The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-29
SUTHERLAND HAS
RETIRED UNDER FIRE
Junior Senator From Utah
Seeks Refuge Behind
Senatorial Toga.
MAKES A DISCOVERY
LONG KNOWN TO PUBLIC
Queer That He Has Just Found
Out Attitude Of Two
Clients.

Senator George Sutherland Of the law
firm of Sutherland, Van Cott, Allison,
Ritter & Hardness has announced hls IN,
tontlon of retiring from that body, and
on Saturday authorized the following
statement 10 be published with refer
ence to his Withdrawals
hnvc retired from tho firm with very
great personal rogrct, for tho sole reason that
certain actions have been brought against
two OF the regular clients oil the firm, and
on behalf Of the United Stntcs TO cancel GER
thin coal land entries. | know nothing what
ever ns TO tho merits Of these controversies
but / hnve considered that cannot, "ith
proproty. rcprosont litignnt whose inter
eats nro adverse TO those OF the Government
and | do not feol justified in asking my
motc business for regular client on my Hc-
count
AS far as his legal career is con
cerned, Mr.. Sutherland states that he
has formed no definite plans for the fu-
ture, except that he will close up several
important cases which he now has on
hand for clients, and which may re-
qulre year or more to terminate.
What Retirement Indicates,
Tho conditions of this transaction in
dicate that MIR Sutherland has retired
under fire and is seeking refuge be-
hind the Senatorial toga. There is moth
ing new either III the announcement
that the law firm referred to has been
counsel for the Utah Fuel company and
the Pleasant Valley Coal company or
that those companies have been openly
accused Of frauds against the Govern
mcnt ever since Mr.. Sutherland was
elected TO tho Senate The combination
of Senator, law firm. and the coal
companies on one side and the Govern
ment on the other, which has existed so
long, has never been looked upon by
the public as q thing of particular
beauty,
1t is not probable that the matters
brought up by the filing OF recent and
numerous suits in which frauds are al
legged are new, either TO the law firm
or the coal companies. 1t is quito prob
able that there has been sufficient bust
ness acumen among all the parties in
terest to have discussed these things
The bringing of the suits has changed
conditions only by magnifying their in
consistencies before the public.
Discovery Comes at Late Hour.
The discovery by Senator Suther-
land that he could not with propriety
represent a litigant whose interests are
adverse to those Of the Government, has
been long time after thousands Of the
citizens of the State had discovered
and talked of the same thing, and
comes rather late.
If the attitude OF the companies are
shady now, they were shady ever since
Mr.. Sutherland became Senator, accord
ing TO the allegations of the complaint
The difference seems TO be that be-
tween giving advise to violators of the
statutes and defending them openly in
the courts, unless the law firm were to-
tally ignorant of the existence of the
frauds as alleged.
1t may be that upon such trihing mat
ters the clients mover sought counsel.
II so, the attorneys have certainly been
treated in Il decidedly shabby manner
or have not enjoyed the full confidence
OF their clients