The National tribune., 1907-09-05
ATT'Y=GEN. BONAPARTE.
His Enemies Working the Resignation
Rumors to Their Utmost Strength.

OF a part in the profuse law talk
which has enveloped the land has been
persistent rumors that Attorney-Gen-
eral Bonaparte was going to resign.
These rumors have been repeated and
repeated. but the Attorney-General at
his Summer home in Lenox, Mass, is
serene, and declares that he has no in
tention whatever of resigning. He is
undoubtedly talking straight" but
Wall Street and corporation men who
.'haye it in for the Attorney
are trying to further his unpopularity,
and are pressing the rumor that he has
made some very powerful enemies. who
will not overlook any possible oPpor-
tunity TO embarrass him. And then 1t
is not to be forgotten that the Attor-
ncy-GeneraI is vulnerable, aid by re-
peated assaults on him the magnates
operating behind barriers may shake
the Presidents confidence in him.
Naturally. however, the President VIII
put up with a good deal from the Attor-
ney-General before he will dish him for
another Acknowledgement. The Gov
ernment is now up to its neck in liuga-
ton. All these big cases are personally
managed by the head of the Depart
ment. who has followed every step tax
Government to change its senior coun
sci. 1t is as dangerous as it would be
for a private ltigant to dismiss his at
torney in the midst OF 4 case, except
for the most pressing reas0ns-incom-
potency or death or incapacity or ILL
ness. There was not n little murmur-
ing that Attorney-General Moody was
transferred to the Supreme Court. on
the ground that he ought 70 carry thru
the cases he had in charge for the
Government. Now Attorney-General
Bonaparte is only fairly well seated in
the saddle. and ii would amount to Civ
ing trust defendants an extra and an
unnecessary advantage to change the
Attorney-General again.
The President wants him to surrender
the law portfolio in order that IL may be
given to Special Attorney c. y. Kellogg,
of Minnesota, who has been very active
in prosecuting antitrust cases, espe-
cially the cases against the Standard
| Oil Trust
1t used to be an old and favorite
| trick of opponents of q Cabinet officer
| to keep up the persistent rumors that
/ his resignation was desired by the Pres
| ident, with the assurance that if it was
| kept up long enough and was circulated
widely enough it would be only a ques-
| ton of time when he would resign. The
widespread reports of that character
were calculated to impress the Presi-
| dent with the unpopularity of the men,
| Der of his Cabinet, and to strike con-
/ sternation to the member himself. He
| would begin to fear that the President
was causing the rumors to be circulated
! because of his desire that the holder of
| the portfolio step down voluntarily.
Wall Street and the trusts are now
trying that trick with Attorney General
| Bonaparte, but it does not seem to be
working very well. The President
knows many of the desperate tricks of
the trusts and will not be decoyed. 1t
is certain enough that Attorney-General
| BOnaparte is not popular. In fact, his
unpopularity permeates many quarters,
outside of the big trust offices in New
| York and other metropolitan centers.
But the President is with him, and does
not propose that Mr.. Bonaparte shall
| be run into the tall timber of obscurity
| by such tactics.
Hundreds of rumors about the resig-
nation of former Secretary of the In
terror Hitchcock were given circulation
| during his long and highly efficient
| term. But he was the most unpopular
| member of the Cabinet, because he
| stiffened up against the multitude of
| schemes that Westerners had for loot
| ing the Government to their own ad-
vantage. Senators and members of the
House took keen delight in starting
rumors that Secretary Hitchcock was
going to resign. They knew that Presi-
dent Roosevelt would be very quick to
act if he could be convinced that Secre-
/ tary Hitchcock was in reality unpopu-
| lar with the masses. But all these in
| triguers were able to show was the Sec
retary's unpopularity with the intriguers
themselves. and therefore the President
stood by Mr.. Hitchcock. Nevertheless,
the persistent criticims of the Secretary
of the Interior finally wearied the Pres
ident, and he was glad TO be rid of him.
| Undoubtedly the Bonaparte resigua-
ton rumor will continue to do duty for
a long time-perhaps till the end of Mr..
| RooseveltS term.