The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-15
BOOM JUDGE GRAY
TO SHUT OUT TAFT
Democrats Of South and
East Combined for
Him
PRESIDENT SAID
TO WANT BURTON
Tired OF Present Speaker and
Would Have Ohio Man, Who
Is More in Sympathy With
Policy OF the White
House-Watter-
sons Favorite.
sons Favorite.
HY WALTER EDWARD HARRIS.

by WALTER EDWARD HARRIS.
WASHINGTON, p. c., May 14-Dem-
octats here are taking keen interest
In what is believed to be an organized
movement in the South and East to
launch a boom for Judge George Gray,
of Delaware, for the Democratic nomi-
| nation for President in the event the
Republicans bring out Secretary Taft
as their candidate. 1t Is stated that
Senator'S Culberson of Texas. Clay, OF
Georgia, and Daniel, of Virginia, have
recently been in correspondence with
certain influential Eastern Democrats,
| looking to the vitalizing of the Gray
presidential boom. With Mr.. Taft as
the nominee of the Republican party,
| it is claimed that Judge Cray would
| have comparatively easy sailing to vic
up another candidate, the insistence
upon Judge Grays nomination will
| cease.
| The winning card for Judge Gray Is
!. believed to be his fine line of antitrust
decisions and his agreeable attitude
toward the labor element of the coun-
try. because of his splendid work as
a member of the anthracite coal COM
mission. which terminated the greatest
strike in the anthracite region several
/ years ago. On the other hand, It Is
4
ord while member of the judiciary OF
| Ohio which would prejudice the large
labor vote against his candidacy His
| Injunction decisions are mentioned spe-
ctically. the claim being made that in
| six decisions granting injunctions
| against labor unions, in three instances
union men were sent to prison by his
order.
The first Southern Senator to declare
fx. IT,, T,,I trya1
Senator Morgan. of Alabama, who still
insists that the distinguished jurist OF
Delaware could lead the Democratic
party to victory in 1908.
Roosevelt Tired of Cannon.
\ The most interesting story with poli-
tics in it in Washington to-day is the
one which has been circulating for
several days that the President is tired
of Speaker Cannon as the presiding Of
I ticer of the House of Representatives.
| The story did not attract attention
when it was whispered u week ago,
but reiteration. with more detinitenels,
has had the e>Hect of creating credulity.
1t is said the President wants to
see Representative Theodore Burton.
of tho Cleveland, o.. district. made
| Speaker. 1t is asserted that the Presi-
dent does not believe Speaker Can
for which the administration stands,
and that he is considering the adVis-
| ability of inaugurating n campaign to
bring about the election of new
czar of the House. a man who will
respond with readiness to the wishes
! OF the White House and help instead
| OF hinder tho enactment of leSisla-
ton aimed to accomplish objects dear
to the presidential heart.
Contrast in Two Men.
| While 1t may not be wholesome to
! have as presiding officer Of the popu-
lar branch of Congress man who
Is constantly ready to do the bidding
/ of the man In the White House, there
are many reasons why the present
Speaker of the House should occupy
n seat on the floor instead of in the
presiding chair Mr. Cannon was op-
| posed to the passage of the railroad
rate bill; he was opposed to the pass
age of the meat inspection bill; he was
/ opposed to the passage of the pure
food bill In fine. Speaker Cannon
| has opposed every measure which the
/ people demanded. He has dominated
| tho House as no other Speaker has
ever dared to do. and his whole course
/ since he was placed in the presiding
! chair has been such as to accentuate
\ tatives is no longer deliberatiye
4 body, but is machine controlled by
4 one man, for that one man appoints
the Committee on Rules, which COM
mittee rules the House.
i But there would be no great i'm
provemcnt In this respect were Mr..
Burton to be invested with the gavel.
His course as chairman OF the Com
!. mittee on Rivers and Harbors does
. not give promise of his making an
] "easy boss In the Speakers chair. He
has dominated the committee in mans
ner to make the members more or
less laughing stock They often eX-
press a desire to discuss with their
colleagues or newspaper correspon-
dents the progress of the commits
!" tees work in framing a river and har-
4 bor bin, but confess they. refrain from
doing so owing to the orders of Mr.
Burton, the chairman,
Many Things Admirable.
Eut Mr.. Burton is in many things
admirable that the Speaker of the
House is not. Mr., Burton ~ a scholar
j and a student, He is a quiet, digni-
fled gentleman. He Is not much at
4 PLAYING to the galleries. but he is n
profound thinker He never shocks the
ears of gentlemen with obscenity or
/ profanity. He is man of sincere
convictions and does Tot veer his be-
llefs to meet every political breeze
4 calculated to take him to harbor,
4 Whether there Is anything in the ru-
NOR that Pre1ident Roosevelt VIII
try to make Mr.. Burton Speaker of the
n House is not certainly known. But, II
in the mutations of politics the Repre-
! sentative from Ohio should succeed
the Representative from Illinois as
A presiding officer of the House or Rep
Z lrusentatives there should bo no tears
A shed by Democrats. especially by
those who liye south OF the Potomac
and Ohio. Speaker Cannon, although
u born in North Carolina appears 70