The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-30
But Chief Justice is Not Con-
sideTing Resignation
WORK is OF HIGHEST ORDER
If Taft Cannot Get This Position He
Is Willing to Stand In the Way
of the Presidential
Lightning.

Washington, December 29.-(Specal)-
"If Chief Justice Fuller of the United
States supreme court would retire from
office, it is my belief that Secretary of
War Taft would accept his place and re-
move himself from presidential specula-
ton
In these words close friend of Secre-
tary Taft summed up the latter's state
ment of this morning. The Secretary's
statement. following the publication in
an Ohio newspaper to the effect that he
was virtually candidate for the repub-
lcan presidential nomination, was the
talk of politicians in Washington today.
While 1t Is heralded in some quarters
as ambiguous, it is generally taken to
mean that Mr.. Taft, unless he has the
opportunity of becoming chief justice Of
the supreme court, will make the race
for the republican nomination, provided
he is warranted in believing that the po-
litical forces opposing him have not al
ready stacked the cards as Is being
claimed by many.
Justices Friends Indignant.
Chief Justice Fuller is nearly IA years
of age. but it is very doubtful IL he
is considering the question of retirement.
Whether this voices the sentiments of
Mr.. Fuller is not known, but 1t is a fact
that many of the chief Justices friends
are indignant over the constant harp
ing upon the question of his retirement
and President Roosevelt is blamed for
most of it.
Several months ago the republican pa
pers were filled with stories to the ef-
feet that Secretary Taft would succeed
Fuller. They were written in such way
as to create the impression that the chief
justice would resign any minutes the
President said so; practically that his
resignation was already unofficiaily in the
hands of the President. At the same time
Chief Justice Fuller has not Indicated
his intention of resignng. His work on
the bench has been of the highest order
and despite his "a years he is today fully
competent in every respect TO preside
over the big court. In addition he is a
democrat; appointed by a democrat and
it is not unlikely that he would like to
see his successor appointed by a demo-
crat He may reason that il is worth
While to wait until 1908 and see the result
of the election before rendering his resig
nation.
Wants to Avoid Scramble.
Should this be the case, Secretary Taft
is willing to run for the presidency, as
his statement is viewed here today, but,
it rs further taken to mean that he is
unwilling to enter along an unseenly
scramble buy up negro delegates and
finance machine along the lines adopt
Ell by the late Senator Hanna, in the
interest of Mckinley. Secretary Taft does
not seek to deny that he would like to
receive the republican nomination. but
as he plainly states he realizes that the
discharge of his public duties in the
courageous manner he has always pur-
sued initiates against his receiving the
nomination.
AS Secretary, he has considered him
self compelled to do things which were
not to his political advantage and he
intimates that he may be compelled to
take this course again. In other words,
the Secretarys statement is a direct APP
peal to the people themselves for the
nomination and in the nature of de-
fiance to the politicians.
Roosevelt adopted the same course
year before the 1900 convention and made
Hanna endorse him in the Ohio state
convention. But Roosevelt was Presi-
dent and this may make a difference.