the Alaskan boundary tribunal
in 1905, and has been counsel general
for the Illinois Central Railroad.
George w. Wckersham, who will be-
come attorney general in the new cab
met, and who will represent the En-
prc State in that body, is one of the
leading members of the New York bar,
hut has never held public office and
has snever been especially prominent
outside of his profession. Consequent
| ~ he escaped the compilers Of who's
Who when they gathered the names
of the $685. prominent Americans for
the latest edition of their valuable
work, and the details of his life and
career are not at hand.
Frank H. Hitchcock, the new post
master general. is well known to the
country as Taft's campaign manager of
q year ago and the chairman of the
Republican committee during the
Presidential campaign. He is native
of Ohio, u graduate Of Harvard, and
was for time Il resident OF Massa-
chusetts For the past dozen years,
however. he has been in Washington
where he rose by merit, energy ami
mastery of organization from an OBJ
scure clerical position to places of
highest responsibility and prominence
in the departments. He is, only Al
years of age and has most emphati-