The Washington herald., 1912-06-23
Taft Comes of a Family
Notable in Public Service;
His Home Life Is Ideal

- w.
/ Heron. daughter of the Hon. John w.
Heron. Of Cincinnati
It Is said by those who knew Judge
Taft At that time that the young mans
ambition looked forward 10 a career in
the judiciary. His home training, his
years OF preparatory education and his
personal tastes together with his natural
endowments. all eminently fitted him for
such course In life. he was the pos
SCISSOR Of what Is known as, 'Judicial
mind" that rare physical attribute that
| is adept at both analysis and synthesis.
So great were his abilities on the
bench that when his first term grew TO
close he was triumphantly elected for
another period. Already. however, his
ability had attracted outside attention.
five years term for which he was elected
when President Harrison asked him to
take the difficult post OF Solicitor Gen
eral Of the United States.
Mr.. Taft accepted this position in 1880,
Here he was associated with Joseph
Choate and other giants Of the law. and
acquitted himself with a brilliancy that
demonstrated clearly to his contempo-
raries a faculty involving not only wide
learning and tremendous application. but
I the power Of clear and forceful presen-
tation of argument. During his term OF
once he handled the seal fisheries con-
troversary with Great Britain, and a tar
/ IN case in which the law was attacked
on the ground that Speaker Reed had
counted a quorum when the bill passed
the House. Both OF these cases he won.
1t was during his solicitor generalshtp
that Taft became acquainted with Theo-
dore Roosevelt. The acquaintance ripen-
ing into a firm friendship. only broken
during the last four years
In 1892 Mr.. Taft was sent back to Ohio
as Judge Of the Sixth Federal Circuit.
He spent seven years on the Federal
bench, his tenure OF once being gen
orally recognized as an apprenticeship
for a later appointment to the Supreme
Court. This was then the acme Of his
ambition.
Was Brilliant Judge.
Mr.. Taft's administration OF his du-
ties as Federal Judge was marked by
a universal briIlIancy and fair-minded-
ness that won him the respect and ac-
claim not only OF those in favor Of
whom he decided the cases before him,
but OF those who failed in their litiga-
ton. He was hailed on every side as
a fair-minded and upright Judge. One
OF his most noted decisions decision
that even at that early day showed him
to be in accord with the Sherman anti
trust law, was given out in the Addy-
stone Pipe Company litigation. This
was the first time the Sherman anti
trust law was made a living, vital
force for the curbing and punishment
OF monopoly. Mr.. Taft upheld the law
and II was appealed to the Supreme
Court. where he had the satisfaction
OF having his decision quoted in full
and handed down as part of the opin-
ions OF the high court, which sustained
him at every point.
Judge Taft remained on the Fed
eral bench until 1900. when President
Mckinley appointed him president OF
the United States Philippine Commits
sion. His administration OF the Philip
pines was truly a heroic task. Ameri-
cans, individually and collectively,
were persona non grata with the ma
tives. They were hated with fanatic
feryor. Besides this, at the time Presi-
OF Philippine affairs, there was much
controversy in the United States as TO
the future policy OF this country in re-
gard to the islands.
Taft won the confidence Of the Fill
pinos through kindness and judicial
fairness. He lived with them, ate with
them, and drank with them. He gave
them schools. provided for their edu-
cation. fought for their rights with
the home government and rejuvenated
trade to such an extent that prosperity
smiled upon the islands for the first
time in centuries.
Made Philippine Governor.
His early efforts in the Philippines
were early recognized in the United
States and in July Of the year following
his appointment he was made the first
civil governor Of the islands.
There has been some criticism Of Presi-
dent Taft's administration in the Orient.
but upon the whole II Is recognized by
even the President'e enemies that his
tenure OF Office was one that showed ex-
ecutive ability to rare degree. So in
tent, indeed, was he upon the regene-
ration Of the Philippine Islands that upon
three different occasions he refused an
opportunity to reenter the Judiciary. In
refusing one Of these opportunities he
turned down an appointment to the Su-
preme bench of the United States. This
was the goal toward which his ambition
had turned since boyhood.
In 1901 he accepted the portfolio Of War
in the Cabinet of President Roosevelt
and continued in that office until he
resigned to engage in his Presidential
campaign of 1908
DNIlllb MS lHCuLnDenCy OF tne CABINET
office Mr.. Taft displayed to even greater
advantage that efficiency and tact he
had shown in his administration of the
Philippines Perhaps his. greatest achieve
ment as Secretary Of War waE the mas
terly manner in which he wrought order
out OF chaos in the Panama Canal Zone. !
The Psnamanians, despite the Hay
Narilla treaty, were more or less firmly
convinced that the United States had not
acquired that section of the Isthmus Of |
Panama solely to build a canal. They
were Of the opinion that there were
diplomatic reasons behind the move. |
They thought that the United States |
sought to strike at the independence Of |
the Central American republics through |
the establishment Of a rival state and |
the gradual absorption Of the surround
ing territory.
This antagonism had to be overcome /
ard Taft was the man that overcame /
It He visited Panama and exercised 1
there those personal and mental DOW
ers that had won him the confidence
OF the natives Of the Philippines. The /
result was that army engineers, under
his direction, were enabled to proceed
with their work OF Masking this pesthole
habitable without serious opposition from
the natives.
Took Hold in Cuba.
Another instance Of his ability as an
executive and diplomat came with the
second insurrection In Cuba. He Jour
neyed to that island in 1906 and hardly
had he reached its shores when internal
affairs took change for the better. In
8 cOmDaratively short time paara bsd 1