The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-13
M'LAURIN SAYS NO
1T IS NOTHING TO HIM IF CRUM
SHOULD GET IN.
WITHOUT COLLEAGUES HELP
SENATOR TILLMAN WILL FIGHT
THE NEGRO.

nomination of Crum for Collector
nv the senate Committee on Jan.
22-TiIIman Asks Smythe for All
the Evidence He Can Show
Against the Negro - Clay Ready
to Help MISUNDERSTANDING PO-
tency Has Diminished.
washington, Jan. Ex-senator Till
,an was to-day notified by the chair
man of the Senate Committee on Com
merce. Senator Frye, that the nomina-
tion of DR.. Crum for collector of the
mort of Charleston will be taken up
for consideration Thursday, Jan. o.
Immediately upon being thus noti-
fed. Senator Tillman opened telegra-
phic communication with Mayor
Smythe, at Charleston, and others who
are opposed to the confirmation OF
Crum. Senator Tillman says he is
prepared to make a vigorous fight
against the confirmation of Crum, but
he relies upon the united support of
the white citizens of Charleston, who
have protested against the selection
made by the President.
Although the subject was not regu-
larly taken up for consideration by the
committee to-day, there was an infor-
NAL discussion of the Southern situa
ton growing out of the Mccall case
from Louisiana. The indications are
that the committee will divide on party
lines over the Crum case. which will
result in a favorable report to the
Senate. That will throw the fight into
the Senate behind closed doors. This
will not. however, prevent Senator Till
man from presenting to the Senate his
reasons and the reasons of the people
of Charleston why Crum should not be
confirmed rs collector of the port.
McLaurin's Lnurels Fade.
IL the meantime, Senator John L.
McLaurin, the junior senator from
South Carolina, is apparently indiffer
ent as to the outcome in, the Crum
case. A short time ago Senator Nc
I.aurin was the recognized leader and
Presidential adviser of the white Re-
publican party in the Palmetto state.
He was frequent guest at the White
House and it was announced officially
that he would be appointed United
states judge of the Court of Claims
upon his retirement from the Senate,
March 4. Suddenly he announced, af-
ter a visitation to the President at
Oyster Bay, that he could not accept
the Judgeship, and Immediately after
wards, the McLaurin influence at the
White House began to wane. Prior to
that time, Senator McLaurin was kept
busy accepting invitations to speak at
commercial banquets as the represen-
tative of the New Industrial South"
He was freely consulted by the Presi-
dent about federal appointments, and
at his suggestion, several Gold Demo-
Gratis, personal friends of McLaurin,
were given snug berths in the federal
service.
Clay is Ready to Help.
1t appears now that Senator Tillman
will make the fight against Crum sin
gle-handed, so far as his colleague is
concerned The latter has refused to
become involved in the controversy
over the Crum appointment, although
he does not approve of the Presidents
selection.
Senator Clay of Georgia, who is a
member of the Commercial Commit
tee. will render such assistance as he
can to prevent the confirmation of
Crum, not only because of the general
sentiment prevailing in the Senate that
combinations should not be insisted
upon when antagonized by senators di-
rectly interested. Senator Clay says
he would vote against the confirmation
of an appointee in any New England
state if the person named was Objec-
tionable to the senator from thai
state.
President Roosevelt is evidently dis
turbed by the agitation in the South
over the negro question and, probably
with a view to appearing consistent,
has decided to appoint a negro foot
ball player from Harvard as assistant
to the district attorney at Boston,
Mass. This is William H. Lewis. who
was center rush in the Haryard team
and the leading football coach. He is
very popular in Boston, and was re-
Gently elected to the Legislature.