The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-04
|SNATOR SP00NER
| To LEAVE SENATE
Venerable Statesman From Wis
consin Tenders Resignation
to Gov. Davidson.
HAS REPRESENTED STATE
FOR SIXTEEN YEARS
Will Return to Private Life and
Resume Practice of Law,
He Declares.

I WASHINGTON. March 3.-Senator
Spooner has written a letter to Cover
I NOR Davidson of Wisconsin, rendering
his resignation AS "A Senator of the
United States. to take effect May l
next. The letter was dated Yesterday,
but the fact that such letter had
been written or that Mr.. Spooner con-
] templated resigning did not become
/ known in the Senate until late today,
when it created great surprise and the
4 Wisconsin Senator at once found him
auirics. To all these he replied that
! his mind was fully made up. He had
found he said, that TO continue In his
present position would require a sacr,-
4 fce on his part that he could not JUS
! tify 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 Wiscon-
sin. He did say, however. that he
! would continue to be a citizen of That
State as long as he lives,
I Vice-President Fairbanks was one Of
I The few public men to be made ac~
I auaintcd with Mr., Spooner s plans be-
fore he wrote his letter The knowledge
4 came TO him through the personal con
b tElence of the Senator, but the latter
A. adc no official communication on the
Y 6bbiect to anyone. The law does not
fequire that resigning Senator should
but some Senators who have resigned
! have given notice 10 the Senate.
Text of Spooner's Letter.
Senator Spooner in his letter to the
\ Governor says:
hereby resign the office of Senator
} OF the United States from Wisconsin. This
resignation 10 take effect on the lst day
\ of May 1907.
Both by law and custom the foregoing
formula suffices, but 1 cannot bring my
self To surrender the trust with which
Wisconsin has so long and so highly
bonored me oy curt sentence which In
cludes no word either OF explanation or
OF gratitude.
On the 4th day of March / shall have
I served in all sixteen years as a Senator,
This is a long time for one neither will
Ing nor financially able permanently 10
has been taken from mine, for have not
thought IL compatible with the full and
uninterrupted discharge of public duty TO
pursue IT, and have. therefore. during
my service. with two or three trfling eX-
csptlons. purely local, absolutely ahstalned
therefrom.
Back to Private Life.
For years private duty has plainly de
mended of me an early return to the
practice of my profession and | have
never. since first took the oath OF office
va eered in the determination 10 retire
\ ox INC expiration Of my present term,
( iSch 8. 1907. | might well conten,
y5sfsN with a public declaration OF my
purpose so 10 retire, II il were not for a
IKE declaration made on a former and
similar occasion. and what followed Il
In the year 1900 l announced through
the press over my signature TO the Re
nubltcans OF Wisconsin that | had 'un-
aterably determined TO retire from pub
lic life at the expiration of the term end
Ing March, 1908. unless l should deem
y my duty to resign earlier. / justified
tne announcement upon the ground thai
me people and those who might aspire
10 the office, were entitled seasonably tc
Know from me that I would not accept
a reelection, Despite that declaration
circumstances with which the people are
accept selection. profered as II wa'
IN manner which made II at once
command and finer honor than an,
%hlch l had ever dreamed would come
70 me; one, indeed, which ought TO sat
lsty the pride and ambition OF any. man
u a similar declaration by me at this time
! however. strongly praised. would. | an
persuaded. prove unavailing to Withdraw
4 my name from consideration during TN,
! neSi two years, as did that which | s,
publicly and unreservedly made in 1900.
Mind Firmly Made Up.
<1S wy purpose 10 rF1lTe from pubic III
4 u and has been irrevocable. | am IN
! willing 10 be further considered In con
n nection with an office which ! could no
= IN the circumstances accept
nj A. Senator will he chosen for the tern
beginning on tho 9Th OF March. 1909, an
,nere VIII hc. and should be. during tn
neNt TWO years. grave and Wide consid
Il erotion among The people as TO the peT
son upon whom the honor shall he he
u stpWed. After much thought, I deem
10 he my duty, all things considered. {
Y 10 10 whose Partially ] am indebted for Nh
s. highest honors within It's gift to talk
!. myself now, beyond recall. from the fel
De,,pS NJ possible choice ] am therefore i'm
] on, also that I may he free TO devot
u, =" INC discharge OF private duty. too lon
r neglected, the remainder OF my term,
y ies,gn the office al this time. while IN
y iseIsloture Is In session TO choose n Ser
= atpr Tor the unexplred portion thereof
.oi hvail myself OF this opportunity
q SAY. albeit ] am sure II Is not needfIl
N Inat 1 am inexpresslbly grateful 10 IT
4 republicans OF Wisconsin for the generor
NJ ra rna abiding confidence which had l.
mem three times TO elect me 10 the hie
8 oihce OF Senator.
D Tribute Of President
on being informed of Senate
epooner's Resignation, the PresideI
m9he the following statement:
T. cannot sufficiently express my r
. WWs' WW' at Senator Spooner's reslgnatio
o'' vi tIl' splTSl. HDSN sIIlFlrT
most fearless and most upright public Sc
tE rantS that the nation has had. Fo
81 nsists nnists ago | knew the extreme reluctan
u WIN which Senator Spooner finaTly co
q SSshted To serve In the Senate and W
n oy ear since | have feared he wou
N 49,. as he finally has resigned. for
N n,l&Snown that aeverY year o fhls stay
S popIs ppos NE has been TO him a direct
r. sane s".n iai loss which he could but III n
fesif,, understand fully the Senator
,srlnns that he cannot longer stay in d
birDnS service at such cost. not only
fh,self fha.seIl but also 10 HIS family. and rnu
q sdt nat regret his resignation, | am mo
~ 1Icerey grateful that he has been wi
q bas 70 serve IS long as he has He h
q Srn SsI IN MIS- life gallant soldier
Hheu PUBLIC servant of the biphs