Evening star., 1924-03-28
RESIGNATION SEEN
AS AID TO PARTY
Elimination of Daugherty Is
Termed Ending of "IntoIer-
able Situation"
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

President Coolidge has ended an
intolerable situation for himself and
the republican party by needing the
demand Of Congress and requesting
the resignation of Attorney General
Daugherty who complied immediate
ly.
Mr.. Daugherty furnished, himself
the ground on which the resignation
was requested by refusing to dis
close the files of his correspondence
and the records of his bureaus,
which the Sneate investigating COM
mittee demanded.
Mr.. Daugherty's retirement was
urged many weeks ago by Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, republican lead
er, on the ground that the country
must have confidence in the De-
partment OF Justice and would not
feel that confidence If the conduct of
the Attorney General were himself
under investigation.
Letters Urged Action.
From all parts Of the country letters
have been coming telling the admin
stration that every day Harry Daugher-
ty stayed ~ the cabinet, the democrats
were making votes and that Mr.. Cool
iGge's strength was diminishing. Mr..
Daugherty is a forceful personality.
He is one of the "wheel-horses" of the
republican party. He is influential in
Ohio politics. He was instrumental in
having Warren Harding nominated to
the presidency. Such a man wasn't
easy to eliminate and Mr.. Coolidge's
New England conscience battled hard
with the dependencies of pre-conven-
tion politics.
Today the friends of the President
were pointing to his action as a sign
of the real Coolidge who dared to fly
in the face OF the party zealotS. 1t is
an act of reputation of one of the
original Harding men which will. no
doubt, cause considerable resentment
in the republican ranks, but the losses
may be Offset by the gains and Mr..
Coolidge's friends are supremely con-
fident that on the day after the defeat
in South Dakota, their chieftain has
expressed himself forcefully for clean
government.
The incident is not without its
tragic aspects. Harry Daugherty is
a likable individual who has many
friends in official life, friends de-
voted to him and believing in his
integrity. When the investigation is
completed, they contend it will be
found that he was a victim not of per-
sonal greed, but Of eagerness to serve
his friends. To their impositions he
was blind. To their pleadings he
gave ready ear. =,
Carried Heavy Load.
Life in Washington has never been
happy for Harry Daugherty. He car
ried from the beginning a load OF
responsibility. He felt he was re-
sponsible for Harding's nomination
and for his success in Office. He
hoped for a second term for Mr.
Harding. He saw only the opposi-
tion OF La Toilette as factor. His
appointment as Attorney General was
the subject of criticism, but Mr.
Harding felt that to do otherwise
would be an act of ingratitude on
his part. There were those who
counseled Harry Daugherty not to
accept on the ground that he had
been so active in politics that there
would not be the necessary conf
dence in his administration of the
Department of Justice.
OF home life, Harry Daugherty had
none. His wife has been an invalid
throughout the time the husband has
been wrestling with the multiplex
problems of the Department of JUS
tice. Mr.. Daugherty's own health has
broken down several times. He clune
to his portfolio largely in defiance OF
his enemies. He would have retired
long ago, but for a feeling that he
would be confessing defeat. Vie ac-
cepts Mr., Coolidge's decision as in
evitable, but with a heavy heart and
feeling Of disappointment that the
new President did not stick to him
in a fight waged, as he sees it, not
against an individual. but the entire
l .a hipef and tho rapuhIicau n y1or rfv