New-York tribune., 1901-03-17
GRIGGS TO RETIRE SOON.
WILL RETURN To HIS LAW PRACTICE IN
PATERSON-DOTBTA AS TO HIS
SUCCESSOR
icy TELEGRAPH TO -HE TRIBUNE.


washington. March 6-Attorney-Genera
eggs to-day authorized The Tribune to an
o,,rce in positive terms that he will retire from
,ha Cabinet within a couple OF weeks He de-
orras 10 name specifically the date Of his retire
,,er- although il is generally believed that it
,i1, occur on March so Mr.. Griggs viii imme
aisr4lv return 70 his old home in Paterson. y.
and resume the practice Of law. which he had
. abandon when he was installed as Governor
- Nev-Jersey in January, 1896 He has been
a+-orney-General OF the United States since
January 81. 1895, and national affairs have i'm
rosed on him a greater and more important
amount Of work than has fallen TO the lot Of
srv Of his predecessors. In the more than three
,,sars that ne has been at the head Of the De-
,a-tn7ent Of Justice he has been in fact, as
vel as in name. The chief law ofcer of the gov
eminent In that time he has had 10 solve all
tbe new and tremendous legal problems that
were brought before the various executive de-
nartments Of the government as the result Of
me national obligations that We're a part of the
fruits Of the with Spain. Persons in a po-
.i-on TO speak with knowledge Of the facts de-
clare that. with the possible exception of the
President Attorney-General Griggs has had TO
work more hours a day than any other official
n the administration during his incumbency of
the Office which ne is preparing 10 give up, TO
the regret Of President Mckinley and all the
members Of the Cabinet, 10 say nothing Of
host Of official and social friends in Washington
and an army Of associates throughout the coun-
uy.
In spite Of the enormous amount Of work he
has had 10 DO in the last three years. Mr. Griggs
to-day is as robust physically and mentally as
when he first accepted the duties OF the great
ofbce Of Attorney General Naturally. he mani
tests a keen desire TO ger back into private life
once more and take UP the work Of the practice
NJ law where he left of more than four years ago
II is no secret in Washington that the chief
II not the only reason Mr.. Griggs wants TO quit
official life is that the strain his finances here
il TOO heavy for a man Of his modest means,
and while ne is still young. active and alert he
regards II as a duty 10 those dependent on him
IN accumulate competence for them and for his
old age. His administration Of the Department
Of Justice has been wholly free from scandal.
and in = professional sense his conduct of the
governments side Of the insular test cases Will
bring him enduring fame. whatever may be the
final decision of the Supreme Court on the far
reaching constitutional questions involved. It is
generally conceded. alike by those opposed 10
the governments contention in these cases and
by those who favor it, that Mr.. GriSSs's
presentation Of the governments side was the
strongest. most lucid and most convincing that
has yet been made.
Who his successor will be Is still open ques-
tion in Washington. so far the general public
is concerned. In point OF fact. member of
the Cabinet al this time seems TO know who
the next Att0rney-General viii be- and IL is eX-
tremely doubtful If the President has made W
his mind whom 10 select. The name Of 2. c.
Knox Of Pittshurg. who TWO weeks ago was
said 10 be slated for the AIuorney-Gener
is rarely mentioned IL well informed circles.
RumOr Tersisteutly deals with the name Of
John G. Inhnson, Of Philadelphia, who was de-
scribCd to-day by a member Of the ca binet who
has known him for years as the ablest lawyer
in the United States. Another member Of the
Cabinet, who is supposed to speak by the card,
says that M johnson would refuse the At
inrseystSeneralship i il should be rendered 10
him, because Of the financial sacrifice involved !
Al the same time, IL is strongly cOntended that
the Phll2delphlan's great love Of his profession
Is a big point IN favor Of his accepting the post
~ chief law officer Of the government and on
the other side OF the equation is the fact that
he is known 10 be thoroughly in accord on con-
srtuttcEal grounds with the governments colo
nial policy The circumstance that Pennsyl-
Fania now has one member Of the Cabinet in the
person Of Posrmaster-C1en Smith is not
beng urged as an argument against the selec-
uon Of Mr Johnson, because the doctrine Is no
longer held that one State should not have more
than one place in the Presidents official house
hold