Evening star., 1909-03-08
CONFERS WITH HITCHCOCK
Postmaster General Expected
Have Charge of Patronage.
Much of Presidents Time Today
Taken Up Receiving Visitors.
Reception in East Room.

| Within the next two weeks President
Tat will make appointments in the south
that will determine his policy in that
section of the country. The first con-
ference as to southern patronage was
held today, and more will follow.
| Postmaster General Hitchcock who is
expected to have general charge OF these
southern appointments. introduced to the
President Postmaster Harris Of Charles
ton. Mr.. Harris comes to Washington
| backed by influential men, including lead
| ing democrats, to make recommenda-
ton for the appointment of a collector
of customs at Charleston. succeeding ".
D. Crum. the negro occupant of the office.
who resigned to save President Taft from
| embarrassment Crum's nomination was
fought in the Senate by all the demo-
Gratis there, led by Senator Tiliman, and
confirmation prevented.
| 1t was we'll known that the new Presi-
| dent would not name Crunl in the face of
J the almost unanimous opposition of the
! white people Of that city. The filling of
| the vacancy will go far toward determin-
| ing just what Mr.. Taft intends to do in
the south. Mr.. Hitchcock is supposed to
know the south well and to understand
fully the purposes of his chief.
The Charleston vacancy also brings up
llle question as 10 Wnetner JOln u. "a
pers. republican national committeeman
and present commissioner of internal rev.
enue, is to attend to the patronage of the
state, or whether Mr.. Hitchcock is to turn
this work over to some one else by au-
thority of the President. So far family
connections are concerned. Mr.. Capers
comes from the best stock in the south
and in his own state. His leadership
there, with a chance to eliminate the
negro, will, his friends say, bring many
6oYon nrof int line yrifh %
publicans, while change to a new man
might not be successful MIR. Capers
has the strong backing of many able
young men of the state who might resent
change, 1t is said
Want to Know Where They Stand.
The South Carolina republicans are
not the only ones who want to know
how they stand. Old-time republicans
from all the southern states are I'm
Washington. waiting to get in a word
at the White House. Today President
Taft shook hands with Gen. Powell Clay
ION and III. L. Remmel of the Arkansas
| republican organization, H. Clay Evans
of Tennessee, former commissioner Of
pensions, and others. He viii have an
other conference with the Arkansas
leaders. In that state there are two
good jobs already waiting disposition
James X Barnes, United States attorney
of the western district Of the state.
| died some time ago, and the vacancy
! must soon be filled. In the eastern dis
| trict the term of William G. Whipple.
| United States attorney, has expired He
! has held the office eight years. and there
| is d scramble on for the position
| Cen Clayton and Mr.. Remmel are the
controlling cogs in the old-time republi-
can machine of Arkansas. Mr. Remmel
| is United States marshal of the eastern
district, while Powell Clayton. the son OF
the veteran leader, is assistant United
States attorney and wants to go up.
| The Arkansas leaders claim that their
patronage distribution is the best III the
| country. Every vacancy is passed upon
! by the entire republican state committee
! This committee is TO meet this month to
| take up the vacancies and make recon-
mendations. but before it does so the
leaders want to know how they stand.
That is what they here for.
Taft got 10000 more votes in Arkansas
last year than did Mckinley eight years
ago and 5000 more than Roosevelt which
shows how our organization is building
up. said Mr.. Remmel today.
! Cecil Lyons, national committeeman
! for Texas. was another southern republ-
| can who saw the President today.
Taft to Travel Much
| President Taft contemplates a long trip
through the west and probably to Alas
ka this summer. He spoke OF his plIr-
| poses today to Senators Smoot and Suth-
erland of Utah. who called upon him to
| extend an invitation 10 attend the forty
| third annual encanipment of the q. a. r..
| to he held at Salt Lake. from August I:
| tD ~. The invitation came from the
| state of Utah and from the executive
] committee of the G. A. r. The President
! said that he would like 10 accept the in
/ vitation and would do so. if possible.
| He wished to make trip through the
| west he said, and if he could arrange
matters he would stop at Salt Lake. He
has made no plans for the trip though
and will not do so for a long time.
! Generally lie wishes to go to Denver
and other western points and then on to
| the Pacific coast winding up at Seattle.
to attend the Alaska -1ukon-Pacific ex-
position ut Seattle. which opens in June
and closes in October.
| President Taft Will nInCie with the peo-
pie of the country as freely AS his prede-
| cessor. and in the next four years will
probably cover the greater part of the
| country i'm trips He enjoys meeting the
people. learning what they are thinking
about and what they want: President
| Roosevelt Travelled many thousands of
miles during his term but when Presi-
dent Taft has gotten over the country ne
will be the greatest traveller in this coun-
try. because OF his extensive journeys
around the world. to the Philippines
Cuba and elseWhe
Mr.. Taft is also scheduled for an ex-
tensive southern trip this fall and early
1
he will visit every southern state at that
time. including Texas. The probability
| is that he will make this trip on his
way back from the west, bringing him In
to the southern states in September ol
| October
Judgesh;p to Be Filled.
President Taft is to have the appoint
menI oil United States circuit judge o.
the sixth circuit Judge John *. Richard:
died a few days ago. He was from Ohio
which is included in the sixth circuit
Kentucky being among the other state:
| in that circuit.
Representatives Langley and Edward
: of kentucky called on the President to
day and asked that Judge A. NJ. J. Coch
ran of the eastern district Of Kentuck,
be elevated to the circuit bench, to fiji
the vacancy there, and that Robert RI
Wnn of Mr.. Sterling KY. now republi
can state chairman OF Kentucky be mad
circuit Judge of the eastern district O
kentiIcha.
President Taft will take these sugges
tious and recommendations under advise
? mcnt He knows the sixth circuit eX
ceedinelN we'll and is acquainted with tn
lawyers Of the circuit.
James Il. McCreary, the 6efunct demo