The age-herald., 1901-12-24
Part Played by Booker Washington
 In the Alabama Appointments. ..

Thus Mir. Bingham does not require re- appointment, and he is confident that he will not be disturbed. His confidence is shared by most persons in position to form something like accurate conclusions.
 It was learned after the adjournment Of Congress that the Birmingham post mastership would be left to the new Postmaster General, Mir. Payne for final disposition. Mir. Payne will take his office within a week after the reassembling of Congress. In considering the Birmingham postoffice 1t may be borne in mind that no contested postofhce in the country has yet been filled by President Roose- welt. Tn the first place. MT. Charles Elm ory Smith determined at the time of Mir. McKinley's death to retire from the cabi- net as soon as he decently could, as did all the other cabinet officers except Sec retary Root and Secretary Wilson; and in the second place. owing to the extraor- dinary pressure arising from the expira- tion of the four-year terms, the post office department is behind time in the consid- eration of two thousand Presidential of- fices
 There is not now any valid reason for doubting the reappointment of Postmas- ter Hughes; there never has been any such reason. and there Is not likely to be. From confidential sources of entirely &C., curate information it Is ascertained that in the Postoffice Department there is but one opinion concerning Birmingham, and hat Ia hot I0r pointed, and at the proper moment the President will be advised to reappoint him. Allowing for the Presidents inde- pendence of mind and action, 1t is scarce " possible that he would take 1t into his own hands to settle the Birmingham mat ter outside of the Postoffice Department and regardless of the counsel of his legal advisers.
 A friend who Is close to the inner White House circle tells me that previous to the assembling of Congress word was confidentially 'sount" out from the White House that the Hon. Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont and Mrs. Belmont could not be agreeably received by President and Mrs. Roosevelt, and the result Is great unhappiness on the part of the new Con- gressman and his wife. They were to have taken a fine house in Washington and proposed entertaining society lavish ly, but when they discovered the White House social ostracism they took apart ments at a hotel. It is said now that so- ciety Ignores. the women being coldly indifferent to Mrs. Belmont and the men to MT. Belmont.
 The Presidents strict, almost Puritani- cal. views regarding personal morality lends powerful probability to the gossip for the story of Mrs. Belmont's divorce from her first husband William K. Van derbilt, father of the Duchess of Marl- borough, and her immediate marriage to MT. Belmont Is still fresh in the public mind. And while President Roosevelt is not pious man. and not even a very re- ligious one, he is understood to entertain very strong convictions concerning such social anomalies as the Vanderbilt-Bel- mont divorce-marriage affair. Mrs. Bel mont, by the way, was a Miss Smith of Mobile, and & remarkably beautiful young woman, when she married Wander biit.
 LUCIEN JULIEN WALKER.