Evening star., 1909-02-19
TAFT MASON AT SIGHT
Inducted Into Mysteries OF
Signs and Grips.
SEES 1T DONE TO OTHERS
Witnesses Work of Masters Degree
With Usual Formula.
PHILADELPHIA OVER SUNDAY
Keeps Away From Washington to
Avoid Politicians-No Com
ment on Press Libel Suit.
PHILADELPHIA OVER SUNDAY

CINCINNATI. February 19.-William
| Fl. Taft arrived in Cincinnati yosterda!
| morning. made Mason "at sight
yesterday afternoon, saw several candi
dates take the master Mason degree yes
| terday evening and at 10 O'Clock last
night attended the Knights Templar ball
Five hundred prominent Masons saw
Mr. Taft inducted into the order Grand
| Master Hopkinson of the Grand Lodge OF
Ohio officiated. At the afternoon session
Mr.. Taft took the obligation and recev, 6
the grips.
After a luncheon at the home of G. r
Taft in honor of the visiting Masons
the President-elect was taken to kilwin-
| ming Lodge, of which he now is a mem
ber, and witnessed the ceremony of max
| ing master Masons of candidates. He go,
all the fun without any of the hard work
At the Knights Templar ball he en-
tered the building under the arch OF
STEEL" the crossed swords of the Tenn
pars.
Mr. Taft will make a short speech on
change this afternoon and tonight will
attend a session of the Knockers Club
composed of business men and modelled
GridirOn Club is like. The President-elec
will start for Philadelphia at $40 tomor-
row afternoon, arriving Sunday morning.
he will spend Sunday at the home of S.
Weir Mitchell.
Two Cabinet Places Still Open.
The two places still open in the Taft
cabinet are the War and Treasury port
folios. Jacob NJ. Dickinson is under con-
| sideraton for Secretary of War. but Luke
r. Wright is by no means an improba-
bilty. The war Secretary will come from
the south.
-IlIIon nfnr will Io = u,
Taft official family. Myron T. Herrick' s
chances are not good. 1t is not even sa fe
at'this time to predict Franklin MacVeash
for Secretary of the Treasury. though he
is A better bet than Herrick.
John NJ. Reynolds of Chicago probably
would be TaftS choice Mr.. Reynolds so
far has not been able to the use of
giving up fifty thousand year for twelve
thousand
Il is reasonably ceptain that all of these
men will he In the cabinet: Knox State;
Wickersham. Attorney General: Hitch
cock, Post Office; BallinGer. Interior: Will
son, Agriculture: Nagel of Missouri. Com
merce and Labor: Meyer. Navy.
Secretary Wilson remains on merit.
After Senator Knox discovered that Will
son already had the longest cabinet record
there was prospect of a change, but
Taft and Knox have not been able to find
any one to efficiently fill the Secretary S
place.
Hitchcock Again Sees Taft.
Frank II. Hitchcock came in from Chi
cago yesterday morning saw Mr.. Taft
and went to Washington at noon. Mr..
Hitchcock's sudden dash from New Or
leans to Chicago and his trip here were
for the purpose of investigating and re-
porting the clamor from the Windy
city for cabinet place. prefera bly, Sec
retary of the Trea sury
Mr.. Taft said that he not ready 10
talk of Mr.. Hitchcocks mission, init
mating that it had not been finished. 1t
is probable that Senator Knox and Mr..
Hitchcock will spend Sunday with Mr..
Taft at Philadelphia. and it is not un-
likely that the cabinet will be settled on
finally at that meeting.
Mr.. Taft is not going to spend Sunday
in Washington as he would be pestered
by politicians He could rest here. but
would not be able to see the men with
whom he wishes to talk. That accounts
for the Sunday in Philadelphia.
Mr.. Taft declined to make any com
ment on the Indictment of the New York
World and Indianapolis News proprietors
and editors.