Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-03-08
SENATOR SPOONER
HAS RESIGNED
SAYS HIS FINANCIAL SACRA-
flee WAS TOO GREAT.
Has Decided to Resume Practice Of
Law, but Would Not Say Where
Continues to Be a Citizen of Wis
consin-He Is Regarded as Most
Able Republican in Senate.

Senator John G. Spooner has writ
ten a letter to Governor Davidson of
Wisconsin rendering his resignation
as senator of the United States, to
take effect May next. The letter
created great surprise in the senate,
and the Wisconsin senator at once
found himself the subject of many
anxious inquiries. To all these he re-
Piled that his mind was fully made up.
He had found, he said, that to con-
tinue in his present position would
require 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 de-
clined to say whether he would be
located in Wisconsin. He did say,
however, that he would continue to be
citizen of that state as long as he
lived.
Vice President Fairbanks was one
of the few public men to be made ac-
quainted with Mr.. Spooner's plans be-
fore he wrote his letter. The knowl-
edge came to him through the per-
sonal confidence of the senator. but
the latter made no official communica-
ton On the subject to any one. The
law does not require that a resigning
senator should do more than Mr.
SpOoner has done, but some senators
yxyhn houn O6 ho1ro Oi, notice
to the senate.
Senator John c. Spooner is regard
ed by many political writer's and stu
dents as the mot able republican in
| the senate tcGAy. He has more than
national fame rs a constitutional law
yer. In debates involving the most
important party issues in the past it
Senator Spooner to direct the debate
for his side and to make the principal
speeches. He is chairman of the COM
mittee on rules of the senate
and member of the finance, foreign
relations and judiciary committees.
Senator Spooner in his letter to the
governor says:
| Guy ISSISu Tic OlllCG Vi sen
ator of the United States for Wiscon-
sin, this resignation to take effect
on the first day of May, 1907.
Both by law and custom the fore.
going formula suffices, but l can not
| bring myself to surrender the trust
with which Wisconsin has so long and
so highly honored me by a curt SEN
| 1ryIf Il
Their of explanation or of gratitude.
"On the 4th day of March I shall
have served in all 16 years as a sen
ator This is a long time for one
neither willing nor financially able
permanently to abandon it to take
from his profession. 1t has, been taken
from mine, for l have not thought it
compatible with the full and uninter-
rupted discharge of public duty TO pur-
sue it, and l have therefore during
my service, with two or three trifling
exceptions, purely local, absolutely
abstalned therefrom.
For years private duty has plainly
demanded of me an early return to the
practice of my profession, and | have
never since | first took the oath of
Cf1ice wayered in the determination to
retire on the expiration of MY present
term, March A, 1907. l might well
content myself with a public declara.
ton of my purpose so to retire
were it not for like declaration made
on a former and similar occasion and
what followed it. In the year 1900 !
announced through the press over my
signature to the republicans of Wis
cOnsin that had unaltera6ly deter
mined to retire from public life al
the expiration of the term ending
March 1, 1908, unless l should deem il
my duty to resign earlier. / justified
the announcement upon the ground
} that the people who might aspire tC
the office were entitled seasonably t.
| know from me that would not accept
reelection. Despite that declaration
circumstances with which the people
are familiar seemed to make it my
duty to accept a reelection, proffereC
as it was in a manner which made i
almost a command and a finer honor
than any which l had ever dreamed
. which ought to satisfy the pride ant
= ambition of any man. A similar dec
laration by me at this time, howeve
strongly phrased, would, l am per
: suaded, prove unavailing to Withdraw
: my name from consideration durins
: the next two years, as did that which
) so publicly and unreservedly mad,
| in 1900.
CAS- my purpose to retire from pub
5 lie life is and has been irrevocable,
am unwilling to be further considere,
E in connection with an office which
! could not in the circumstances ac
sept."