The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-21
TEBBETTS WILL BE
 APPOINTED TODAY ]. O. Thompson Says Mobile Collector Will be Retained INCIDENT IS NOW CLOSED Referees Opposed Major Tebbetts for Political Reasons only-Antl.
 Thompson Men Win
 Costly Victory.
INCIDENT IS NOW CLOSED

William Frye Tebbetts, the former major Of United States volunteers in the span,sh-American war. will be reappoint- ed today to bs collector of customs at the port of Mobile.
 This interesting announcement was made late yesterday afternoon by J. o. Thompson, tho chairman of the republi- can state committee and one of the ad- ministration's referees in Alabama.
 Here Is what MT. Thompson said in mixing a statement to representative of The Age-Herald:
 "- have received today official informa- ton from Washington that Major Will liam Frye Tebbetts, tho present collector of customs at the port of Mobile, will be reapponted for s term of four years.
 Thompson's Attitude.
 Tt will be remembered that the repub- lioan organization in Alabama recom- mended that Major Tebbetts be not re- appointed. This recommendation of the referees and of the state committed was made for political reasons, and for politi- cal reasons only. There has been, and Is now, no objection to Major Tebbetts on personal grounds. Current reports that charges of a personal nature had been preferred by tho state organization against Major Tebbetts have no founda- tiol in fact,
 "Advlces received today from Washing ton state that the reappointment of Ma Jor Tebbetts is due to the endorsement given him by commercial bodies in vari- ous cities in Alabama and to the political support he has received from persons in- fuential in local state and national re- publican circles.
 q might add that the incident is now closed, and closed In way that will not, in my judgment, impair the strength of the republican party in Alabama"
 Thus endeth one of the most interest ing chapters in recent republican poll tics in Alabama. To uninformed persons this reappointment of Major Tebbetts may, under the circumstances, seem to be a triumph of what is known as the anti-referee faction In the state. Such an inference is, however, erroneous.
 The Referees.
 Tn reappointipg Major Tebbetts the ad- ministration at Washington, 1t is point ed out here, has made 1t clear that 1t does not, even in the least degree, in- tend to reprove the referees for their opposition to the collector at Mobile The latter's reappointment Is due to in- fuences which every well informed poli- tician clearly understands ard is made with the stipulation that the Tebbett's forces in the state shall cease to contend and begi nto coalese with the Thomp- son-Scott forces.
 President and FactionaI Strife.
 National republican leaders have im- pressed upon the minority factions in Alabama that the President will not longer tolerate the factional strife that has marked the party councils in Ala bama for the last three years.
 The upshot of it all Is that though apparently defeat for the referees, it is not so.
 It is understood that henceforth there will be little If any elimination and re- crimination among the former rivals for leadership.
 It was regarded as highly significant yesterday that the announcement of Ma Jor Tebbetts' appointment had come through J. o. Thompson, instead of from a representative of the Tebbetts crowd. A well informed republican salu last night that the referees were more strongly entrenched in favor with the administration than ever before
 Lily White Faction.
 The fact that the referees had been ap- parently turned down" by the Presi- dent in the Tebbetts matter led some members of the old lily white faction to exult but their rejoicings were cut short when they learned the true inwardness of the situation.
 The reappointment of Major Tebbetts revived interest in the Presidents order regarding the resignations of officehold- CTS from the republican state committee It leaked out yesterday that this is no new departure of the Presidents He has already enforced the same rule in Vir- ginia and Kentucky, and Is applying it to all southern stafes The lily whites expect to have a majority in the remaining mem- bers of the state committee. Their claim is. however. disputed by the Thompson Scott people.
 It was consistently reported yesterday that in the shake-up in the republican state committed T. H. Aldrich might once more take an active part in state politics Negotiations are, it is said, under way whereby MT. Aldrich will be asked to cooperate with the referees in the ef- fort to build up the republican party in Alabama.