Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-05
SECRETARY FOLGER DEAD
THE DEMISE OCCURS SUDDENLY
AT HIS HOME IN GENEVA.


None of His Children in the Death
Chamber-UniversaI Regret Felt al
the National CapitaI-Assistant Secre.
tary' Coon Temporarily at the Head
of the Department.
GENEVA, N. Y, Sept. 4.-Secretary
Folger died at his home in Geneva at 4:45
O'Clock this afternoon. His death was Sc
sudden that time was not afforded to sum.
mon his children to his bedside, and
neither of them was here.
The following is the physicians
diagnosis of Secretary Folger's case:
Great feebleness of the hearts action. con-
gestion of the middle lobe of the right lung
and capillary congestion of the bronchial
tubes, tOrpor of the liver, albuminOus dis
charge Of the urine, showing disease of the
kidneys.
The Doctor was informed that the Sec
retary had had hemOrrhage of the lungs
three times of late before his return home,
the first while out yachting with friends
at New York, on which occasion he dis
charged about pint of blood. Sec
retary FOlger rode out daily I'M
til and including Aug. 80, since
which time he had kept his room, but
did not wholly abandon official work. He
continued to answer important letters and
kilograms up to yesterday and seemed re-
luctant to give up. Yet he was by no
means unconscious of his critical con-
dition and entrusted to his personal
friend, Capt. Lewis, final messages to his
children and other directions of a conf
Dental nature.
THE NEWS AT WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.-The news of
Secretary FOlger's death was received
here with regret by the small circle of
his friends now in town. The old gentle
man had few friends here and few ac-
quaintances outside of official life, but
everybody who knew him, who had been
allowed to see the man behind the official,
loved him. He had a fine character,
sweet at the core, although he had been
sorely buffeted. He was a noble, gener-
Gus, patient, tender-hearted man beneath
his blunt, brusque manner. He will be
sincerely mourned by many poor clerk or
messenger who had obtained his sympathy
or his clemency. His death is directly
traceable to his ambition. He was
Judge by nature. He was in his proper
place when he was on the Supreme bench
of New York. He might have sat there
for years to come. But from the time he
descended from the bench he stumbled
from one mistake into another. He was
not fitted for the position of Secretary of
the Treasury. He was too slow, too
Judicial, too laDorious. He was not a
good candidate for the GOvernorship of
New York, and he would not have made
a good Governor. That campaign was
one long heart-ache to him.
DESPIsED THE MACHINE.
He despised the methods by which he
was nominated. He was very reluctant
to run under the existing conditions, but
having consented to allow his name to be
used, he was i'll activity almost all the
time until the crushing blow aimed by
Blaine fell on election Gay. 1t was uneX-
pected. 1t astonished, almost paralyzed
the old gentleman. He has never recoY-
cred from it. He has never been out of
the valley OfhumiliatiOn since. Naturally,
he has not been very agreeable COM
panl0n since. He was ALWAYS
brOoding over that terrible de-
feat. Naturally, too, he has not eXerted
himself in Blaine's interest, nor have his
friends. Roscoe Conkling's position to-
day is due largely to his sympathy with
Folger, who was so terribly wounded in
the house of his party friends. Secretary
Eolger lived more quietly here than any
OF the other members of the Cabinet. He
had modest house, modest equipage,
and gave no entertainments. Sometimes
his accomplished daughter kept house for
him, sometimes he kept bachelors ball
for himself with possibly one or two
friends. George Bliss lived with him
most of one winter.
THE FUTURE OF HIS DEPARTMENT.
Judge Folger's death viii be followed
by more rapid disposition of the busi-
ness of his department. The President
probably has not thought of a possible
successor to the old Judge, but acting
Secretary of the Treasury Coon will
probably retain that position, and NAV be
made Secretary for the balance of the sd-
ministratiOn. Coon is a good official, who,
though still young man, has, thanks to
the principles of civil service reform.
climbed from an inferior clerkship to the
position Of First Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury. He has an intimate ac-
quaintance with the affairs of the Treas
ury Department, is a good business man,
a genial, popular fellow, the President Of
the Columbia Boat Club, and would make
good Secretary of the Treasury.
AT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
The Treasury Department will be closed
informally tomorrow out of respect to the
memory of Secretary Folger and also up
on the day of his funeral. Acting Secre-
tary Coon explains that when the depart
ment is informally closed all mail and ex-
press matter is received as usual but
that nothing is sent out from the depart
ment and nothing goes on record as haV-
ing been done on that day.
Assistant Secretary French of the
Treasury has been in Europe for
some time, and is now on his
way home. His absence leaves Mr.. Coon
the only Assistant Secretary here, and he
has been acting Secretary since Mr.. Fol
ger left. In regard to a question as to
how long Assistant Secretary Coon can
act as Secretary, Mr.. Coon says that he
obtained the opinion of Attorney General
brewster upon that point when Judge
Ella, the Sixth Auditor, died re-
Gently. Mr.. Brewster's opinion was
that vacancy occurring by the death of
the head of bureau must be filled on the
expiration of ten days, either by tempo
rary designation or permanent appoint
ment, and such temporary designation, If
made, could be but for ten days. 1t would
follow, therefore, that the vacancy in the
Treasury may be temporarily filed by an
appointment for ten days from Sept. 16,
and must be permanently filled not later
than Sept. 2S-Sundays not being counted.
FOLGER's DEsPoNDENCY.
Assistant Secretary Coon said that he
has received several letters recently from
Secretary Folger in which be wrote rather
despOndently. In alluding to the burden
OF work IN the department he said that
he was about useless still he would pack
his trunk and return to duty if he (Coon)
felt that too much was laid upon him. In
another he remarked that he was in mis-
cradle plight, while a third letter
was closed abruptly with the re-
mark that he had set out to write
at length, but felt too weak
and listless. Two other letters received
were dictated to an amanuensis. While
containing clear directions concerning
important department matters, they also
conveyed intelligence inserted by the
writer that the Secretary was a very sick
man, and capable Of only tthe smallest
physical and mental eXertion. In one
letter Acting Secretary Coon was advised
to send a cable message to Assistant Sec
retary French asking him to return at
once. Judge French was then ON his
way to Liverpool.
HAZEN'S HONOR SCOTTTEn