The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-22

~ RESIDENT ROOSEVELT is hard
~ headed and persistent if nothing
@ else. If he takes notion. right
or wrong, he holds fast to it to the bit
ter end That is what he.has done in the
case of Doctor crum at Charleston. Crum
Is a negro. Roosevelt nominated him
for collector of the port at Charleston.
The people of that city vigorously pro-
tested against having a negro in such a
conspicuous position, with whom the
business men must come in daily con
tact. The senate therefore declined to
act upon the nomination. At the extra
session of the senate, called to ratify the
Colombian treaty, the President again
sent the nomination of Crum to the SEN
ate. Again the senate declined to act
upon his confirmation. And when the
extra session of the senate adjourned, the
President for the third time yesterday
nominated Crum. Therefore, as it is now,
the last appointment being made when the
senate was not in session, Crum. under
the law will assume the duties of the
office pending the action of the senate
when it meets again next fall. In the
event. then, that the senate rejects
Crum, the President will be compelled to
name another.
Just why Roosevelt should persist in
this action over the protest of all the
people of the good old city of Charleston.
is inexplicable. Apparently Mr.. Roose-
welt is playing politics and nothing but
politics in this matter. He is evidently
after the Ohio, Indiana and Illinois vote
in the next national republican conven-
tion. l can see no other good reason for
his persistency. He can certainly have
no personal feeling for Crum which would
cause him to be so persistent in over
riding the will and wishes of the best
people and practically all of the people
of Charleston.
There is very persistent rumor afloat
among those in position to know in and
about Birmingham, that the United States
Steel corporation is soon to be a fac
tor in the Birmingham district In other
words, l am told that the steel company
has gradually been absorbing, through its
individuals, large blocks of stock in some
of the great industrial concerns of Biz
mingham.
If this is true. much of Birmingham
may be in the near future a part and par
eel of the United States Steel corpora
ton.
The report of the strike commission APP
pointed by the President to pass upon
the merits and dement's, so to speak of
the Pennsylvania coal strike is calculated
to have the effect of making mining and
Industrial properties more valuable than
they have been in the past. 1t would seem
that there will be no more strikes in this
country, but that all differences between
employer and employed in the future will
be settled by arbitration. Consequently
mining and manufacturing concerns will
be enabled to calculate definitely on ex-
penses and figure out in advance what
profits should be- Therefore Industrial
stocks in future should be more fixed in
value; or certainly less liable to wild
fluctuations resulting from strikes and ru-
mors of strikes.
William Jennings Bryan's paper, The
Commoner, under date of March 20, is a
remarkable issue for democratic news
paper. It's columns almost entirely are de-
voted to assaults upon democrats. The
front page is taken up with a vigorous
assault upon the democracy of Senator