Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1897 — JUSTICE FIELD TO REST. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JUSTICE FIELD TO REST.

Venerable Supreme Court Jurist Is to Leave the Bench. Associate Justice Field of the Supreme Court, having now broken all records for length of service upon the bench, has made formal application to be retired Dec. 1 next. Attorney General McKenna is to be his successor, and Judge Day, now assistant Secretary of State, will probably be appointed Attorney General. These changes have all been decided upon and will be effected as soon as Congress meets, so that the Senate may confirm the appointment. At the same time there may be other changes in the cabinet. But the

retirement of Justice Field, the appointment of Attorney General McKenna to the vacancy and the promotion of Judge Day to a seat in the cabinet are the only changes now decided upon. Justice Field has been eligible for retirement ever since Nov. 4, 1886, when he reached the age

of 70 years. Since that time there have been frequent rumors that he was about to leave the bench. There was no foundation for any of them, however, and it was not until a week ago that he decided to take the step. He then called upon the President and formally presented hte letter asking for retirement. Efforts were made during the Cleveland administration to induce him to retire, but he would not consent to do so. It was on Aug. 16 last that Justice Field broke the record for length of service on the supreme bench, as it was on that day that he exceeded the term of service of thirty-four years five months and six days to the credit of Chief Justice Marshall, whose service had up to that time been the longest in the history of the court. The total length qf Justice Field’s service up to the time when hte retirement will take effect,- Dec. 1, will be thirtyfour years seven months and twenty days. Under the law Justice Field will receive the full salary of an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court —$10,000 per year—for the remainder of hte life.

JUSTICE FIELD.