The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-07-19
Deprived Of Rest the Pondf is
Subject to Depression
.CONCLAVE RUMORS ABROAD
Cardinals Are Specializing on the
Chances of Probable Candidates
But No One Has Yet Been
Picked as the Winner.

Rome, July 1S.-Deprived of rest tho
pope spent the day which has ended
with a serious depression. The doctors
reported a feeble but rapid pulse, which
was generally taken to Indicate the wear
ing out of the patients forces. The ia
vorable symptom recorded in the morn
ing of the lowering of the pleuratic fluid
was sufficiently maintained to relieve the
pontiff of his painful struggles for breath.
which lately have been SO frequent. The
doctors fear that the gradual sinking Is
due to general conditions rather than to
the necessity for another operation,
which seemed so imminent on Thursday.
The sleepless night was succeeded by a
day during which the pope seemed to
lack any desire to vary the medical rou-
tine by receiving visits from cardinals
or others. The nourishment which the
pontim took at first somewhat encouraged
his encourage. but the condition OF the
patient this evening pointed to the fact
that 1t had not had any beneficial effect.
Testing Feeling of concIave.
A number OF cardinals. and especially
their friends. utilized the prolonged III
ness of the pope to test the feeling which
Will prevail at the next eonclave.
The task is a difficult one, as 1t is as
serted that the cardinals never had
chance to show their mettle under Pope
Leo, important questions being deputed
to committees composed of few cardi-
nails after having practically been set
tied by the papal secretary of state. The
Philippine affairs which were inquired
into by only Ave cardinals, are frequent-
ly quoted as an instance of the foregoing
complaint.
Much diversity of opinion and much un-
certainty regarding the candidates still
exist. However, the most probable candi-
dates remain those whose names have
been mentioned since tho pope first be-
came Ill. To Cardinal Gotti, perfect Of
the propaganda, the objection is made
that, as he belongs to a religious order.
his election might, in view Of recent
events be taken as challenge to France.
Against the chances of Cardinal Ram
polla, the papal secretary of state, it Is
urged that Austria will try to exercise
her right to veto. as France would in
the case of Cardinal Seranno Vannutteli
the grand penitentiary, who is thought to
be the candidate Of the triple alliance.
Svampa Dropped.
Cardinal Svampa, Archbishop of Bolog-
ma. has been dropped, because, since his
last stroke of paralysis, he speaks with
difficulty. Cardinal Ferrara, archbishop
of Milan. is not favored for the apparent
ly trivial reason that he uses a motor
car. which is not looked on as dignified
in a prince of the church. Cardinal
Agliardi, Bishop of Albano. is regarded as
too democratic.
Therefore, unless Cardinal Gotti. who
has always beep the most favored candI-
date succeedy in overcoming the objec-
tion TO him, X is likely that some one now
unmentione@ will be elected to succeed
Pope Leo. irhe cardinals themselves nat.
urallv maintain the greatest reserve,
though they all repeat, as though in the
nature Of a password that the next
pope must be one combining the plety of
Plus TX. with the intelligence of Les
! XIII.