The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-02-28
|Daugherty
Won't Quit
Under Fire
Attorney General Demands
Hearing on All Charges,
and May Not Resign
When Acquitted.
Leaves Capital Suddenly

Washington. Feb. 27.-Attorney
General Daugherty will remain for
the present member of President
Coolidge's cabinet, but he will be ex
pected to retire to private life as
soon as the senate has completed its
| inquiry into his administration of the
Department of Justice.
| His determination not to resign
without a hearing on the charges
against him was reaffirmed today in
the face of growing pressure for his
removal. He even refused to promise
that he would vacate his post upon
termination of the senate inquiry
but 1t was apparent in other quarters
that any plan for his retention be
yond that time had been abandoned
This conclusion Is one of the most
difficult problems which Coolidge has
had to deal with since he entered the
White House followed by an almost
continuous succession OF conferences
in the midst of which the attorney gen.
eral himself suddenly left Washing
| ton. 1t was announced after his de
Florida, where Mrs. Daugherty is ill,
and would go by way of Chicago to
attend to public business there.
Tonight his determination to remain
attorney general pending the senate
| inquiry was announced to the coun'
try in this terse statement. prepared
before his departure and issued from
the Department of Justice.
Reiterates Firm Stand.
1T is not my purpose to even con.
slider rendering my resignation as at.
torney general until after a fair hear.
ing on charges preferred against me. .
Previously he had made the same
determined declaration TO President
Coolidge. after the president had laid
before him in a conference OF more
than an hour the conclusions reached
by the administration after a re-ex-
animation of the whole case. The
White House refrained from any pub
| lie statement, but it was evident that
until Daugherty had announced def
nitely his refusal TO retire under fire
the belief in some administration
quarters had been that his resignation
was imminent.
Leaves City In Haste.
A second and shorter conference
with Coolidge preceded Daugherty' S
departure this afternoon from Wash.
ington. He drove directly from the
White House to the union station,
where a train TO Chicago was held for
several minutes to take him aboard.
Some OF his best friends had not
known OF his intention to leave the
city. and his secretary at first refused
| to confirm or deny the story OF his
departure. Later this statement, also
prepared by the attorney general be
fore he left was made public at the
II have been called to Florida on
a personal matter, but / am com
PEELED first To go TO Chicago to attend
to important government business
which demands my personal attention.
II will return from Florida as
justice department:
soon as can. In the meantime
proper attention will be given to all
government matters. The Depart
ment of Justice is functioning 100 per
cent. Though temporarily absent !
shall nevertheless be in constant
touch with the department. Several
important cases and other pressing
matters which require my personal
attention will be taken along with
me in order to facilitate action there.
| on"