The Washington herald., 1909-03-05

I'm the world. and IL was only now that
he held himself in position 20 take
wife In 1856. feeling that he was in a
condition to support a wife, they were
married They spent several months in
Europe on a happy wedding journey, and
he returned to Cincinnati TO take Up his
duties once more as a judge
AswnyS GOOd-natured
tests without number have been aimed
at the plentiful avoirdupois OF Mir. Taft.
These he takes in the good nature in
which they have been sent.
One Of the earliest relates TO the days
when he was governor Of the Philippines.
During one Of his excursions into the in
terror. ho cabled 70 the then Secretary OF
War. EIihu Root:
Rode forty miles on horseback to-day;
feeling fine
The joke has it that Secretary Root ca
1 bled back:
"Glad you are feeling fine. how IS the
/ horse?T
Another fest is attributed 70 Justice
/ Brewer. Of the Supreme Court Of the
/ United States. In an address TO students
T Of Yale. Justice Brewer is said TO have
/ remarked in a kind OF anecdotal aside
I 20 his speech
Secretary Taft is the politest man
alive have heard that recently he
+ arose In street car and gave his seat
+ TO three women.
4 II was while he was judge Of the ST.
f perior Court Of Cincinnati that President
/ Taft first came into contact with organ
ized labor, and rendered those decisions
which threatened TO become a vital issue
+ OF the last campaign. He made clear a
that time hiS position as 10 the rights OF
labor. He asserted the right Of Iabcrers
to unite IN Withdrawing from their en-
pioyment in order 20 embarrass their en-
. ployer. and thus force him 20 make better
. terms with them He also declared the
right of a labor union to impose penal
I ties upon its members for refusing 20
\ comply with its regulations, or TO expel
T them for failure 10 obey the Union rules.
RetIres Under Harrison
I TWO years after his election TO the
! Superior Court. President Taft resigned
10 take the Office Of solicitor General of
( the United States. under President HarTi-
( son. This in itself was a striking CON-
/ mentary on the ability Of the man. re
was then thirty-three years old. about
/ fifteen years under the average Of S0lici-
( tors General
/ President Taft found plenty Of work
/ confronting him in his new Office. and
/ at once on his accession he had to take
! the moment0us question of the seal fish
/ cries, a contention between the United
States and Great Britain. which the Brit
ish government had been astUte enough
1 10 carry to the United States Supreme
I Court
The situation was aa embarrassing one
/ II the decisions were against Great Brit
ain. that country would not have held
herself necessarily bound by IT II It vas
il her favor then the United States would
/ have. Of course, b-ea bound by the deci-
sion. II was therefore imperative that
{ the United States should win.
Clear in Expression.
one o. she distinguished characteristics
Of Mr.. Taft is clarity Of expression
/ Perspicacity and pe-spicuity go hand ir
hand with him. This story is told Of an
old Filipino WHO knew Nr- taft in later
/ years. and who had so1e opportunity tC
observe him.
The Filipino cogid speak no English
I but one day re told an American What
he thought about M Taft and some oi
the other Americans he had known in thu
islands. He smoOthed of a little space
/ in the sand and drew on it a series o.
crooked marks They ran hither anc
! thither. crossed and recrcssed. an
/ doubled backward and forward in The
course OF their general advance towar-
a given point. These lines the Filipino
gave the names % different Americans
Finally he drew ore sharp straight lint
from start 10 finish. Then he Strengthened
I'D and threw away the stick with which
he had been drawing.
Taft" he said. smiling
That WAS the quality in Mr. Taft's Say
ward brief. as. in fact. it is in all his
transactions. Il told with the court. and
he won his case.
Throughout the iucumbe1cy Of the Of
fee Of Solicitor General Mr. Taft de.
velOped Jhe habit OF winning his cases
and the records show that not one singl,
important case went against him while
he was in Office. He didn't hold the Office
long. however, for there came vacancy
IN the Sixth United States Circuit Court
and in ISS2 President Harrison nominated
him for the office. so that he went bach
TO Ohio as Federal judge
At the time when he was on the Fed
eral bench his circuit extended over Ohio
Kentucky. ard Tennessee. This covered