Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-04
SPO0NER QUITS
SENATE IN MAY
SENATOR EXPECTS TO RETURN
TO LAW PRACTICE
After sixteen Years Service Wlseon-
sins Representative Decides That
His Present Position Demands
Too Many Sacrifices
- A.annlated preas.


WASHINGTON, March s.-senator
spooner has written letter to Gov
ernor Davidson Of Wisconsin rendering
his resignation as a senator of the
United states to take effect May !.
The letter was dated yesterday. but
the fact that such letter had peen
written or that Mr.. Spooner contem-
Mated resigning did not become known
in the senate until late today, when II
created great surprise, and the Wis
consin senator at once found himse1
the subject of many anxious inquiries.
In reply to questions he said he
would resume the practice OF law put
declined to say whether ne would pc
located in wisconsin. He did say, now
ever, that he would continue TO pe a
citizen of that state as long as ne
lives.
vice President Fairbanks was one of
the few public men to be made ac-
uuainted with Mr.. Spooner's plans be-
fore he wrote his letter. The law does
not require that resigning senator
should do more than Mr. Spooner has
DONE but some senators who have re-
signed have given notice to the senate.
Senator Spooner in his letter to the
governor says:
''I hereby resign the office Of senator
Of the United States from Wisconsin.
This resignation TO take eHeCI oH CllS
first day of May, 1907.
Both by law and custom the fore
going formula suffices, but l cannot
bring myself to surrender the trust
with which Wisconsin has so long and
SO highly honored me by curt sem
tence which includes not a word either
of explanation or of gratitude.
Served Sixteen Years
sOn the 4th day of March 1 shall
have served in all sixteen years as a
senator. This Is a long time for one
neither willing nor financially able per-
manently to abandon it to take up his
profession. 1t has been taken from
mine for have not thought 1t COM
patible with the full and uninterrupted
discharge of public duty to pursue it
and have therefore during my service,
with two or three trtfing exceptions
purely local. absolutely abstained
therefrom.
"For years private duty has plainly
demanded of me an early return to
the practice of my profession and /
have never since 1 first took the oath
of office wavered in the determination
to retire on the expiration of my pres
ent term, March 8, 1907
might well content myself with a
public declaration of my purpose so
to retire If it were not for like declar-
dllOu IIldQC Ou IL lOlAilCI anu SilAAAAebA
occasion and what followed 1t. In the
year 1900 1 announced through the
press to the Republicans of Wis
consin that I had 'unalterably de-
termined to retire from public life
at the expiration of the term end
ing March, 1908, unless 1 should deem
1T my duty to resign earlier. / justi-
fed the announcement on the ground
that those who aspire to the office were
entitled seasonably to know from me
that l would not accept reelection.
Despite that declaration circum-
stances with which the people are
familiar seemed to make it my duty
to accept a reelection, proffered as 1t
was in manner which made it at
once a command and a finer honor
than any which 1 had ever dreamed
would come to me; one, indeed which
ought to satisfy the pride and ambition
of any man. A similar declaration by
me at this time, however, strongly
phrased would, 1 am persuaded, prove
unavailing to withdraw my name from
consideration during the next two
years, as did that which 1 so publicly
and unreservedly made in 1900
Purpose IrrevocabIe
'As my purpose to retire from public
is and has been irrevocable 1 am un-
willing to be further considered in con-
nection with an office which 1 could
not in the circumstances accept.
"a senator will be chosen for the
term beginning on the 4th of March,
1909. and there will be and should be
during the next two years a grave and
wide consideration among the people
as to the person upon whom the honor
shall be bestowed.
"After much thought deem it to be
my duty, all things considered, to the
people of the state and to the party
to whose partiality I am indebted for
the highest honors within their gift
to take myself now beyond recall from
the field of possible choice. 1 am
therefore impelled, not only for the
reasons suggested, but also that / may
be free to devote to the discharge of
private duty too long neglected the
remainder of my term to resign the
office at this time, while the legislature
is in session to choose a senator for
the unexpired portion thereof
II avail myself of this opportunity
to say, albeit 1 am sure 1t is not need
full that l am inexpressibly grateful
to the Republicans of Wisconsin for
the generous and abiding confidence
which had led them three times to