Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-02-08
John q. cApras ELIMINATED.
The President will AppoInt Judge Not 0blec.
tioBabie to the People.

Washington, February 4.-Congress-
men Aiken and Finley, representing re-
spectively the Third and Fifth South
Carolina Districts, called on President
Roosevelt this morning as committee
representing the South Carolina Con-
gressional delegation and had squaI q
understanding with him on matter of
vital interest to all the people of South
Carolina.
The bill for the creation of new Fed
eral judicial district in South Carolina
and appointment of q judge to preside
therein has been favorably reported to
the house and will probably be passed at
this session. There is need of such bill
and it would probably have been passed
before now but for fear that under tho
political conditions prevailing the new
judge would be some one not acceptable
to the great mass of the Taxpayers in
this State. 1t would bo better to get
along with one judge and district as at
present than to have two and the new
man some political henchman unworthy
of the place. This fear was grounded
upon the paucity, almost absence, of Re-
publican lawyers in this State fit for tho
place.
The prospect of passage of the bill de-
cided the delegation to 20 directly to the
President to present the wishes of the
vast majority of the respectable, tax
paying citizens of South Carolina.
They frankly told the President that
the South Carolina Senators and Con-
gressmen did not want the bill to pass,
nc matter how great the need for its
passage, if some person Objectionable to
them were to be appointed judge. They
plainly stated their reasons for this posi-
tion. The President just as frankly re-
piled that he would appoint the mar 7ho
had the backing of the South Carolina
delegation, the members of the bar and
the State judiciary of the new district.
Messrs. Finley and Aiken replied that
the South Carolina delegation had no
person to recommend for the place, but
wanted to see some lawyer who is really
resident of the new district appointed
to the judgeship. The President prom
ised that this would be done. His de-
cision eliminates John G. Capers from
consideration for the appointment, which
he is said to desire, unless he can show
that his "legaP residence is in the new
district. This will be hard for him to
do, as he lived in Columbia and prac-
ticed law there before he went to Wash
ington, where he was appointed district
attorney. Once upon time, in his
youthful days, Mr.. Capers lived in Green
vile. and he may attempt to claim a
"legap residence there. Still, even that
would not secure him the appointment,
under the terms of the Presidents prom
Use, for he would still have to secure the
endorsement of the Congressional dele
cation and of the bar of the new district,
and that will be impossible.
If the President should appoint a
Democrat, the place may go to Joseph A.
Mccullough, of Greenville, or to s. j.
Simpson, of Spartanburg. If a Republi-
can lands, it may be Ernest Cochran, of
Anderson, at present assistant district
attorney under Capers, who has better
standing with the white people of upper
South Carolina than almost any other
prominent Republican in the State.
This matter is of especial Importance
to the people of upper and Western
South Carolina, though all the State is
interested. The position taken by the
President was all that the delegation
could ask and is very much appreciated,
1t can be taken as evidence of the Presi-
dents intention to carry on the more
liberal policy as to the South, which he
seems to have initiated since reelection.