Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-12-29
To Divide the State
Into Two Districts
LONGING AND MONTGOMERY
Will Probably Be Applicants for
49, the Place
BOTH ARE PROMINENT MEN
And Would Fill the Place With
Credit.
Special to the Daily Progress.


Jackson, Dec. 29.-The statement
from Washington that bill Will be
introduced in congress to divide Mis-
sissippi into two federal court dis
tricts, and that the names OF Governor
Loneino and District Attorney Mont
gomery will be presented as candi-
dates for the new judgeship, is being
generally discussed in political circles,
and. in the absence of denial OF
any nature, is being given general
credence.
The opinion is generally held that
there is no necessity whatever for
two federal court districts in Miissis-
sippi. and that if the proposed bill be-
comes law it will be simply the re-
suit of political machination and not
in recognition of an existing neces-
sity. Judge H. @. Miller, who is at
present looks after the entire federal
court business of the state, is by no
means an overworked man, IN fact,
the members of the bar say that he
had about the easiest judicial berth
in the south, and it is an unques-
toned fact he is engaged at holding
court for terms less than three months
in the year, while the business trans
acted in vacations is comparatively
small.
4 division Of the state into two dis
tricts has been discussed for several
years, but it has never been reagrded
with any degree of seriousness until
the recdent conference held in Wash
ington resulted in the drafting OF a
bill for this purpose Heretofore
the subject has been brought up only
when the periodical distribution OF
federal patronage showed that there
was not enough positions to go around
among the leaders, and numerous
promises would be made which were
impossible Of fulfillment.
L. S. Wilson, the republican ref
cree on federal patronage, returned
several days since from visit to
Washington. He has never publicly
expressed himself on the proposed di-
vision, and it is reliably learned that
other matters were the principal
cause of his trip. The decidedly in
teresting rumor is being whispered
about that the referees throne is tot
ternig, and that he is to be deprived
of much of his authOritary power,
which may prove the case unless ne
succeeds in fixing up his fence during
the Washington trip. James Hill,
the erstwhlie negro leader, has a
large sized knife up his sleeve for
Wilson, and the latest advices ON
the capital city say that Hill is by no
means honest with the leaders Of the
republican party, and Roosevelt has
been warned that unless Hill is paci-
fed In some manner there will be 10
chance for him TO secure the Missis-
sippi delegation in the next repnbli-
can convention 1t is all undisputed
fact that Hill still holds a strong
power with the republicans Of the
state, majority Of whom have re-
fused to recognize the new refgine or
acknowledge the leadership Of Wilson.
Some interesting developments IN
republican circles are expected early
next year. Hill has been quietly at
work since he was turned down by the
administration, and his fighting
forces are we'll in line and ready
to advance at the signal of battle.
The nergo is determined to either
secure recognition or disrupt the
scheme to CAPTURE the state delega-
tion for Roosevelt, and it looks like
theadministration forces have rocky
road to travel.