Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-25

ne now seldom goes about without a ser
want. Mentally, however he appears to
be as strong as ever, but he feels that the
work of the court is telling upon him, and
that he ought to retire. / called by ap-
pointment upon him one morning during
the last days of President Cleveland's ad-
ministration, and had a chat with him
about himself in regard to an interview
He received me at O'Clock in the morn
ing He had risen at $50. and he was still
peSSfng away at his work. He was clad
in dressing gown and slippers the gown
having been put On over his pajamas. Dur
ing my call he furnished me with a large
amount Of material concerning himself and
his career, among other things. loa ming me
volume he had written concerning his
early life, which is intended entirely for
private circulation, and which has never
been sold in book stores. He told me that
he intended to retire very soon, but gave
me to understand that he did not proDoSe
to allow President Cleveland to have the
pleasure of appointing his successor If he
could help il. Every one knows that Judge
Field has been one of the most noted DEM
ocrats of the United States He has been
several times spoken of a possible can
didate for the presidency. and the state
ment that he did not want Il democratic
President to fill his place by appointment
will seem strange 1t is not strange to
those Who understand the il side history of
matters connected with the Supreme Court.
When Chief Justice Waite died. petitions
came in from the lawyers from all parts
of the country asking that Judge Field be
made Waite'S successor. Many of the legal
organizations passed resolutions to this
effect. but President Cleveland Stepped
aside ard chose Melville N Fuller, a Chi
cago lawyer. This was a very bitter pill
to Justice Fields friends, and you can
easily see why he ives not anxious to
oblige The President.
His Ambiti ton.
Another reason why Judge Field has not
retired is his desire to be the oldest justice
of the Supreme Court the United States has
ever had in point of service. By the end
of November he will have been thirty-four
years and six months on the bench, and
will have sat there longer than any other
supreme justice since the organization of
the court. He told me his term had al
ready exceeded that of Justice Story who
was supreme judge thirty-three years and
five months. and that he might probably re-
tire after having passed the term of JUS
tlce Marshall. who served thirty-four years
ard five months. According to law a stl-
preme judge having served ten years has
the right to retire at the age of seventy and
his salary is continued for the remainder
of his life Justice Field would have re-
ceived his $4,000 a year during the past
eleven years had he done no work and
another judge would have been appointed
who would have received an equal amount.
He has in reality given Uncle Sam dur
ing this time present of $4,000 in work.
After he leaves the court he will probably
devote himself to putting together his
recollections of the Supreme bench. He
has wanted to do this for years. and has
collected a vast amount of material with
this view. He thinks it will take him about
three years to complete the book. and al
though he is past four score I doubt not
that he will attempt it.
This book of Judge Fields when it Is
completed will read like a romance. What
he has already written for private circula-
ton which he gave me to look over is as