[Philander Chase]. American politician, born at Brownsville, PA, on the 6th of May 1853. He graduated from Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, in 1872; studied law in an office in Pittsburgh and was admitted to the bar in 1875. The following year he was appointed assistant U.S. attorney for the western district of Pennsylvania. In 1877 he opened an office in Pittsburgh and soon developed a lucrative practice. In 1901 he was appointed Attorney-General by President McKinley and was retained by President Roosevelt. He resigned in 1904, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of Matthew S. Quay deceased, as senator for Pennsylvania and was re-elected to serve 1905–11. In 1909 he resigned from the Senate to enter the Cabinet of President Taft as Secretary of State, holding that office for four years. He was again returned to the Senate for 1917–23. While he was Attorney-General many important suits were instituted, notably those against the “Beef Trust” and the Northern Securities Co. As senator he was active in debates relating to the Panama Canal, favouring the lock type which was finally adopted. He was opposed to the Panama Canal Tolls Repeal Bill passed in 1914. In 1916 he attacked the administration’s Mexican policy and disapproved of the Adamson Eight-Hour Law. In 1919 he desired to separate the League of Nations, which he opposed, from the Peace Treaty. In 1920 he offered a resolution declaring that war with Germany was at an end, which was adopted by both Senate and House, but later failed to pass over President Wilson’s veto; but a similar joint resolution of Congress was approved by President Harding July 2, 1921, and a formal treaty of peace with Germany signed August 25th. He was the author of numerous addresses on railroad rates and commerce. He died in Washington, DC, on the 12th of October 1921.
