CABLE NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2340, 5 November 1908, Page 5

CABLE NEWS

TAFT ELECTED

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

HEAVY MAJORITIES

United Press Association. Copybight (Received Nov. 4, 9.50 p.m.)

NEW YORK, Nov. 4

A remarkably heavy vote was polled in tho United States' Presidential election. Ideal weather prevailed. All the New York papers announce Mr. Taft’s election. He carried the New England States by. larger majorities than President 1 Roosevelt obtained, including Boston, tho Democratic stronghold.

Mr. E. A. Hitchcock, chairman of the National Republican Convention, sent congratulations to .Mr. Taft. Air. Hughes has been re-elected Governor of New York by a majority of 30,00p.

There .are indications that. All*. Taft has carried all the important doubtful States. He carried Ohio by a majority of 50,000 and New York State by 100,000. The latest estimates give Air. Taft 305 electoral votes. THE NEW PRESIDENT. WILLIAM TAFT. Air. William Howard Talt, United States Secretary of War and provisional Governor'of Cuba, hasl for a considerable time been regarded by many as" th<s logical successor to President Roosevelt. Whatever may be the crowning work of Air. Taft’s career, it must be admitted that 'he is a inan of great ability, and has .already won an enviable place in the history of the American Republic. Air. Taft was borne in Cincinnati, on September 15, 1857. He is the son of Air. Alphonso Taft, who was AttorneyGeneral of the United States, 1876-7. The President-elect graduated from Yale University with u decree of B.A. in 1878 (second in a class of 121, sallntorian and class orator. In ISBO he graduated from Cincinnati Law School, Cincinnati College, with an L.-L.8., dividing first prize. He is an L.L.D. of the University of Pennsylvania, 1902, and Yale University 1903. As has been the case with so many public men in the United States, Mr. Taft commenced his actual battle with the world as a reporter, reporter of law, on the “Cincinnati Times,” and later was reporter on the staff of “The Cincinnati Commercial.” Gradually All*. Taft rose through assistant prosecuting attorneyships and kindred public offices, including the Collectorsbip of Internal Revenue, to Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. He was Solicitor-Gen oral of the United States, JIB9O-1902. President of the Philippine Commission, 1900-4, first civil Governor of the Philippine Islands, 1901-4, and Secretary of War, taking office on February 1, 1904.

A CHARACTER SKETCH. A GIANT WITH THE HEAD OF - A BOY. . A goocl-luimonretl, rollicking giant, with a frank bearing, a massive look of power, and a radiating air of jollity and zest. Such is “Bill” Taft, who will be installed at the White House, ruler, for the next four years, of the destinies of the United States. A veritable mountain of a man, with jaws of iron and eyes of steel, he has all the ebullient, gaiety and love of frolic of a boy ; one hour he may be the inexorable judge or the resolute ruler of a great department of State—-the next "lie will be munching sandwiches in his shirt-sleeves and l cracking jokes with a'newspaper man, his big, hearty laugh almost lifting the ceiling, or playing baseball avith all the zest of a youth in his teens. ' _ And .herein lies' the secret of his power and popularity —his massive strength, physical and intellectual, his transparent earnestness’ and honesty, his infectious good humor, .and his entire lack of “side.” When he was made president of the Federal Court of the Ohio Circuit an old college chum would insist on addressing him as “Judge” every second sentence. “ Look.here, Jack, he exclaimed, at last, “That’s enough of ‘Judge.’ ‘Bill’ was good ■ enough in the old days, and it’s good enough now.” A few months ago, when ho paid a visit to his old. college, the future President blushed avith pleasure when lie was greeted with a deafening chorus of “Bravo Bill!” “Good old Bill!” That’s right, boys,” he shouted, “I love you to call me ‘Bill,’ its like old l times.” And in the jollifications that followed there was no bigger boy among them all, and noone who frolicked more joyously or whose shouts rang louder than the hero of the Republican Party. It was . the same when he was ruler of the Philippines. No administrator ever had a more delicate and difficult task ; but his unfailing geniality conquered the most obdurate Spaniards- He knew the way straight to their hearts, and it was through Bis feet. He set to work to learn the" popular dance, the Spanish quadrille; and night after night the leviathan tripped and perspired with the most light-footed dancers of them all. “If this goes on much longer,” he once panted, “I shall be .as, slim and genteei as any of you.”' “Bill’s” too, too solid flesh ns the only trouble'.he has in life. He already scales- over twenty stone, and his great, ambition is to reach White House before he reaches the twentyone mark. He can rule nations, but he can’t, keep his avoirdupois .in subjection. v. He never sits- down, to dinner, so it ■is said, without repeating his favor-* ite maxim, “Never eat'-more food than you could lay .on the-fingers of one hand; ;” but, alas! he never rises without having put awixy a meal sufficient for- four . average men. “Never mind,’ •he will say with a smile, “to-morrow I’ll have a dog-biscuit for dinner. Needless to say, the dog-biscuit, as he - calls it-, never gets eaten. U;. v

But, in spite of his bulk, he- still loves a game of hasohall as much as he/ did thirty years .ago— 1 ‘when I had ;a waist,” he says. The other day lie summoned a dozen prominent statesmen to Plot Springs, to arrange the. plan of the coming Republican campaign. Before they had deliberated an hour he broke in with, “Look here, boys, let’s have a game to clear our heads.” A baseball match was organised between the statesmen and the journalist® in attendance; and Air. Taft had soon forgotten all about politics in the excitement of the game. As luck would have it his own innings was short. He hit what is known as a “fly-ball,” and was promptly caught out by his own son, Charlie.

A characteristic story is told of Taft’s unconventionality.. One day, while lie was travelling in Russia, lie was dressing for a personal audience, with' the _ Czar, ■ when he split a seam in his trousers. Airs. Taft set to work with needle and thread to repair the damage; but the rent was long, and so, naturally, was* the time taken to stitch it... Meanwhile the Czar was waiting; and 1 Air. Taft’s secretary* kept' begging him to hurry U]f. “You can go,” said the great man, “and tell the Czar that I’ve split my breeches and will come as soon as I decently can.” On another occasion, when Air. and Airs. Taft*were’ ready for an official banquet in Japan, their son,, Charlie, was nowhere to be found. A search was made for t’he truant, and at last be was produced, covered with dust and with torn clothes.

“Charlie,” was his mother’s reproof, “this, will never do. You are quite unfit for decent society.” “Of course lie’s dirty,” . broke in tlie Secretary for War. “I was a boy once, and I know liow it is. He’ll never be a; boy but once ; and it’s only for a few years.” And, setting to work with soap, water, and brush, he helped his wife to make the young hopeful presentable. Is it any wonder that America loves this genial giant, with the brains of a dozen men and the heart of a boy?