The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-06-24

'"I VI iut ior the presidential nomination.
Inc new secretary of state. like his chief
In the White House. is a lawyer His selec
uon, although made at the very outset of
rats deliberations as to the personnel of his
cabinet, htted in with the policy later adopted
by the new president to include In his official
FAMILY as many lawyers as possible. With the
best OF legal training as foundation stone
Anox served his apprenticeship in the cabinet
as attorney general under Presidents Mckinley
and Roosevelt and then his grasp OF all phases
OF American life was strengthened during
years OF service as a member of the brain
trust" OF the United States senate
Phllander Chase Knox. who this month cele-
brates his ffty-sixth birthday anniversary is "A
small man physically and in personal appear.
ance comes pretty close to filling the ideal OF
the shrewd. obsevant lawyer David s. Knox
iather OF Phiander, was a banker in the town
OF Brownsville, Pa. where the present secre.
tary of state was born, and was enabled to
give his son educational and other advantages
much as the elder Taft was enabled to give the
president fair start in life
The young man attended Mount Union col.
lege located at Alliance. o.. not a great many
miles over the boundary line from Pennsylya.
mia. and from this institution he graduated
with a creditable record in 1872. when he was
10 years of age. Then he entered the law
Office of II. b, Swope at Pittsburg, preferring
the good odfashioned plan of famarizing
himself with the law by practical work as a
subordinate to a successful attorney. Almost
from the outset he seems to have had leanings
toward a political career or rather to public
life, and in 1876, just one year after he was
admitted to the bar. Knox was occupying the
position of assistant United States district at
torney for the western district of Pennsylva.
MIA,
The atmosphere of Pittsburg-the worlds
workshop-evldently had its influence, how
ever in drawing Knox away from the uncer-
tainties of politics and toward the more tan.
gibe rewards of lucrative private practice.
In 1877 he resigned as assistant district attor-
ney in order to engage in practice with James
II Reed and thereafter his progress was rapid
in that most alluring branch of the profession
corporation practice He became the trusted
legal adviser of the Carnegie Steel Company
and other great concerns and incidentally
found an opportunity to lay by the tidy for
tune that has I'm later years enabled him TO
accent places of public trust without any
worry over the comparatively insignificant sal
aries attached.
Knox attained TO the eminence of a national
nqure in public affairs at one bound when. in
,qo1 he was made attorney general on the
cabinet of President Mckinley to succeed John
William Griggs of New Jersey, who had re-
eiqned. Mr. Knox was likewise the choice OF
President kooseNeN lol ule Posi'ioh VI heau
~ the department of justice, when the first
roosevelt cabinet was formed, and In that
capacity he It was who mapped out the origi
,oi campaign in the courts against the trusts
and other yiolators of the federal statutes. In
Inc 1904 MIR. Knox resigned from the cab
oot 10 accept the appointment OF United States
aonator. rendered by Gov. Pennypacker OF
pennsylvania to fill the vacancy caused by
.he death of the late Senator Quay, who was
aI,ke 10 Secretary Knox, resident OF western
pennsylyania In January, 1905, Knox was
elected by the Pennsylvania legislature t'
serve a six-year term In the upper mouse o.
so,i However. early in 1909 he resigned te
became the premier of President Tafts cabi
net and many Of his admirers are confident