Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-04
SENATOR SPOONER RESIGNS
Wisconsin Man Announces His Retirement
from Public Life May l.
WILL RESUME THE PRACTICE OF LAW
Move Causes Great Surprise I'm wash
ingtOn and in wisconsin-LeEis-
Iature VIII Elect His
Successor.

thture VIII Erect hle
Successor.
WASHINGTON, March s.-Senator John
c. Spooner has written a letter TO Gov
ernor Davidson OF Wisconsin tenderins his
resignation as a senator OF the United
States, to take effect May 1 next The
letter was dated yesterday. but the fact
that such a letter had been written or that
Mr.. Spooner contemplated resigning did not
become known in the senate until late to-
! day, when II created great surprise, and
| the Wisconsin senator at once found him
| self the subject of many anxious Inquiries
| To all he replied that his mind was fully
made up. He had found he said, that to
continue in his present position would re-
quire a sacrifice on his part that he could
not justify himself in making In. reply to
questions, he said he would resume the
practice of law but declined to say whether
he would be located in Wisconsin. He did
say, however, that he would continue to be
/ a citizen of that state as long as he lives
Vice President Fairbanks was one of the
few public men to be made acquainted with
Mr.. SpooneTs plans before he wrote his
| letter. The knowledge came to him through
! the personal confidence of the senator, but
| the latter made no official communication
on the subject to either the senate or lts
presiding officer. The law does not require
that resigning senator should do more
! than Mr.. Spooner has done, but some sena-
tors who have resigned have given notice
| to the senate.
| Senator SpOOner's Letter.
Senator Spooner, In his letter to the gov
ernor of Wisconsin, says:
1 hereby resign the office of senator OF
l . TANN GNnNn frnFN N.
resignation to take effect on May ], lsoi.
! Both by law and custom the foregoing
| to surrender the trust with which Wis
| consn has so long and so highly honored
me by a curt sentence, which Includes no
| word of explanation or of gratitude -,
on March l shall have served in all
| sixteen years as a senator. This is Ions
time for one neither willing nor tnanciai,y ta,is
! from his profession. 1t has been taken
from mine, for have not thought II COM
discharge of public duty to pursue 1t, and
/ have therefore during my service with
two or three trifiing exceptions, purely
local, absolutely abstatned therefrom.
For years private duty has plainly de-
manded of me early return to the prac-
tice Of my profession, and have never
in the determination to retire from puonc
life on the expiration of my present term
March 3, 1909. / might well content my
self with a public declaration OF my pur-
pose so to retire II 1t were not for ike
declaration made on a ] former ana similar 81 .ha
year 1900 l announced through the press,
over my signature to the republicans OF
Wisconsin, that / Nnalterably determined
| to retire from public life at the expiration
of the term ending March 3, 1905, unless
should deem It my duty to resign earlier. !
justified the announcement upon the ground
I that the people and those who mtghk as
| pire to the Office were entitled seasonably
! to know from me that / would not accept
! a re-election Despite that declaration, cir
| cumstances, with which the people are IA
miliar, seemed to make It my duty to ac-
cept reelection, proffered as II was In a
manner which rendered it at once COM
mand and a finer honor than any which I
indeed. which ought to satisfy the pride
and ambition OF any man. similar dec
laration by men at this time. however
prove unavailng to withdraw my name
from consideration during the next two
years as did that which ! SO publicly and
As my purpose to retire from public life
| Is and has been irrevocable, am unwilling
to be further considered in connection with
an off1ce which could not in the circum-
stances accept
A senator will be chosen for the term be-
ginning on the 4th Of March. 1909, and there
will be, and should be, during the next two
years grave and wide consideration among
honor shall be bestowed. After much
thought deem 1t to be my duty, all things
considered, to the people of the state and
70 the party to- whose partiality 1 am in
debted for the highest honors within its
gift, to take myself now beyond recall from
the Held OF possible choice 1 am there
fore, impelled not only for the reasons sug-
gested, but also that 1 may be free to de-
vote to the discharge Of private duty too
long neglected, the remainder of my term,
so resign the office at this time while the
legislature is In session TO choose a senator
! avail myself of this opportunity 10 say.
albeit am sure 1t Is not needful, that
am inexpressibly grateful to the republi-
abiding confidence which has led tbam
three times to elect me to the high offce
OF senator.
Surprise I'm Wisconsin,:
MILWAUKEE,, March 3.-The announce
ment that Senator John c. Spooner of
Wisconsin had resigned came as a COM
plete surprise in Wisconsin.
Governor Davidson said he had not vet
received the resignation and could hardly
believe II to be true. AS to senator
spooners successor, Governor Davidson
said 1t would be left to tho present Iegis-
lature to elect successor to I'LL the un-
expired term. Governor Davidson would
not discuss the probable successor, other
than TO say he presumed some of the
Wisconsin congressman. such as Cooper
and Esch, who were candidates for The
senatorship at the time Senator LaFollette
was elected to succeed Senator OuarIes
would again enter the field. CSovernor
Davidson said he would not be a candi-
date.
Lieutenant Governor w. D. Connor of
whom mention has been made at various
times as possible successor to Senator
spooner when his term expired, expressed
surprise at the news of the resignation,
but was not prepared at this time to
make statement.
Statement by the President.
On being Informed OF Senator spooner's
resignation. the president made the follow.
ing statement:
/ cannot sufficiently express nv regret
at Senator Spooner's resignation We 1osf
one OF the ablest most efficient most fear.
less and most upright public servants that
I the nation has had. -Four wears ago
knew the extreme reluctance with which
Senator Spooner finally consented TO serve
in the senate and year by year since
have feared he would resign as he finaJIv
, has resigned, for have known that every
year OF his stay In public life has heen ~
him a direct financial loss which he colild
but Ill afford i understand fully the sepa.
tors feeling that he cannot longer stav An
the public service at such cost not ONLY h
himself but TO his family, and much that
i regret his resignation, / am most sincerely
grateful that he has been willing 10 serve
as long. He has been In his life a galIani
soldier, a trained public servant of ths
| highest standard of ability and faIfb f,,l,.1.-