Richmond planet., 1909-02-13
LONG FIGHT OVER DIR. CRUM
Southern Senators Seek To Defeat
His Confirmation.

His Confirmation.
Washington, Feb. 3,-If it takes
the Senate four hours to digest a
South Carloina Crum, how long
would IL take the Senate to digest
a Georgia Cracker?" That was the
interrogatory comment OF Senator
Clay of Georgia on the discussion in
yesterdays session of the Senate over
the nomination OF DR.. w. ID. Crum
TO be Collector of the port OF Charles
ton. s. c. The Crum case came be-
fore the Senate again today and was
considered behind closed doors for
another four hours. When the Sen
ate adjourned. through lack of
ability to muster a quorum. the pro-
cess of digestion had not been
completed
II was made evident today that
Senator Tillman, OF South Carolina.
and some other Southern Senators
are determined TO prolong discussion
OF the Crum nomination until the
end OF the present Congress. Should
they succeed I'm this the nomination
would fail. The Southern Senator's
who are opposing DR.. Crum are hope
ful that IL he Is defeated President
Taft will not appoint another colored
man TO the Office of Collector at
Charleston. Perhaps they are a lit
tie hopeful, also, and there appears
TO be some reason for this supposi-
tion. that az Crums nomination
should not be confirmed President
Taft would be placed in an embarass-
ing position In attempting To carry
out his policy of breaking the
solidity OF the South I'm the Interest
OF the Republican party.
IL is contended that should MT.
Taft renominate DIR. Crum or norssi.
nate another man with negro blood
in his veins for the colIectorship he
would estrange the prominent white
Democrat OF Taft convictions upon
whom II is said he expects TO depend
In carrying out his effort to gain
Republican votes south of the Poto-
mac. Or. continuing the contention,
IL he nominate white man. this
course might anger negro voters and
be construed as n slap at President
Roosevelt, who has stood stanchly
by Crum.
Today's discussion OF the Crum
case made IL evident that a real fli-
buster is on In the Senate. Senator
Tillman is the leader and he was
assisted ably today by Senator Nc
Asaurin OF Mississippi. They did mosI
of the talking. Mr.. Tillman's re-
marks, while not regarded by some
'of his hearers as OF any great value.
were extremely interesting and held
the attention OF HIS colleagues. He
devoted most of his speech To an
effort to show that President Roose-
welt had nominated Crum TO get even
with Mr.. Tillman on account of
various little difficulties which they
had in the last several years.
Mr.. T1llmah gave a review OF his
troubles with MIR. Roosevelt and Sen
ators found X worth while listening
to him, although they realized that
Mr.. 1fllman was engaged in the gen.
tie art of talking against time. The
South Carolina Senator told how Mr.
Roosevelt had affronted him by
Withdrawing the invitation which
Mr.. Roosevelt had issued to Mr. TIL
man to attend the dinner given by
the President at the White House
to Prince Henry of Prussia. the
brother OF Emperor William. Mr..
Tillman did not fail to refer to how
his nephew. Iieut-Gov. Jim Tillman
OF South Carolina, got even with the
President for this affront to the Till
man family by refusing to present to
Major Micha Jenkins Of the Rough
Riders the handsome sword which
his grateful fellow South Carolini-
ans had arranged to give TO him.
Nor did he neglect to tell how
President Roosevelt came back at
the Tillman family by going to
South Carolina in person and hand
ing the sword himself to Major
jenkins
Mr.. Tillman told all about the
controversy I'm which he became In
volved with the President while Mr.
TIfman was trying to put through
the railroad rate bill. one OF the
. Presidents measures. He gave
his version Of the story that he and
Senator Bailey OF TEXAS were in ca
boots with the President in the rate
bill hight. with former Senator
William T.. Chandler, OF New Hamp-
shire. as the intermediary between
them Senator'S who listened to Mr..
Tiiiman today did not need to be
reminded of that interesting time
when Mr.. Tillmau told OF what was
said to be going on between the
President and the Democratic lead
ers In the Senate which resulted in
the election OF Mr.. Chandler TO the
Ananias Club by Mr.. Rooseveit's de-
cree and bitter denunciation OF the
President by Mr.. Tillman and Mr.
Bailey.
Mr.. Tillman contended that in
nominating DR.. Crum, President
Roosevelt was actuated by a spirit OF
revenge toward Mr.. Tillman. He
asserted that the President haf
been working hand In glove with Mr..
Tiiiman's enemy and former col
league, ex-senator McLaurin OF
South Carolina. and rather rubbed
IL I'm on the President I'm the light
Of William Randolph Hearst's ale