Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-06-29
THE CAREER OF
PRESIDENT TAFT
A Development in the Worlds Peace
Erals Statesman Of
Ability


States was born in Cincinnati on Sep
TENDER Is, 1857 He comes of a fam
lily distinguished in the law and the
public service.
The first American Tafts came OF
the England yeomanry, transplanted
across the Atlantic by the great up
heaval that peopled New England
with its sturdy stock. In this eouE-
try they turned to the study and prac-
tice OF law.
Peter Taft, the Presidents grand
father, was both maker and an inter-
prefer Of laws. having served as a
member of the Vermont Legislature
and afterwards as judge,
Alphonso Taft son of Peter, was
graduated from Yale College and then
went out to the Western Reserve TO
practice law. He settled in Cincin-
natl where William Howard Taft was
born,
AIphonso Taft, himself judge of
the superior bench, earned distinction
through the service of city, state and
nation. During his later years he
served under President Grant as Al
torney-General to the Department of
Justice, and finally entered the diplo-
matte service as minister first to Aus
tria and then to Russia.
The Presidents mother Mrs, Louise
NJ Torrey Taft was also of old New
England stock. holding strictly to
those rigid religious tenets handed
down by her Puritan ancestors. She
was a woman of great strength of
character and brilliancy of mind, one
ably qualified through natures gifts
to shape the destines of her three sons
Charles p, Peter and William How
ard.
Through Alphonso Taft, the scholar
Diplomat and judge and Mrs, Louise
Torrey Taft, the loving mother ana
guardian of the ethical and physi al
welfare of the three Taft boys, an at
mosphere OF culture. refinement and
inspiration was maintained well cal
culated to produce fine specimens of
American manhood The career of
each of the boys gives ample evidence
of the influence of this environment.
Alphonso Taft was the first alumnus
of Yale College elected To The cnrror-
alton, and retained throughout his life
time an effection for his alma mater
that amounted almost to passion.
Therefore, each of his boys was des-
tined TO pursue his studies in that col
lege. Charles p. Taft, the eldest son
graduated with highest honors, the
second son, Peter, graduated two
years later than Charles. His stand
ing was higher all points considered
than that Of any other graduate of the
college, taking into account all the
classes from. the beginning. A bril-
liant career seemed to open before
him, but his health was impaired and
he died after a few years in invalid
ism.
In the case of William Howard TAFT
the same routine of preparatory edu-
cation was mapped out He attended
first the public schools of Cincinnati,
graduating from the Woodward High
school in 1874 and later entering Yale
from which University he graduated
in 1878, being the salutatorian OF his
class. Following the graduation eXer-
cises young Taft returned TO Cincin-
natl, where he began the study of law
in his fathers office. at the same time
doing court reporting for the news
paper owned by his brother, Charles
p. Taft. His salary at first was $500
a week. SO well did young Taft per
form his duties, however, that Murat
Halstead, editor of the Cincinnati Com
mercial Gazette employed the young
man to work for that paper at an in
creased salary of $25 a week,
Taft, always independent greeted
the raise as a recognition OF his tai
ent, and, though he was in no way IN
need of financial aid, he was highly
elated. His new job brought to him
duties that held him to rigid regime.
Despite these duties. however, he still
pursued the law taking course at the
Cincinnati law school where Champ
Clark and many other prominent men,
received their sheepskins, lie gradu'
ated in 1880. dividing first honors with
another student, and was admitted TO
the bar soon afterwards.
That big Bill Taft's physical pow
ers were in no way impaired by his
studious pursuits is evidenced by ami
cident that took place at about this
stage of his career His father, Judge
Alphonso Taft, was the defeated can
didate for the Governor of Ohio and
had been most scandalously slandered
by Cincinnati newspaper, owned by
a man named Rose.
Rose had the reputation OF running
a black mailing sheet, deriving his
chief income from blood money ex'
tracted from his victims. According
to the chronicler of the time he was
an expire fighter, a bully and as