The Sunday Oregonian., April 21, 1912, SECTION SIX, Page 2, Image 76

TIIE SUNDAY OltEGONIAN. PORTLAND, APRIL 21, 1912.
)
Intfmatend
Vjev of theilLiver
and Fortunes
?vNon.Par1
r . ...... i ... A
Time Ha Dealt Variously WithThem in
Their Race Through the Decades All
of Them Are College Men Wide Range
of Opportunity at Beginning of Life
Is Shown in Their Records.
.s- 4. .ttXsz Tier
BT JOHN ELfHETH W ATKINS.
POR a brief half hour let ua follow
the candidates of both partus, aa
thejr hare raced, aide by aide
through the decades. Ignoring their
political theories entirely, let ua aaa
contraata of their respective rortun
at tha aama periods of their careers.
The flrat contnUDt In the rnca WM
Judson Harmon, of Ohio. !! was four
Tears olj wlitn Champ Clark started
running, nearly V years olj when La
Follette entered, and nearly 11 whan
Woodrow Wilson first brtame a con
testant. Ho waa HH when Taft ar
rived upon the course, nearlr 11 whan
Kooseviit Joined tha contest, and past
If when Utile- Oscar Underwood flrat
placed his chubby foot upon the ring.
The first collective rlew which we
can Bit of theeo contestants la during
the exciting period of the. Civil War.
Within those four years Judson Har
mon, a minister's aon. entered Denl
aon University, a Baptist Institution of
Granville O.. where he mas to take
his A. B, the year after Lee's surren
der. When Bumttr waa fired on Clark,
a poor Itinerant dentist's motherless
boy. waa doing; chorea for a Kentucky
farmer, that ha might work out his
alater'a board, as well aa his own. while
he attended the neighboring; village
school; but before the war waa over
be bad, when a lad of 11. sought a
shorter road to fortune by way of a
$ (-a-week clerkship In the crossroada
tore, which mart waa, however, aoon
to go out of business.
Underwood, born In the aecond year
of tha war, waa at the close of that
truggle carried from Kentucky to St.
Paul, along with hla Invalid mother,
who went part of the way on a mat
tress. Tha father of tha saddened fam
ily waa moving hla law practice to
the Minnesota city, that his faithful
wife might regain her health, which
aha did. having lately entered the veo
erable category of tha octogenarian,
ess Boyhood Contrasts.
"Lob" Taft (for thus waa he nlck
aamed on account of his alze) was In
those bloody days principally enraged
la outgrowing bla clothes. Toung Theo
dora Roosevelt was a frail lad In com
parison. Be suffered ao painfully from
asthma during this time that on. Sum
mer nights his fend fattier would wrap
him up In blankets and drive him out
Into the country, where tha fresh, cool
sons relieved his paroxysms of smoth
ering. These war tiroes were being
pent by little TeoOrow Wilson In
the Southern parsonage of his father,
who was a Presbyterian divine, and
by little Bob La Follette In hla native
Wisconsin.
During tha reconstruction days Har
mon, after graduating at Denlson. Uni
versity, entered tha Cincinnati Law
School, where Clark and Taft are later
to be trained as barristers. But before
be follows hither Clark must continue
to tread a thorn path. As a farm
laborer and country schoolmaster he
plods along until ho can rake and
scrape enough money together to put
him In the University of Kentucky. Our
younger contestants In the race for
the Presidency are during this time di
viding their attentions between play
and primary schools. If they Sid any
thing remarkable history baa missed It
thus far.
Expelled for Flghtlag DweL.
In the '70s a'.I were to make records.
In tha first year of that decade. Har
mon, a lawyer, of one year's practice,
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married, and three years later Clark,
having been expelled from tha senior
claaa of tha Kentucky University for
fighting; a dual In the classic atyle. en
tered Bethany College, a Caznpbelllte
Institution of Weat Virginia, to gain
hla sheepskin, which he directly cap
tured, taking flrat bonora along with
It. The same year he became prealdent
of Marshall College. West Virginia, as
a salary of $1400, along with which
went the as yet unbroken record of
being th youngest college "prexy In
America, for he was then but 11. But
learning already for political honors,
he decided that the law offered a
stralghter path. A few years later
Woodrow Wilson was to reverse the
order exactly and leave the law to be
come a college professor.
The year 1874 saw three of our can
didates In Cincinnati.
Champ Clark had coma here to study
in tha law school, Harmon, having fin
ished at the same Institution five years
before, was now practicing law, and
Taft. Just graduated from tha Wood
ward High School, was packing up to
go to Tale. And while tha future
Prealdent. at New Haven, waa starring;,
flrat aa the arch-terror of the Tale
"rushes" and later as a fiend for boo If s
as well as athletic prowess, Clark waa
atarting hla career. In Missouri, first
aa achoolmaater. country editor and
lawyer at a Tillage called Louisiana.
During the same period Harmon waa
makmg hla first splash Into polities
by becoming Mayor of Wyoming, a
suburb of Cincinnati, but tha next year,
that of tha great centennial at Phila
delphia, he was to become Judge of the
Court of Common Pleas, In thp neigh
boring city. Tha Underwoods now re
turned to their native Kentucky, set
tling at Louisville when Oscar was a
cherublo lad of IS. And this period
of the '70s was wound up by Harmon's
Stepping up to the. Superior Court la
the same year when Taft graduated
second among 111 In Tale, class of '71,
of which he was salutatorlan and claaa
orator. Tha aama Autumn he entered
the Cincinnati Law School, whence
Harmon and Clark had departed with
their aheepaklna eleven and three years
before, respectively. The next Spring
Woodrow Wilaon and La Follette grad
uated at Princeton and the University
of Wisconsin, both, like Taft, entering
Immediately Into the law.
Taft Licked the Editor.
It was while he waa finishing his
first year In law school that Taft fig
ured for tha first time In the printed
news of the day. In April, 1171, a sen
sational weekly, edited In. Cincinnati,
published some calumnies which tha
young Tale rusher construed as re
flecting upon a member of hie family.
A published account of tha calumnia
tor's punishment states that "Mr. Will
Taft, a tall, powerful, athletic young
man. about 11 years of age," visited tha
editor forthwith. "Will Taft." this
news Item goes on to say, 'Is only a
year or so out of Tale, where ha de
veloped his muscle at the manly exer
cises of the CMlere, and he seems to
have retained 11", Then follows an ac
count of tha challenge and chastise
ment of the mudslinger, who "went off
bleeding and pale, with his head well
punched." Soon afterward this athletic
defender of hla family's honor began
to earn hla first money 11 a week
by doing law reporting for the Cincin
nati papers.
Tha year 1110 may be marked aa that
In which all of our candidates except
Harmon, the eldest, and Underwood,
the youngest, were to start together
In a neck-and-neck race. Roosevelt In
that year graduated from Harvard and
began his career without further scho
lastic training, Taft. La Follette and
Wilson, after finishing at law school
Uie same Summer, war admitted, to
tha bar, w..ile Camp Clark moved to
Bowling Green, his present home,
where he at once began to practice lair
and make a fresh start In Ufa. In the
aama year of hla finishing at law
achool La Follette made a quick stride
by becoming County Prosecutor,
Teddy Quick to Marry.
But before this race oould fairly be
gin, Dan Cupid was to have a reckon
ing with three of the contestants In
short order. In tha Autumn following
his graduation. Rooaevelt married his
first wlfa, JUlce Lea. He had lately rn-
tierlted a snug fortune sometimes es
timated at a quarter million dollars
from his father, Theodora Roosevelt,
Sr., glass Importer, banker and philan
thropist. During the next year Clark and La
Follette married In tha same month.
But Taft. who now became aaalatant
County Prosecutor of Cincinnati, was
not to take a spouse until five years
later. In 1111, when Roossvelt entered
upon bla active political career . aa
member of the New Tork Assembly,
Prealdent Arthur appointed Taft Col
lector of Internal Revenue for the First
District of Ohio, and Woodrow Wilson
moved to Atlanta, Ga., to practice law
for a year. About this time Underwood
verslty of Virginia, where Joseph W.
Bailey, now Senator rrom Texas, was
also a student.
The year of '94 was a sad one for
Roosevelt. On Valentine's day his
young wife died, when their daughter
the present Mrs. Longworth .was
two days old, and within a few hours
the future President also lost his
mother, the two being buried together.
A few months later the young widower
was elected delegate-at-large to the
convention which nominated Garfield.
After the convention ha put out forbia
ranch la North Dakota, there to re
main two years. ' He now got out his
"Trips of a Ranchman," and Woodrow
Wilaon, at the aame time, brought
forth hla "Study la American Polltica."
In that same year, 1885, the latter
then known as Thomas Woodrow Wil
aon married at Savannah, Ga, his
bride being, like himself, a parson's
child.
Wllaoa Teaehea Girls' College.
It was now that Wilaon gave up" the
law and chose the course that was
later to earn- his title, "The schoolmas
ter In politics." Soon after returning
from his honeymoon he accepted the
chair of history and political economy
at Brvn Mawr. the big woman's col
Taft entered upon a two-year term as
assistant County Solicitor, In Cincin
nati; Clark became Prosecuting At
torney of his county, and La Follette
made his Congressional debut as a
member of the House committee on
ways and means, now headed by Un
derwood. La Follette, at that time,
wore a small mustache, along with his
pompadour.
Two of our candidates married the
following year 1886. Taft led off in
June by wedding Helen, the sweetheart
of his youth, to whom he had been
true during the year that he had been
earning his own home. They went
abroad on a honeymoon which took
them through the garden spots of Eu-
hlm to the Federal bench, where, as
Circuit Judge, he was to remain until
McKlnley should put him in charge of
affairs In the Philippines.
an the year of the World's Fair at
Chicago, Champ Clark, a giant of 43,
wearing the pair of mustachlos which
make his accompanying photograph
look far from Champish, made his de
but in the House of Representatives,
which La . Follette had left two years
before, : and which Underwood was to
enter two years later. Roosevelt now
remained with the new Cleveland re
gime as Republican member of the Civil
Service Commission, but left in two
years to become president of the New
Tork Police Board under Strong, the
fusion - Mayor. The same year Clark
also left Washington life temporarily,
whl'e Harmon made his debut therein
as Attorney-General of the Cleveland
Cabinet. A year later, Taft and Har
mon are brother professors in the Cin
cinnati Law School, where Taft is dean;
Roosevelt finishes his "Winning of tha
West"; Wilson gets out his "Life of
George Washington," and La Follette
goes as delegate to the convention
which nominates McKlnley for his ttrst
campaign against Bryan.
Events Nov Fall Fast.
With tlje coming of McKlnley events
for all concerned commence to fall
quick and fast. After his hiatus of one
term Clark returns to Congress, where
Underwood is beginning his second
term. Roosevelt also returns to Wash
ington, now as Assistant Secretary of
the Navy. Then fall in rapid succession
the explosion of the Maine, the organi
zation of the Rough Riders by Roose
velt and Wood, the charge up San Juan
hill and Roosevelt's election as Gover
nor of New York, all in the year 1893.
How these racers have since run to
gether is pretty clear in your memory.
The same year in which Roosevolt waa
elected Vice-President, Taft took charge
of the Philippines and La Follette was
elected Governor of his state. Then ;
followed Roosevelt's succession of Mc-
Klnley, and the next year Woodrow j
Wilson's selection as president, of;
Princeton and La Follette's re-election
aa Governor.
T. R. Picked Taft in 1806.
In tha campaign year 1904 there waa
aomethlng stirring for all the contest
ants, except Harmon. Taft was made
Secretary of War, Roosevelt was elect
ed President, La Follette was made
rona. That was the Bummer Roose
velt. who bad tired of ranch life and . n.n.r fo jj.. third term. Under.
returned to the metropolis, was making j wood and ciBrB: were re-elected to Con
hls unsuccessful campaign for Mayor , egg tha jatter having been chosen
permanent chairman of the convention
that nominated Parker, and chairman
r -n.w York. After tha election he
went abroad and on December 2 near
ly three yeara after the death of hla
first wife married the present Mrs.
Roosevelt in London, where she was
visiting. During the succeeding year
Roosevelt finished two books, and Taft.
by what now appears as a coincidence.
of the committee that notified that can
didate of his nomination. Then La Fol
lette In '1905 comes to the Senate; Taft,
In 1904, adjusts the Insurrection in
Cuba and deollnes an appointment to
the United States Supreme Court of-
ateDDed Into the shoes of his older fered him by Roosevelt, who replies to
l t TTawnvn Th, I R ZTPT niilllW ' "
riva. - - ,
his place on tha Superior Court bench I
rM Oovarnor Foraker later to quar- ;
rel with Taft and Roosevelt appointed
Taft to the vacancy.
This was the beginning of Taft'a Ju
dicial career. A year later he was
elected to succeed himself for five years.
Wilson now left the girls' college at
Bryn Mawr and became professor of
history and political economy at Wes
leyan University.
Meeting of Taft aad Teddy.
The couple of years that followed
were to aee the coming together of
Taft and Roosevelt In Washington ani
the -forgtng of - their- close bond of
friendship, which was to last during
the next 20 years. After Harrison's
Inauguration Roosevelt came first as
Civil Service Commissioner and Taft
followed as Solicitor-General. They
met frequently at the mansion of their
mutual friend, Bellamy Storer, who
then represented In Congress the pres
ent Cincinnati district of his kinsman,
Nicholas Longworth, Roosevelt's son-in-law.
La Follette was now busy
helping- to frame the McKlnley tariff
bill, and Wilson the same year shifted
chairs at Wesleyan, taking that of
"Jurisprudence and politics." Clark was
serving his second year in the Mis
souri Legislature. But Taft's career
In Washington was to last only two
"There are strong arguments against
your taking this Justiceship. In tbe
first place, my belief is that of all men
who have appeared ao far, you are the
man who Is most likely to receive the
Republican nomination and. who Is, I
think,- the best man to receive it."
Next followed Taft's trip around the
world in 1907, and his election to the
Presidency in 1908, in which year Har
mon was chosen Governor and Clark
became minority leader of the House,
thus paving his way for the Speaker
ship, to which he succeeded three years
later, when Underwood became chair
man of the ways and means committee,
with its vastly augmented powers, and
Wilson became Governor of New Jersey.
Thus have these seven ambitious men
run side by side in the great race for
power and glory. In a couple of months
all will have dropped out save two or
will it be three?
("Copyright 1912, by John Elfreth Wat-kins.)
Choice of a College).
It Is my belief, after visiting more
than five hundred institutions in North
America, that the quality of instruc
tion in any one of these Institutions of
the first grade does not vary suffici
ently to render the choice of a college
on the ground of educational advant
ages a matter of great nioment. The
values which the small college loses
from inferior equipment are usually
offset by the more direct access of the
student to the personality of the
teacher, and often by closer friend-
waa earning hla aheepskla jh, vl, i9g9 aea Philadelphia, The same year, years, Xot in, 1891 Harrison elevated j ships with fellow-students. Century,