The Washington herald., 1909-03-03
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

II the brief term Of Gen. Grant as Sec
retary Of War be excepted. William How |
ard Taft IS the only Cabinet officer to |
reach the Presidency since the civil war. /
and he is the only son OF q Cabinet officer
who has reached that station in the en-
tire history Of the government. Further
more. there Is only one other instance
where father and son have grsced the
oficial family Of the Presidents Of the
United States Paul Morton, Roosevelts
Secretary Of the Navy for a time, is the
son Of J. Sterling Morton, who was Cleve-
lands Secretary Of Agriculture Mr..
Taft also holds the distinction Of being
the only former Cabinet officer whose
fathe- held two Cabinet positions Judge
AIphonso Taft was first Secretary Of
War and later Attorney General
In the early days Of the republic the
State Department was the favorite train
ing school Of Presidents. Six of the If
teen Presidents who served during the
ante-bellum- period had been Secretary OF
state before reaching the Presidential
station \ number Of others who were
candidates for the Presidency had also
been Secretary Of state. But since the
civil war no premier OF the Cabinet has
ever reached the position Of President
When there Is no Vice President the Sec
.retary Of State Is The heir apparent By
succession. but such 2 situation has never
yet arisen. Perhaps the nearest approach
to II was when President Roosevelt came
within an ace Of losing his life IN the
Pittsfeld trolley accident
The Treasury Department has never
been presided over by a President-in-
prospect. A number Of its Secretaries
have courted the place. but they have
lost out. notably John Sherman and Les
lie Shaw. The War Department has
given three observation-disclosures, Grant,
and Taft Thus endeth the chapter OF
Cabinet officers who have graduated into
the Presidency. although many Of the in
cumbents have heard the Presidential bee
a-buzzing.
Mr.. Taft has had no legislative expert
ence, never having been member Of the
Senate OF House. There vas but q single
President before the civil war who had
not seen service IN the Continental Con
gress or the United States Congress
lor the old rough-and-ready OF the Mexi-
can var. Since the civil Ear there have
been but four Presidents who have not
seen service in COngress-Czr2nt- Arthur.
Cleveland. and Roosevelt The latter was
Vice President and presided over the
Senate for short while. il he be in
clude6 among those who have had leg
islative experience. only I'VE OF the Pres
idents have not seen service in Congress,
Mr.. Taft being among that number. At
the same time Taft can 90 all his prede-
cessors one better. because ne Is the only
jurist VINO ever reached the Presidency
Mr.. Taft's first public service. soon aft
er his return from college. was that OF
assistant prosecutor Of Hamilton COUn-
~ Ohio. That position" said Judge
Taft IN a recent conversation with a
friend. was a splendid thing for me II
gave me q rough-and-tumble experience
in the law at the time Of life when I was
ready for it. 7 was taught the necessity
OF facts and how TO get them. learned
70 search for truth and to value evidence
The training I then received has been of
the highest importance 10 me ever since.
Truth-that is what the world needs al
the time"
No President OF the United States has
ever had greater capacity for getting tc
the bottom OF things than M Taft Nc
matter how strenuous the days work be
hind him. no matter how complicated the
questions presented In court-maTtial find
sngs, Taft never permitted final action
on them until he himself had mastered
the intricscies Of each individual case
Gen. Bell. Chief Of STAFF, learned this
early in his Official relations with the
then Secretary Of War. 7 think Il yoJ
viii read the conclusion contained in the
Judge advocates memorandum, he once
said, handing the papers IN couTt-mar-
tai ease TO the Secretary. you wiz net
need 70 60 farther into the details
No." was the reply; Il prefer 70 81
through cOurt-martial cases myself"
He came across the judge advocate't
memorandum T recommended clemency
But he kept on He went into ever
detail Of the trial Suddenly he straight
ened up in anger
Why, the fellow liedr' he shouted
''lied outright The sentence should b,
carried out" And Il was. There was NJ
recommendation for clemency. Il can
take another mans judgment IN judicia
matters" Secretary Taft explained, semi
apologetcally. I've never done that sor
OF thing IN my life"
his love Of justice" said Judge VIII
{am L. Dickson. Of Cincinnati. who wa
one OF his classmates. was made mani
fest IN the most striking manner vhei
Il came TO the election Of q class. orator
VIII Taft was elected to that honor by
majority OF Just few votes. In som
manner he learned that an irreguIarit.
was involved It seems that more vote
were east az the election IN question thai
there were voters present IN the room
As soon as the situation came to Taft
attention he called another meeting 0
the class. In a brief address he resigne
the post Of honor 70 which he had bee
elected His sense Of justice and fair pIa
would not permit him TO accept II in Ii
manner IN which Il had come to hin
But we made It difficult for him to &c
cut OF II His splendid performance mad
a deep impression on his classmates. "
held another election and conferred rh
honor on him unanimously
A close friend OF Mr. Taft's states Il z
his belief that the new President viii no
make a record for witty sayings durin
his term as President be is sppTaiSe
as humorous rather than witty. Il !
said that during al his campaigning b
did not make a single come back g
any one which haG the snap OF wit aboU
81 II bluntness characterized Grove
Cleveland. suayity William Mckinley
and strenuosity Theodore Roosevelt, but
bling humor without the sting Of wit wi
be characteristic Of Taft.
Mr.. Taft is the second man who wa
the son Of a jlIrist TO reach the high stz
ton OF President John Tyler was Il
other. The men who have given sons