Volume Vi Part 22 (1/2)
To others it appeared that the voters were willing to accept the protective policy with a promise for honest tariff revision in order to obtain a continuation of the Roosevelt policies.
The popular vote is interesting mainly for what it showed concerning the changed strength of the small parties, During the period 1904 to 1908 the drift had evidently been away from them. The Socialist vote was nearly as large in 1908 as in 1904, which was a consolation to Socialists, for they had held the ground gained by the heavy vote in 1904. The Prohibition vote fell off about ten per cent from that polled in 1904 and the Independence party polled only 82,000 votes.
In the House of Representatives the Sixty-first Congress had 219 Republicans and 172 Democrats; the Senate 60 Republicans and 32 Democrats.
CHAPTER XV
THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT TAFT
[1909]
On March 4, 1909, the date of the inaugural ceremonies, Was.h.i.+ngton was visited by a heavy snow-storm, and Mr. Taft, departing from the custom of delivering his inaugural address at the east end of the Capitol, spoke in the Senate chamber. Many trains bearing visitors to Was.h.i.+ngton, from various parts of' the country, were blockaded, This condition served to emphasize the call, many times made, for the transfer of the date of these services to April 30, the day on which President Was.h.i.+ngton took the oath of office.
President Taft's inaugural address was wise and temperate and satisfactory to the country at large. He a.s.serted that the most important feature of his administration would be the maintenance and enforcement of the reforms inaugurated by President Roosevelt. He justified appropriations, as his predecessor had done, for maintaining a suitable army and navy; advocated the conservation of our natural resources, the establishment of postal savings banks, and direct lines of steamers between North and South America.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Copyright by Clinedinst, Was.h.i.+ngton.
President William H. Taft and Governor Hughes on the reviewing stand at the inauguration, March 4,1909.
The cabinet was made up of men largely gathered from private life, a majority of them being comparatively unknown to the public. Philander C.
Knox was United States senator from Pennsylvania when he was appointed Secretary of State. He had served as Attorney-General in President McKinley's cabinet. Franklin MacVeagh, of Illinois, who was made Secretary of the Treasury, had been prominent as a merchant in Chicago and active in public affairs. Mr. MacVeagh and Jacob M. d.i.c.kinson, who became Secretary of War, were both members of the Democratic party. By inviting Democrats to become members of his political family, President Taft desired to give recognition to the fact that he had been elected by Democratic votes and had received substantial support in parts of the South. Mr. d.i.c.kinson was also from Chicago. The Secretary of the Navy, George von L. Meyer, of Ma.s.sachusetts, had served as amba.s.sador to Russia, and later as Postmaster-General during Mr. Roosevelt's administration. Frank H. Hitchc.o.c.k, of Ohio, who was made Postmaster-General, had served as First a.s.sistant Postmaster-General.
George W. Wickersham, an attorney of good standing in New York City, was appointed Attorney-General. Richard A. Ballinger, of Seattle, who had been Commissioner of the General Land Office, 1907-1909, was appointed Secretary of the Interior. James Wilson, of Iowa, who had served as Secretary of Agriculture since 1897, was continued in that office.
Charles Nagel, a noted lawyer of St. Louis, was made Secretary of Commerce and Labor.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Copyright, 1909, by Brown Bros., N. Y. Reading from left to right: President Taft, Franklin MacVeagh, Sec'y of the Treasury. George W.
Wickersham, Attorney-General. George von L. Meyer, Sec'y of the Navy, Philander C. Knox, Sec'y of State, James Wilson, Sec'y of Agriculture.
Charles Nagel, Sec'y of Commerce and Labor( above). Jacob M. d.i.c.kinson, Sec'y of War (below). Frank H. Hitchc.o.c.k, postmaster-General. Richard A.
Ballinger, Sec'y of the Interior. President Taft and Cabinet, 1909.
With the beginning of the new administration the President's salary was increased to $75,000 a year; that of the Vice-President to $12,000; and members of the cabinet to $12,000.
From June 1 to October 15 there was held at Seattle the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. The rapid growth of Seattle has been due in no small degree to the fostering of trade with Alaska. The exhibits served to demonstrate the wisdom of the purchase of the territory, which at that time was characterized as Seward's ”folly.”
Alaska has for some years been recognized as a country of wealth and opportunity. The gold output each year is more than three times the sum paid Russia for the territory. About one-fifth of the gold produced in the United States comes from Alaskan mines. Products amounting to $33,500,000 were s.h.i.+pped to the States from Alaska during the year 1907, and the return trade for that year amounted to $19,500,000. The value of the fishery products is five-sevenths as great as the output of the gold mines. Alaskan coal-fields are estimated to be even richer than her gold deposits. Other productions of the territory are silver, tin, lead, quicksilver, graphite, marble, lumber, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
The purpose of the exposition was declared to be ”to exploit the resources and potentialities of the Alaskan and Yukon territories; to make known and foster the vast importance of the trade of the Pacific Ocean and of the countries bordering thereon, and to demonstrate the marvellous progress of Western America.” The energy and determination of the men of the new Northwest was well shown in the preparation made for the exposition. No financial a.s.sistance was asked from the federal government. The necessary $10,000,000 were contributed almost entirely in Seattle and the State of Was.h.i.+ngton. One million dollars were expended by Seattle, as a preparatory step, on her munic.i.p.al improvements.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle.
The Palace of Fine Arts.