Evening star., 1909-03-04
TAFT OF OTHER DAYS
Inaugurated Before as Gov
ernor of Philippines.
ONCE SOLICITOR GENERAL
Then Secretary of War in the
Roosevelt Cabinet.
INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER
Where He Has Lived in Washing
ton-Qualities That Distinguish
ed as Man and Worker.
INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER

through an ordeal in Manila somewha
similar to the one he will have to face
here today
lie observed the 4th OF July. 1901. hy
being inaugurated governor of the Phil
ippine Islands, to which office lie was
appointed by President Mckinley i'll the
previous January.
When he delivered his inaugural adj
dress on that occasion he would stop
every five sentences or so to give the in
terpreter chance to put his forceful
English into melodious Spanish. Every
time the Interpreter talked Spanish, Gov.
Taft took a drink of ice water and
moppcd his brow. for ii IS almost hot
in Manila on the Iih of July as it is
in Washington.
Ideal Of Public Duty.
IT may be of interest to quote a short
extract from that address, to show Mr..
Taft's conception of the duties of a gov
ernment officeholder. Among other things,
he said:
Then there is another kind of educa-
tion of adults to which we look with con-
fdence 1t is that which comes from
observation of the methods by which
Americans in office discharge their
duties.
Upon Americans who accept office un-
der the civil government is imposed the
responsibility of reaching the highest
American standard of official duty
Whenever an American fails: whenever
he allows himself to use his of1clal posi-
tion for private ends. even though IL
does not involve actual defalcation OF
the stealing of public property or money,
lie is recreant to his trust in a far higher
degree than he would be were he to
commit tie same offense in similar Of
flee at home.
After the address a procession was
formed and marched to the city hall or
ayuntamiento, just as is done in Wash
ington from the Capitol to the White
House. Only everybody went on foot in
Manila the distance from the pavilion to
the city hall being but the width of a
park smaller than the White House
grounds.
one of the features of the decorations
on that occasion was shield for every
state in the United States.
Gov. Taft did not live in the ayun-
tamiento He merely had his executive
offices there. He lived most of tie time
in the Malacanan Palace, wh/l com
pares in appearance not unlavorably
with the White House.
The contrast between his inauguration
as President of the United States and
that as governor of the Philippine
Islands will doubtless occur to Mr.. Taft
many times March 4.
As Solicitor General.
When, however. in the inaugural pa
rade he reaches the north front of the
Treasury building he will be reminded of
another part of his public career, the
time when he first began working for
Uncle Sam, way back in $780, as So
licitor general of the United States.
Right across from the north front of the
Treasury building is the grandstand of the
Department of Justice. President Taft
will know when his carriage gets in front
of that stand, for its occupants won't let
him forget that on this very spot stood
the Department of Justice building, where
about twenty years ago he was known as
Mr. Solicitor General To his inti-
mates in those days he was "Will,
never "Bill."
On the stand will doubtless be some Of
the employees who worked in the De
partment of Justice when he was So
Iicitor General Taft. Perhaps not many.
because despite the adage that few
government clerks die and none resign
there are not over seven now in the De-
partment of Justice who were there in
1899 and 1881, when Mr. Taft was solicitor
general.
The main part of the Department of
Justice containing the Office of the solc-
itor general. is now located in the old
Baltic Hotel at the corner of Vermont
avenue and X street. But when Mr.
Taft was solicitor general the department
stood on the lot opposite the Treasury
Department.
Mr.. Taft had his offices on the third
floor front in the southeast corner of the
building. From his front windows he
could easily see the White Eouse 1t is
doubtful if ne ever had an idea in those
days that he would ever be its occupant.
Hard Worker.
Solicitor General Taft set good ex-
ample 10 the Depa rtment of Justice force
He got to work promptly at O'Clock
and stayed sometimes until midnight
OFTEN he would make q sandwich and
an apple answer for luncheon. eating ii
at his desk. His exercise was then as
it is now, walking and horseback rid
ing.
His official practice was to dictate a
brief and have it typewriter in triple
space. Then he would make many in
sertions and corrections in the manu-
script
Three things are still remembered about
his work as solicitor general He knew
the law. His Judgment was fair and far
reaching. He was cordiality itself.
The most important cases he partici-
pated in while solicitor general were the
Bering sea cases Un re Cooper, 13S l.. S.
+O4: 1+3 u. s. 472), the Quorum case Ct.
S. v. Ballir. IA L. S. -, Tariff act cases
Field v. Clark. LAB U. S. 6i9. and the
walader. - Fed 10, o6 32)
Solicitor General Taft became United
States Judge Taft In March, 1892. when
he was appointed by President Harrison
one Of the judges of the newly created
circuit court of appeals.
Had he remained as solicitor general TO
the end of the Harrison administr ra ton he
would doubtless have been succeeded by
n democrat under the Cleveland admins
Tration, just as one of his associates
an assistant attorney general. had to
give way to j. NJ. Dickinson of Tennes-
see. one of the new democratic assistant
attorneys general. Illustrative of how near
together now are a gold democrat and Il
Taft republican is the fact that Mr.. Tart's
reported new Secretary OF War is no
other than this same democratic Assist
ant Attorney General Dick nsOn'
While solicitor general Mr. Taft lived
a. = Dupont circle. a threc-St0rV house
with I. und bay windows. The present
occupants of this house arc Mrs. W. w
Barrow and daughter Of Virginia Mrs
Barrow suplct the house from Mai G. e.
Ilearn WHO sailed a week or so ago in
the transport Fitzpatrick for the Philip
pines and on this same beat sailed the
new governor Of the Philippines
When Mr.. Taft came from the Philip
pine Islands to Washington again in
January. 1904. as Secretary OF War un-
der President Roosevelt. his Offices were
of course. those OF the Secretary In
the War Department When Secretary
OF War he lived at 1903 * street north
west
This house was built and occupied by
DR.. W. W. Johnston. The house is a
comfortable looking wide house with the
doorway in tfe middle and a bay window
on the side. The house next door 1901
X. is occupied by Admiral and Mrs
Dewey.