The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-18
Accused of Enforcing Law to
Boost Himself.
HIS LIFE is SHORTENED
OVerWOrked, He Puts in Long
Hours at Office.
New York Expects Compromise
on Presidential Candidate.

for saying that unless there is a COM
plete physical breakdown Mr.. Wicker
sham will remain in the cabinet until
March 4 of next year. Somewhat de-
tailed reports came from Washington
a few days ago setting forth Mr..
Wickersham's purpose speedily to re-
sign. There seemed to be some auth
GRITTY behind these reports, so that Mr..
Wickershams friends in this city
took pains to follow them up.
One reason why Mr. Wickersham
would give no thought to resignation
at this time is based upon the proceed
ings brought by him in the name of
the government to dissolve the United
States steel corporation. He could not,
without seeming to desert his post,
resign while these proceedings are
pending.
Mr.. Wickersham' friends say that
his experience as attorney general has
been very trying one. The secretary
of the treasury and all the other cab
met officers, including even Mr.. Knox,
secretary of state, have not been
brought face to face with very impOr-
tant critical questions, although
Mr. Knox has had some rather diff
cult diplomacy to carry in the far
east
Mr.. Wickersham, his friends in this
city say, is persuaded that his ser
vice attorney general will have cost
him eight years of his life. He means
by that that the various factors which
have entered into his service as attor-
ney general have caused such great
draughts to be made upon his physi-
cal strength Justify him in the be-
lief that the service will cost him at
least eight years of his life. These
factors are of two kinds, one mental
and the other physical. When Mr.
Wickersham became attorney general,
he was numbered among the ablest of
the young lawyers of New York city.
i1If
him. He made many friends. He was
a most com panionable man. His in
come was reputed to be large, and he
could count upon continued profess
sional earnings great as to insure
him comfortable fortune by the
time he reached the youth of old age.
The Governments Law Officer.
When Mr.. Wickersham became at
torney general he was convinced that
it was his duty to execute, under the
president, the law no matter what his
personal opinion as to the expediency
or value of any of the laws was. For
that reason he felt compelled to be-
gin the very aggressive proceedings
for the dissolution or elimination of
the socalled trusts. In doing that he
ran counter TO some of his former
friendships; some of them he lost
completely. He began to hear his
name spoken in cynicism or with bit
ter criticism. He learned that some
who had been his friends We're accus-
ing him of proceeding in the anti |
trust cases solely for the purpose of
catching the popular eye in the hope |
that he might be at last looked upon |
as the available candidate for the pres |
idency.
All of these things hurt the attor- !
ney general, for he is very sensitive |
man. And the mental strain and an
xiety, we'll as irritation, which |
were occasioned by these experiences
reacted in some measure upon his !
physical system.
His Nights of Toll.
Mr.. Wickersham knew, when he be-
came the attorney general, that cabi-
net officers must follow the social Gus
toms which prevail at Washington, but
he did not realize what the social de-
mands were and how grievously they
encroached upon time needed for ex-
ecutiye work.
Night after night the attorney gen
eral has shared either as guest or host
in the social functions of Washington |
because these seem to be part of the
administrative life of the capital. At
half past ten or eleven O'Clock he be- !
gan office work almost every night, in |
his library after the social entertain
ment of the evening was over. Some
times these labors carried him far be-
yond the small hours. Some of them
compelIed intense mental concentra-
ton. The effect was that when he did |
go to bed his brain was still active and
it was not easy for him always to sink
Immediately to sleep. The result is
that the attorney general has been
overworked. He is a man of strong
physical vitality and his habits of life
are simple, so that he has had plenty
of reserve energy. Another year, how
ever. as attorney general would be
likely to exhaust this reserve. 1t is
for this reason that Mr.. Wickersham
has decided that under no circum-
stances and in response to no appeals,
however urgent, viii ne remain IN
public life after the fourth of March,
1913. In all probability 1t was this
determination, which he may have ex-
pressed to some of his friends. which
led to the report that Mr.. Wicker
sham contemp plated early resignation
of his cabinet office. Some of his
paid a very heavy price for service of
this kind. Presumably he has also
paid a heavy money price. His in
come as lawyer in this city was for
some years prior to his entrance into
public life large one. 1t is the pre-
sumption that this income ceased
when he became a member of Presi-
dent Taft's cabinet Some OF Mr.
Wickersham's friends say that to have
served as attorney general four years
dred thousand dollars over and above
his salary.
Not if He Can Help 1t.
The. recent action of the Repubh-
can state convention in refusing TO in
struct the delegates to vote for any
candidate for the presidential nomina-
ton is interpreted by the politicians as
that the Republican organiza-
ton of New York state deems it the
best politics that the New York dele
free handed. If that means anything
it means that the leaders of the New
York delegation are forecasting a con-
dition at the Chicago convention
hi il