The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-09
|WlWILL BE .HECHAIRMANa Successor to MT. Burton Discussed. MEN SUGGESTED FOR PLUM Post Is One of Great Interest to
 Alabama. Representative Davidson VIII Very Probably Succeed Mir. Burton on
 the Rivers and Harbors
 Committee.
WEN SUGGESTED FOR PLUM
BY ALFRED J. STOPPER.

BY ALFRED J. STOFER.
 Washington, Sept. Special. )-- Speculation continues here as to who will be chairman of the House Rivers and Harbors Committee during the Congress which will assemble in De- cember. Several weeks ago a report gained wide circulation that Represen- tative Burton would ask to be relieved from further service as chairman.
 Since that news got around. the member from Ohio has made up his mind to tackle Tom Johnson for the Mayoralty of the bustling city of Cleveland. Some people appear to think he will defeat the Democrat, while others incline to the opinion that uohnson will again come out ahead A rumor is in circulation here that Mir. Burton, having received the nomina- ton at the hands of the Republican Convention, will tendor his resignation as member of Congress. Should this action be taken. it would undoubtedly be for the purpose of inspiring conf- dence In the ranks of the Cleveland Republicans. It would. according to those who have even a faint belief that he will resign, cause the wavering ones to tumble to the conclusion that Mir. Burton. with the backing of the national administration, feels confident of victory.
 But here are a great many we'll posted people who do not believe for moment that Burton will give up his seat in Congress unless he should hap pen to be elected Mayor. Many of his friends think it would be unwise for him to do so Positions which pay $7.500 a year are scarce. and the argn- ment is advanced that he had better walt and see how the municipal cleo ton turns out.
 The chairmanship of the House Riv- CTS and Harhors Committee Is regard ed as important to the South, even though the House win again be con trolled by the Republicans. The Re- publicans, however, will not have as large majority in the next House as thsx sha4 n tns s iast & ss t wia Ps s,, onss licany and l64 Democrats in the lower branch of Congressr -
 More Of the old members have suc- ceeded themselves for the Sixtiefh Congress than for twenty years In- deed, there will be only eighty-two new men in the next House It mas often happened within the past guar ter of century, that over half of the members of the House were new men when that body was called to order But the tendency of late years has been to keen State delegations pretty we'll in tact, particularly in the New England and the Northwestern states and there. have been few changes In California. Among the southern States. Alabama, Texas, Georgia and Virginia lead in retaining their mem bers. < From the various States of the Union new members will be sworn Tn in December as follows;
 Alabama. 2; Arkansas. 1; California, 2: (;eorgia, :; Illinois 2; Indiana. (ali Democrats); Iowa. 2; Maryland. l; Mas sachusetts, 8; Michigan. ?; Minnesota a. Missouri, 6; Montana, 1; Nebraska |, Nevada. i; New Jersey, Gall Den- ocrats); New York, T. North Carolina, 9: Ohio, T; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania. lS; South Dakota, ?; Tennessee, l; Vir- Rinia. i: Kansas, g; Kentucky. 5; Lou fsiana, 1; West Virginia. 2, and WIS consin, 4.
 When Senator Bankhead was here recently he expressed the opinion mat if Representative Burton Is not the chairman of the Rivers and Harbors committee that the honor was more than likely to go to Representative Davidson of Wisconsin. Captain Bank head served so many years on tnls committee that he Keeps in touch with what is going on, Speaker cannon IS known to be quite friendly with MT. Davidson, and 1t requires man Tor the pIace who is a ready debater, and who can handle the bill and keep it from being amended too freely after it has been considered carefully for months by all the members of the com rnittee. If MT. Davidson Is promoted at the next session he will. Of course' be jumped over other Republicans Who stand first in line, but Uncle Joe" does not hesitate when it comes to doing a little thing like that. In the Fifty ninth Congress be went outside or the Appropriations Committee to select chairman in the person of MT Taw- ney of Minnesota. The Speaker, want ed a man not only after his own heart but one in every way equipped as floor leader.
 Indications all point to the fact that herculean efforts will be made by the advocates of ship subsidy to force the formation of a committee in this Con gress more favorable to their plans than in the last. Speaker Cannon, however, has cute way of fooling the combination People who think they know something about the inside work ing of things are predicting already that Mr. Cannon will name chairman of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee who will be a pronounced man for voting what the Shipping League wants. Then they will wake up some bright morning and discover that the Speaker has packed the com mittee so that nothing can be done.
 It Is not unlikely that Representative Iittlefield, of Maine. will be named as chairman He Is redhot for the subsidy nroposition But there will undoubted- iv be men also on the committee like stevens of St Paul, Fordney of Mich igan. and Watson of Indiana. who are either directly or indirectly against the schemes advanced by the ocean carrying companies. There has been and will be a constant clash between these two elements among the Repub- licans with enough Democrats against both propositions to prevent legislation in a Congress which will be in ses- sion during the Presidential election year.