The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-14
MINORITY TO
 HOLD CAUCUS Policy Will Be Outlined
 Tonight. DICK JOINS CRUMPACKER Has a Bill Cutting Down
 Representation.
DICK JOINS cRUMPAcKER
Major Rathbone Will Assist in the Fight to Be Made Against Confirming General
 Leonard Wood.
Advertiser Bureau, Colorado Building.
Washington. Nov. Is.


 Everybody on the Democratic side or the House appears to be awaiting 'I,e developments at the caucus of the mi- nority to be held tomorrow night II will be the first gathering of Democratic members for the purpose of taking couh- sel as to what policy they snail pursue.
 It seems to be taken for granted that there will be no contest to amount lo anything except over the adoption or the rules limiting debate. The Repuphcan leaders seem to be well pleased with the situation. having whipped into line the few who have been sullenly muttering about the repudiation of time honored protection principles.
 The House Democrats may to-morro" night go into a discussion of the Fan anna affair, but the chances are the eau GUS will be devoted to consideration or the reciprocity bill, and whether the caucus shall bind members in voting The Senate Democrats are busy preparing to make war on the questionable part taken hv this goyepnments' executive chief in the creation and recognition of the Re- public of Panama.
 The Republicans profess to have no fear of the opposition. One of their leao- CTS said to-day to The Advertiser cor respondent.
 "Whatever contention the Democrats
  with the Republic of Panama must be based on technicality. For instance they sdeclare that the President has no authority to negotiate with Panama Tor A canal; that he is bound by law to take up the matter with Costa Rica, and NC araRua; that the Spooner law, says the President shall make overtures to Costa Rica and Nicaragua in the event of the failure of negotiations with Colombia.
 "The administration is not disturbed in the least by this claim. The legal point will be made that for all practical pur- noses the government of Panama will an swer just ss well as the government Of Colombia and that the law which for merly contemplated Colombia now re- fers to Panama. The administration holds that the convention goes with the sov- ereignty of the State, and as Panama has assumed all the obligations of Co., lombia as to Panama territory, the treaty applies to Panama with all the force that it applied to Colombia"
 The Federal referees for Alabama seem to be having some little sway with the administration.
 Representative Charles W Thompson to- day called on Fourth Assistant Postmas- ter General Bristow in regard to several fourth assistant postmasters in his dis trict and to inquire whether the policy pursued under the Mckinley administra- tion as to fourth class postmasters was to be abandoned. That policy was that no fourth class postmaster should be re- moved except for cause.
 Mr. Thompson cited the case or John T Johnson, postmaster at Eclectic, FL more County. The Republican Elmore County Chairman, getting the aid of the referees. set about to oust Johnson. They got an inspector to go to the postofice who made report that was not satisfac- kory from the referees standpoint They got another inspector who was 1ealous enough to forward a considerable report which was, according to MT. Thompson, full of trivial objections, none of them more serious than that the postmaster's s residence was a mile away from his ot- hce. Yet Mr. Bristow seems to think that the referees Judgment should be accept ed.
 MT, Thompson called attention to the fact that Republican fourth-clsss post masters had not been disturbed against whom serious charges had been made and proved one of them a whiskey stealer and wife beater. There Is no reflection in the present objection to the postmaster at Eclectic either as to his character or his efficiency as postmaster
 MT. Thompson confesses he grew rather warm in his encounter with Bristow and
 
 ent referee Tepudiation of the Mckinley policy is a wind that will blow up a good many more Democratic votes.
 Representative Dick-General Charlie Dick of Ohio-has come alongside of Crumpacker. with a measure aimed to reduce Southern representation in Con- gress. Although it Is not believed that anything will come of these performances except the cultivation of negro love in the North after the fervent fashion of the man in the White House, quite a number of Republicans have urged that some measure should be adopted which will cut off representation in these Southern States whose constitutions have been so framed practically to eliminate the negro vote.
 They say that the thing has got to be stopped somehow and point to the fact that the Democrats in Maryland have now a majority so large in the Maryland Legislature that they can pass any kinG of election law they please. They about concede that the Republican Party has been cast out of Maryland for many years ' to come.