The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
Battle Between Republican Clans Has Begun In Real
 Earnest
HITCHCOCK WILL SOON
 START HIS CAMPAIGN
Taft Managers Will Throw Their Co horts Into the South To Overcome the Predilection For Sen
 ator Foraker. 7t;t

Washington, February 1S.-(Special)- Washington is alive with federal office holders, majority of them from the south, summoned here to confer with the Taft leaders over the political sit uation. There Is Frank Fisher, postmas- ter at Paducah, and editor of the Pa ducah Sun, and District Attorney Arm brecht of Mobile. There is hardly a state which has not a prominent office holder in Washington, putting in a good word for the war secretary. Frank Hitchcock, first assistant postmaster gen. eral, was with the President for over an hour today. He shortly becomes one of the managers of the Taft campaign.
 The situation in the south was one of the main points under discussion. In Louisiana the ''black and tans" composed principally of negroes, are after the lilly whtes,' and there is blood on the po- litical moon. The ebony-hued political gladiators are likewise after the pale faces in Mississippi and nearly every other state Senator Foraker may not be getting votes with a rush in Ohio, but down south the brigades are marching with banners flying for Foraker. There has never been a time when the white bosses of the southern states have had such a fimsy hold on the men they have heretofore handled with the greatest ease.
 MT. Hitchcock is preparing to make a trip through the south as soon as he can do so. He leaves the government service Saturday, and he will be free to begin active work at that time. There are important ends of the situation here in Washington, but MT. Hitchcock wants to know personally about reports com ing up from the south. In other words he wants to see the boys in action.
 H. L. Remmel and J. F. Mayes, two of the principal lieutenants of the Powell Clayton machine of Arkansas, conferred with the President today. Remmel is marshal of the eastern district of the state and Mayes marshal of the western. They have told the President and Mir. Hitchcock that the Arkansas organiza- ton will maintain it's record of smooth politics. and that 1t will be practically impossible to secure a contesting dele gation from the state.
 General Clayton put the machine into running shape many years ago, and he Is still at the throttle. The leaders claim that the colored men in the state have been taken care of so well for years tha they can have no kick against the orgah ization.
 "our organization is grounded in the people," declared MT. Remmel we go right down to the people in the township and we have their support all the way up Whatever our state convention does it will have authority back of 1t, and the delegates elected must be considered as the legal ones"
 Return of Cotton Tax.
 Efforts to secure appropriation for the return of the cotton tax are explained by Representative Hef1in of Alabama, d member of the special committee of cot ton states members appointed to devise means of returning the cotton tax.
 Congress" said MT. Hefin today, needs to be informed on the cotton tax question. More than 40 years have passed since this tax was levied and collected in violation of the federal constitution, and there are many members who know absolutely nothing about it. It is my pur- pose to make known to them the justice ul our CldlIn. Ine IacIS must De la10 De- fore the individual members and senators. I firmly believe that whenever Congress has all the facts before it that whenever a fair and just Congress is given the sub ject that the justice of our claim will be so apparent there will be no such ob- jection on the part of any fair minded man.
 This government is too great and it's peoples love of justice too broad and deep to allow this cotton tax matter to re- main open on the books, constant re- hinder of the fragrant violation of the federal constitution, and the great in- jury that violation brought upon the peo- pie of the south. The land tax which was collected in violation of the constitution has been returned, the land grants which were taken from Mexican war soldiers who fought in the Confederate army have been returned. The Confederate battle flags which were held as trophies of war to taunt us have been given back
 ITO the people of the south the Sen ate has dropped the word rebellion, as a descriptive word of the war between the states, and the time has come when Con- gress will do the fair and just thing and return s6S.0000O0 cotton taxes collected without warrant of law" w. s.