The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-05
DELAY IN THE SELECTION
Cleveland Seeking a Man to
Succeed the Attorney
General.
SOLICITOR CONRAD's CHANCE.
Then Assistant Secretary Uhl May
Become the Virginian's Sue
CeSSOr.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 4.-There
is no longer any reasonable doubt that the
President has fully determined to ask At
torney-General Olney to accept the State
Department portfolio. The President has
not intimated to Olney his purpose. To
other members of the Cabinet, however, he
has stated in substance that he should ask
Olney to accept the place. He is delaying
the public announcement in order that he
might at the same time name a successor
to Olney as Attorney General.
Cabinet officers after the meeting to-day
stated that no appointment has yet been
made to fill the vacancy. Senator Gray of
Delaware came over from Wilmington to-
day and went directly to the White House.
1t was thought his visit had some connec
ton with the vacant Cabinet Office. Gray
was the most earnest champion of the
administration in the Senate and as
member of the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations has become familiar with the duties
of Secretary of State.
Senator Gray's visit to the White House
was undoubtedly in response to g telegram
from the President, who, it is believed,
would not hesitate to offer Mr.. Gray
place in his Cabinet were it not for the fact
that his retirement from the Senate would
almost certainly result in the election of
Republican successor.
1t is thought that up to this time the
President has not definitely decided upon
Mr.. Olney's successor. A long list of
names is being discussed, but everything
in that connection is purely speculative.
observation-disclosures Don NJ. Dickin-
son, it is said, would be very likely of
appointment if he would accept. A posi-
bility is B. Holmes Conrad of Virginia,
the present Solioitor-General. He has
the reputation of being man
of brilliant legal attachments, and en-
joys the high regard of the members of
the Supreme Court. The fact that
Mr.. Conrad comes from Virginia,
however. may operate against his appoint
ment, but in case he is selected it is be-
ieved that Mr.. Uhl, the present Assistant
Secretary of State, would be candidate
for the vacant solicitor generalship. Mr..
Uhl was candidate for this place at the
time Mr.. Maxwell was appointed, and it is
believed change from the Department of
State to that of Justice would be most
agreeable to him.
Richard Olney, who is now in all proba-
bility to be advanced to the first place in
President Cleveland's Cabinet, has won
this distinction by the able service he has
thus far rendered the President on all the
more important questions that have en-
gagged public attention since the present
administration began. During the great
strike at Chicago his services were partic-
ulary notable. He developed each step
that the Government authorities took, and
President Cleveland was so fully convinced
of the wisdom of the proposed policy that
he gave it thorough support and execu-
ton. In this question Mr.. Olney was i'm
PEELED by desire to suppress disorder.
He had shown in another case his
sincere respect for the rights of
labor. This was in case of the Reading
Railroad which sought to compel one of
its employees to either sever his connection
with a railway mems beneficial organize
ton or leave the company's service. AL
though the Government had no direct
interest in the case Mr.. Olney secured the
permission Of the court to present brief
on behalf of the employee, in which he held
| that the proposed action of the company
was against justice and right. The brief
was marked by a vigorous defense of the
right..of labor to organize in any way it
saw fit for advancing it's interests so long
as the means were peaceful and within the
law.
The new Secretary of State comes from
sturdy Puritan stock. His ancestor,
Thomas Olney, came from England and
settled at Salem, Mass, in 1735. The
father of Richard Olney owned the cotton
mills at Roxford ana also engaged in bank
ing. His mother was Sigourney, a de-
scendant from French Huguenots who fed
from France to this country. The new
Secretary graduated from Brown Univer-
sity in 1856, and from the Harvard law
| school in 1858. He married Agnes, daugh-