Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-10
COOLEY RETIRES.
Head of the Interstate Commits.
e sion Resigns.
IN NEED OF AN ABSOLUTE REST,

Failing Health Makes Labor Dangerous
and the Distinguished Jurist Puts a
Period to Forty Years of Hard Work
| Two Places Now Vacant in the Conn
mission and 10th Difficult to Fill
| Points from the Judges Long and Use
| full Career.
ANN ARBoR, Mich, Sept. 1O-Judge
Thomas NJ. Cooley, chairman of the inter
state commerce commission, has handed
in his resignation at Washington. When
seen by reporter he stated that his reason
is his failing health. Although not by
any means in dangerous condition, the
several relapses which he has suffered dur
ing the past two years have rendered such
course necessary. AS to his future
plans, they are as yet not determined
upon. He will take much needed rest
with his family In this city 1t is his in
tention to totally abstain from all study
or work whatever. If his health permits,
during the coming winter he may deliver
few lectures in the university upon the
interstate commerce law
A Republican 1Iust Succeed Him.
a Washington dispatch says that the
resignation of Judge Cooley is regarded
here as great loss to the public, for he
was the only man on the commission ap-
pointed for his practical and expert knowl-
edge of railroad law. Under the terms of
the act creating the commission no more
than three of its five members can belong
to the same political party. Judge Cooley
was appointed as Republican. therefore
the president must appoint Republican
TO succeed him. and Democrat to succeed
the late Commissioner Bragg. William
II. Morrison is now the only original
member of the commission, and his two
colleagues are Republicans.
Two Difficult Places to Fill.
There are as yet no means of knowing
who will be appointed to the two vacan-
cies. Almost every prominent politician
at present out of job is spoken of but
1t will be a very difficult matter for the
president to select two men who possess
the qualifications necessary to make them
fitting successors to Cooley and Bragg.
William r. Morrison's term expires in
January next, but at that time there will
be three Republicans and two Democrats
on the board, which will make it reasona-
bly, sure that Colonel Morrison will sue
coed himself
One of the Original Appointees
Judge Cooley was one of President
Cleveland's original appointees to the
interstate commission. He is nearly Us
years old, A New Yorker by birth, he re-
moved early to Michigan and began the
practice of law at Adrian. In 1859 he was
appointed professor in the newly or
gained law department of the Michigan
university, and from that date he has
lived continuously in Ann Arbor. From
1864 to 1888 he sat on the Michigan su-
preme bench, and his decisions are a part
of the best literature of the profession.
His great work on Constitution Limita-
lions" is a world wide authority, as are
also his books on "TaXations," OF "Tortsn
and his edition of Blackstone's Common
taries.
Case of Life or Death
Judge Cooley's health has been very pre-
carlous for the past two years, and it was
absolutely necessary for him to give up
hard work if ne wished to live. For forty
or fifty years he has worked necessarily
about fifteen hours day, allowing him
self no relaxation whatever In Washing
ton he has been absolutely unknown to So
clety, and the only opportunity afforded
the public of catching a glimpse of him
was when he sat on the bench of the inter
state commerce commission. The death
last year of his wife, the companion of
over forty years, greatly shocked and en-
feebled him, and he has frequently been
forced to the retirement of his home