The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-07-07


The death of Judge Charles
Swayne, leaving the position of judge
of the Northern district OF Florida
vacant, and the probable successor
Of Judge Swayne, were the subjects
of much discussion upon the streets
yesterday, and while many prominent
men were mentioned as aspirants for
the position, which is a life one with
a $4,000 salary attached, there is
only one announced candidate, Hon.
w. B. Sheppard, the present district
attorney. Early in the forenoon yes
terday there was a rumor to the eff
feet that the Pensacola Bar Associa-
ton would meet and make an en-
dorsement, but if such a meeting was
contemplated it failed to materialize.
The concensus of opinion is that Mr..
Sheppard, standing well in the state,
and being close in touch with the ad-
ministration, viii be the successor of
Judge Swayne. in which event the
president will be called upon TO name
some one to succeed Mr.. Sheppard.
While Democrats have been men,
toned, the opinion prevails that ,he
strong endorsement of Mr.. Sheppard
possibly preclUdes any possibility of
a democrat being named
Sheppard Endorsed.
A representative of The Journal,
in talking to close friend of the dis.
trict attorney yesterday afternoon
learned that friends of Mr.. Sheppard
were securing endorsements for him
in Milton, DeFuniak, ChipIey, Vernon,
Mariana, Quincy, Tallahassee, Mon
ticello, Madison, Crawfordville and
Apalachicola, and that he had re-
ceived advices to the effect that the
members of the bar in these various
places, irrespective of party affiilia-
tons, were endorsing him.
1t was rumored on the streets last
night that the governor, and a major
ity of the cabinet officers in Talla-
hassee, had come to the conclusion
that it would be impossible for
Democrat to secure the position and
endorsed Mr.. Sheppard for the APP
pointment This rumor, however,
could not be verified UP TO a late
hour.
Backed by coombs.
1t was learned yesterday that the
district attorney had received tele-
grams from Hon. James n. COMBS,
of Apalachicola, and Hon. Henry S.
Chubb, of Gainesville. both urging
him to become a candidate aud pledg-
ing him their support should he APP
ply for the appointment. This will,
to the minds of many, settle the ques-
ton as far as republican receiving
the appointment is concerned. Mr..
COombs is the republican ma
tional committeeman from Florida
and is the close friend of President
Roosevelt, and Mr.. Chubb is the
chairman of the state republican exc
cutive committee and also a close
friend to the president. These two
men have in the past almost con-
trolled the Official republican patron
age, for this state, and have often
been referred to as Roosevelt's ref
erees in Florida.
Mr.. COombs has long been proni.
nent in the republican party of the
state and for many years has been In
close touch with the occupants OF
the white house and more than once
his wishes have been grautei in the
matter of official appointments from
Washington. There is no question
about his power in his own party in
these matters and when it is taken
into consideration that the district
attorney, who will be candidate for
judge, began the practice of law in
Mr.. CoOmbs town, and for many years
represented his large business inter
ests in that section; that IT waS
through this gentleman's influence
that he was appointed at one time
collector of the port of Apalachicola,
and later to his present position, /!
will not be hard to guess who the rev
federal judge will be. Mr. Coombs
has expressed himself on various &C
casions during the past few years ~
the effect that ne wanted to see Mr.
SHEPARD succeed to the judgesaip
some day and now that there is a
vacancy there is no doubt but that
Mr. Coombs will get busy at once
Will Be Candidate.
Mr.. Sheppard was seen at his home
last night, and when asked as to his
intention of becoming a candidate for
the appointment of district judge he
very frankly said Yes, ! will be
candidate for the appointment, but ]
do not care to discuss the matter al
this time" Mr.. Sheppard confirmed
the statement that he had received
strong kilograms of endorsement
from both Messrs. Coombs and Chubb
but beyond this he would have
nothing further to say.
The statement from Mr.. Sheppard
makes him the only announced can
didate for the position, and it ia
hardly probable that there will be
other candidates. With the endorse
ment of his own party, this eliminates
all other republicans who might be
aspirants, and there is a general feel
point democrat under the prese9