The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-04
DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE 7
TO TAKE A BACK SEAT
Recent Appointments BY President
Taft Indicate That the Repub-
Iican Machine in the
South Is Safe.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

washing ION, July o.-tSpeCldl dlJ-AcIlnB
upon the suggestion of Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock. the administrations po-
litical adviser, 1t Is evident that
partisanship in .he forthcoming census
is largely a myth. Several weeks ago
there was a semi-official announcement
from the White House to the effect that
there was to be no politics in the census
and that the President would allow the
democratic congressman to name the SUI
pervsors in each of their congressional
districts. According to the director OF
the census there is no such fixed policy
decided upon by the appointing power.
Instead there is a strong probability that
the republican machine largely will have
the say.
Census supervisors have to be confirmed
by the Senate In order to get around
this difficulty there will be no appoint
ments until after Congress adjourns. The
appointments will then ba recess" and
all the supervisors will be at work be-
fore the Senate can do anything. Direc-
tor Durand was rather backward today
about expressing his views on how the
appointment of supervisors would be eff
fected in the south.
Democrats Discouraged.
Democratic senators and representatives
who have been to see him since he was
made director of the census have be-
walled the fact that he did not give them
assurances of what would be done, one
way or the other. They wanted to know
whether their recommendations of men
for the positions would be accepted as
designating the best men in their dis
u aLaLa
Durand was that their recommendations
would be given serious consideration.
He told others that he would have to
see the President about the matter. To-
day he said he thought 1t would be safe
to say that he would select the best men
of every community for the positions,
Irrespective OF whether they were re-
publicans or democrats, but he acded,
explanatorlly that the republican referees
of the southern states would also have
recommendations, and that these recon-
mendations would get all the attention
possible.
That a large majority of the appoint
ments in the south Will be republicans
was indicated by him very strongly when
he said that some of them will be dem
ocrats, for not all of them will be de-
cided by the republican referees
Hitchcock Is Boss.
In sending to the Senate today the NOM
ination OF William r.. Leaken to be col
lector of customs at Savannah PRESIDENT
Taft follows the recommendations or
Postmaster General Hitchcock, who ID
controlling patronage throughout the
south Mr.. Leaken is a republican or
many years standing. His selection shows
thar SO long as Mr. Hitchcock is allowed
pretty full sway in the south the regular
republicans will not be deserted, and
that Mr.. Hitchcock will not undertake.
building up an entirely new party In
that section Whatever recruiting there
e will be in communities where the re-
mblican population is scarce and of d
grade that does not rank up with the
Presidents s ideas of officeholding material.
Then democrats would be named. Re
publicans in the south were greatly stir
red IN at the beginning of the admins
tration over stories that the democrats
were to be run into the good jobs. They
are not now losing much sleep as
formerly.
Clothing VIII Advance.
Interviews with clothing manufacturers
IN Baltimore show there is a general
agreement that the proposed Senate
rates In the woolen schedule will re-
suit in pronounced advance in the price
of clothing Baltimore each year manu-
&.
The proposed new tariff, with its higher
rates on, woolens. trimmings and Innings,
will. 1t is said, increase the cost of each
suit at least $50 If the quality is
maintained, 1t is further estimated. this
would increase the cost of clothing at
least IS, 900 over that of last year.
"A suit that now retails at $15 will cost
$t75 It is said, and may cost $40, and
The suit that now costs 500 will cost from
$2o 50 to SIS.
EITHER the customer will pay more
or he will get Inferior quality clothing"
said leading clothier. Instead of all
wool goods he will get wool and cotton
mixed or wool mixed with shoddy.
1.-The price of woolen goods has been
Increased so greatly that goods which
last year cost 80 to So cents are now sell
ing at $3.50 to q 40 a yard. and the
prices promise to be much higher soon
after the new tariff goes into effect"
The clothier called attention to the fact
that owing to the prohibitive tariff,
amounting in some cases to 120 per cent.
one New England manufacturing firm has
practical monopoly Of all the alpaca
and mohair trade OF the country. These
have to be used for Innings and the very
high prices Increase the cost of suits
Not only high ad valorem duty but
also an added tariff per square yard is
levied on all this class of goods He says
the tariff virtually creates and protects
this monopoly. -
Murdoch Has Plan.
Representative Victor Murdoch, one OF
the House .insurgentsa hats formulated
scheme by which he believes the in
iquities' of the Senate tariff bill may be
softened by mere legislative mistakes. He
Is at present sounding his discontented
colleagues as to the feasibility of his,
plan and thus far he has met with moth
ing but encouragement. The plan Is to
have the House agree to all the reduc-
tions made in the bill by the Senate and
to send the remainder of the measure to
conference.
One thing IL necessary before this can