The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-05
REFEREES IN
 BAD REPUTE System Has OutIivcd Its
 Usefulness. NO HOPE FOR DR. HUGHES His Many Friends, However,
 Are Yet Active. No One Doubts the Absolute Honesty of the Birminsham Postmastsr--- Name of General Johnston
 Mentioned for Place,
 H
NO HOPE FOR DR. HUGHES

washington, Jan. 4.--tSpeclat. J-~- The case of the Birmingham postoffice- which did not at first appear much to concern the administration. has now assumed an interesting phase.
 The efforts of the numerous friends of Dr. J. W. Hughes, the postmaster whose honoring of personal checks of friends put him in violation Of depart ment rules. to have him retained ir office will not avail, or every sign Of determination that his derelictfon shall not be overlooked is absolutely idle. These signs come from the Postofice Department only.
 Everybody even in Washington, who knows the Birmingham postmaster makes no question of Dr. Hughes's in- tegrity. They can but regret that his kindliness has broken fragile red tape line that held him to his job. IL is plain that under no circumstances likely or possible of development that he will be retained longer than his successor can be found and named by the President.
 stiIl work for Hughes.
 That fact that seems to be realized at Birmingham, notwithstanding the pop ular efforts in behalf of the postmast- CT, for candidates from the Magic City are developing promptly.
 Most attention appears to be given by the administration to letters from Baltimore, Birmingham and elsewhere which urge and highly commend for the postmastership General R. D. Johnston. General Johnston Is a brother of former Governor Joseph F. Johnston. He was a gallant brigadier general in the Confederate army and rose from the ranks and commanded North Carolina troops. General John ston went to Birmingham during the boom in it's mineral industries. en- gagged in the banking business and was one of it's leading public-spirited citi- gems, although he took little part In the political agitation which engroksed his brother Joseph
 Representative Underwood was with Postmaster General Wynne kiaie morn. ing. and presented the fact that e great many good Birminghma people were interesting themselves in behalf of holding on to Postmaster Hughes. The Postmaster General kindly but firmly minced no words in the state- ment that Dr. Hughes would have to retire for somebody else.
 In this connection the name of Gen. eral Johnston came up. Mir. Under wood said that If Democrat might have the appointment, he thought it no more than appropriate than the Democratic Congressman of the Disc trict might be heard. This remark seemed favorably to impress the Post master General but he gave neither in- dication that General Johnston would be appointed or that any other Demo- crat would be named.
 Roosevelt "Runs Things.n President Roosevelt, it may be re- called. has recently given 1t to be un- derstood that the appointment of Presidential postmasters was a mat ter entirely for the President to han- de and that Congressmen and Senators were heard in the matter merely by way of courtesy This he made plain in the case of postmastership in the District of Representative Gardner of Massachusetts, the son-in-law of Sem ator Lodge, and ih the case of W. Hall Harris, appointed q few days ago post- master at Baltimore.
 It is conjectured here that the ap- pointment of General Johnston would give Mir. Roosevelt especial pleasure. as he is understood now to be engaged in wooing the South that loves the honor of the Confederate soldier. Moreover. be 1t noted, this appoint | ment or one equally eccentric from ., | Republican standpoint, would be addi- tional notice to the referee propaganda that it has quite outlifed it's useful | ness
 A cabinet officer, who has recently had most to do with Alabama appoint ments, was heard the other day to re- mark to an Alabamian: This referee business has about reached the limit. anyhow" R. H. Watkins.