Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-22
WlCKERsHAM AT WORK
Hoad of the Department Of Justice
Favors an Open Door Policy and
Will Keep the Reporters Busy.
Some characteristics Of the Man.

Some Characteristics of the Man.
When Attorney General George w.
Wickersham entered upon his official
duties at tho Department of Justice
in Washington recently it was at ono
evident ttats for the next four years
there is to be an Attorney General of a;
entirely new kind
OF course everybody knew that i
would boa novelty to have an Attornc
General who had never had anythin.
to do with politics, much less held Office
and who was known solely as an eminei.
lawyer il private practice. Mr. kno
occupied similar position, but eve
he had had moro to do with public
affairs than Mr.. Wickersham, and
the others in recent years Mr.. Griggs
had been Governor of New Jersey, Mr.
Moody was q Congressman from Massa-
chusetts, and Mr. Bonaparte had been
prominentin politics for years.
Butit became evident that Mr.. Wick
ersham was to be avshew kind Of At
torney Genern in other respects. That
sort of Jprenaonition or provision that
runs through Washington had been
busy for some days before he came.
This sort Of subterranean telegraphy
is well-known phenomenon in WASH
ington, and its accuracy is frequently
surprising. Men who had never seen
Wickersham and knew hardly any
thing about him were saying, 'There
will be something really doing at the
Department Of Justice now"
This premonition or provision is not
a joke. Its strength may be gathered
from the fact that several newspapers
which had hitherto left the Depart
ment of Justice uncovered assigned re-
porters to cover it, and to begin as
soon as Mr.. Wickersham got there.
Mr.. Wickersham promptly declared
the open-door policy. He assembled
the newspaper men on Monday and
said to them, Heretofore my clients
have been individuals and corporations.
In performing my duties to them l
have said nothing to outside persons
about their matters.
"Now my clients are the people of
the United States from Maine to Cali
fornia, and my new clients should be
kept informed about my conduct of
the interests which have been placed
by them in my charge. shall do it
through you. They are your clients,
too, and an incorrect statement by any
of you will do harm to your clients and
mine. Let us work together.
These were not his exact words, but
they are near enough to them. They
did more than anything else to confirm
the impression already gained that a
new kind of Attorney General had
come to Washington.
It was characteristic of him, and
especially of his direct way of going
straight to the heart of a thing. If
one were asked to sum up his character
and methods in sentence the words
adirectness" and clarity" would have
to be in it.
His methods as lawyer illustrate it,
and are different from those of most
lawyers of prominence. While he never
gives an opinion unless he is thoroughly
posted on the subject, the opinion, when
it does come, comes with all the decisive
ness and brevity of shot from a gun.
There are no "ifs" in it, no "ands," no
@buts." While the average lawyer
gives an opinion with qualifying phrases,
such as con the other hand" or in the
event that so-and-so happens" Mr.
Wickersham leaves no saving clause.
At the age of so Mr.. Wickersham is
a good deal like Edward H. Hartman
in appearance. He is short-not quite
so short as Harriman-being about five
feetsix and -half-and has the Harri-
man nervous energy, the clear Hartman
sight, the Hartman eyes, the quick,
vigorous Hartman manner. His man
ner of speech is quick and easy.
He never loses his temper, and in
the most trying emergencies is suave
and cool. He takes everything evenly
end never gets upset. He has sense
of humor and can take a joke, even
when it is on himself, and is good at
repartee, though he is not a story-teller.
His personality, in word, may be de-
scribed as magnetic.-New York Times.
Suicide at FIoris.
Special to mes-Republican.
Ottumwa, March 22.-Walter Pitch
er, aged 45, committed suicide at his