Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-05
WILLIAM HOWzARD Tiff
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

If the brief term of General Grant as
secretary of war be excepted, William
Howard Taft is the only cabinet omcer
to reach the presidency since the civil
war, and he is the only son of a CABINET
officer who has reached that station IN
the entire history of the government
Furthermore, there is only one other IN
stance where father and son have graced
the official 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
Cleveland's secretary of agriculture. Mr..
Taft also holds the distinction of being
the only former cabinet officer whose
father held two cabinet positions. Judge
Alphonso Taft was first secretary OF
war, and later attorney general.
In the early days of the republic the
state department was 1.-THE favorie train
ing school of presidents. Six of the tif-
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
succession, but such a situation has
NEVER yet arisen. Perhaps the nearest
approach TO it was when President Roose-
welt came within an ace of losing his
life in the Pittsheld trolly 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
II Ohr, and las
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 expe-
rience, never having been a member Of
the senate or house. There was but a
single president before the civil war who
had not seen service in the continental
congress or the United States congress.
That single exception was Zachary Tay-
lor, the Old Rough and Ready of the
Mexican war. Since the civil war there
have been but four presidents who have
not seen service in congress-Grant, Ar
thur, Cleveland and Roosevelt. The lat
ter was vice president and presided over
the senate for a short while. If he be
included among those who have had leg
islative experience, only five of the pres
idents have not seen service in congress,
Mr.. Taft being among that number. At the
same time, Taft can go all his predeces-
sors one better, because he is the only
jurist who ever reached the presidency.
Mr.. Taft's first public office, soon after
his return from college, was that of as
sistant prosecutor of Hamilton county,
Ohio THAT position" said Judge Taft,
in a recent conversation with a friend.
was a splendid thing for me. 1t gave
me a rough-and-tumble experience in the
law at the the time of life when / was
| ready for It, 1 was taught the necessity
of facts and how to get them. learned
to search for truth and to value evidence
The training then received has been OF
the highest importance to me ever since
! Truth-that is what the world needs all
the time"
No president of the United States has
ever had a greater capacity for getting
| to the bottom OF things than MIR. Taft
No matter how strenuous the days work
] behind him, no matter how complicated
the questions presented in court mar
tial findings, Taft never permitted final
action on them until he himself had mas
tered the intricacies of each individual
case. General Bell, chief of staff, learn
ed this early in his official relations with
the then secretary of war. 81 think If
you will read the conclusion contained in
the judge advocates memorandum" he
once said, handing the papers in a court
martial case to the secretary, you will
not need to go farther into the details"
NO" was the reply, 1T prefer to go
through court martial cases myself" He
came across the judge advocates memo
randum. 1t recommended clemency. But
he kept on. He went into every detail of
che trial. Suddenly he Strengthened up in
anger. Why the fellow lied" he shouted.
Lied outright. The sentence should be
carried out" And it was. There was no
recommendation for clemency. II can't
take another mans judgment in judicial
matters" Secretary Taft explained, semi
apologetically. I've never done that