Telegram-herald., 1890-03-25

W14.zFer NAY - TIE nature - tie
Attorney GsnsrzL's 2l1lct.0as, q = GER
t4lB tat &c = n no concl taoo to at
tsDd . the duties or as once, and
the great STATE Of Aeaig4n h4s pro
yldsc 10 way FOR TIE Transaction CT
tns constantly accommodating business
CT TIE department.. The Attorney
General . the only constitutional Stale
onaeeF VITO hAs 10 deputy The Gov
ernOr . provided W - successor 70
t4ke nls place "A case of death o. dLs&-
nlllsy, AID private secretary 20 repre-
sent am II certain ofhclal Nay AZ the
executive once. The Lieutenant Gov
eFnor Las an assistant II the president
pro ,s0s. or the senate. The Secretary
of state, state Treasurer, Land Com
missioner, Auditor General and super
intendent or Public Instruction all have
wel-paid, competent, oraei4l deputies
% represent them and keep the busi-
ness or Their respective departments ia
order, IN case OF the absence or dlsabil-
~ OF the principal oficiAl. Bat the
oaly provision made tor the Attorney
General, . an allowance Tor clerk hire,
10 90 used AZ his discretion. This OFF,
ciai and ms department Is or equal con-
stilutonal dignity and Importance with
the others. Why shouldn't the State
take as much forethought II providing
for the transaction OF his business as II
does IN case OF the others7 IL should
provide al assistant, or deputy, whose
acts would nave some official standing.
Az present Mr.. rrowbrdge has done
as we'll as ne could under the circum-
stances. He has placed J. p. Lee, of
Lansing, bright young attorney, in
charge Of the department, as 4 clerk.
But Mr.. Lee has no authority OF law
for dispatching official business. HIS
work Is really Of no more official value
70 the State than the work of any
other attorney.
The Detroit Nelrs recently published
rather severe attack upon Mr.. Lee, be-
cause he declined 20 answer certa in
questions of the Nars. We do not think
It IS the Attorney Generals duty, in his
Official capacity, 10 answer the ques-
tons asked OF him by private
parties; but, if it were, Mr..
Lee would not be authorized to an
swer such questions by virtue of his
position, for neither he nor any one
else can, IN any legal sense, represent
the Attorney-General in the latters
official capacity. Mr.. Lees actual posi-
ton under the law Is as a clerk only.
Even if urgent interests of the State
demanded the official action of the At
torney- General, Mr.. Lee could not pri-
marily act in the premises, and such
interests would have TO lie dormant as
long as the impairment of the Attor-
ney-GeneraPs health prevented his CIV
ing attention TO his official duties. Such
must continue TO be the case whenever
impaired health makes it impossible for
VIC W SlhC lis per
sOnal attention to his official duties,
however important it may be that i'm
mediate official action be taken to pro-
tect such interests.
At the last session of the Legislature,
bill was introduced to provide for an
Assistant ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Such bills
have been introduced at other sessions.
But they haye usually been smothered
TO save the professional pride of the
incumbent Of the Office. 1t seems,
however, as if the interests of
the State were of equal impor-
tance with an Attorney-GeneraPs s
professional pride. The constitution
has created the Office. Since attorneys
are liable TO the same accidents OF
death and disease as other men, it
would seem to be but stateSmanlike
prudence to provide for such emerg-
encles. The next Legislature should do
so, whoever may be the next Attorney
General.