Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-23
Who Will Be Preferred to Fed.
eraI Office to Be Decided.
HITCHCOCK TO- GIVE VIEW
Democratic Senator'S Hopeful They
Can Control Appointments.
ATTITUDE OF THE PRESIDENT
Has Asked to Consult With Them.
Whether Republicans Are to Be
Ignored Is Question.

| Within the next day or so President
Taft will reach decision as to what will
be his policy in appointments to federal
offices in the south. The question is now
squarely up to him. He is considering il
with Postmaster General Hitchcock
| Are democratic senators from southern
states where there is lame republican
Organizaton-a strictly pie-counter aggre-
gation--to have the distribution OF patron
age under republican administration?
| Senator Smith of South Carolina is un-
der the impression that this will be the
policy of the new administration. He
bases his idea upon statements made Ia
4 him by President Taft that he desired to
/ consult him and Senator Tillman as to
South Carolina appointments
Senator Smith also understands that the
| President has expressed this purpose to
, several other southern senators, among
others Messrs. Bailey and Culberson OF
/ Texas, Foster and McEnery of Louisiana
and Johnston and Bankhead of Alabama
Senator Smiths Call.
| Senator Smith saw the President today
relative to the post Office at Florence. s.
| c.. the senator's home town. The pres
ent postmaster Wilson, a negro, is not
to be reappointed at that place. Many
white republicans. including a son OF
| Representative Cassell Of Pennsylvania,
are applicants for the place.
| Senator Smith wants to know whether
the selection of the postmaster is to be
made from the list of republican appli-
cants or whether he wishes the recon-
mendation of the senator, who is of
! opinion that none of the men now ap-
! plying are backed by the sentiment of
the people. The President told Mr..
Smith he would take the matter up with
Postmaster General Hitchcock and give
| him an answer.
| II am fully convinced said the sena-
tor today. that Mr.. Taft means to con-
| fer freely with democratic senators Of
some of the sou hern states as to fed
| eral offices in their states, and that his
| policy will be to give careful attention
| to the voice Of a majority of the people
His appointments in the south, I think.
| will not be made with any reference to
| the politics of the candidate, and he will
seek only the best men. whatever their
party faith
Senator Smith stands ready to recon-
mend a postmaster at Florence if he is
given the liberty of doing so. II it is de-
cided that a choice will be made from
republican candidates for the office Mr..
Smith will make no recommendation.
What President May Mean.
What the President means by the words
consult" or confer" as used in his con-
versation with southern senator's is sus-
ceptible of wide Interpretation. If the
view of Senator Smith as to their sense
should prevail democratic senators will
virtually have the patronage of repub-
lican administration in practically all
southern states except Virginia. North
Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
| Mr.. Hitchcock knows the great value
of even "pie counter" organizations
! about the time for making nominees
! for President by republican conven-
tions All who know him feel that he
will aggressively. urge the President
| not to fully abandon the better class of
| republicans who have worked in the
| past with the party.
! He will cooperate with the President
| in raising the class of appointees in the
| south, and will seek influential recruits
| to the party, II is safe to say. But in
his mind the question will arise as to
| whether democratic senators are the
right persons to intrust with building
up a republican party in the south.
Practical Side Of Case.
| The practical side of the question ap-
| pea1s to him in contrast with the sin
cere with Of the President to have the
| southern people understand that their
! interests are to be cared for in the
various appointments that are to be
made.
| In every way possible Mr.. Hitchcock will
undoubtedly advise the President to favor
respectable. upright republicans of long
standing in southern appointments instead
of individuals of the big army of recruits
| that are how putting out their long arms
| for slices of the pie they have condemned
| others for scrambling for
| Wherever satisfactory republicans can
not be had democrats will be named. if
Mr.. Hitchcock can have his way. What
! NJ Hitchcock cannot COO ;S how no &c IN
keep republican organization in the south
If republican national committeeman and
| state chairmen are to be entirely ignored
and democrats name the officeholders.
In the particular case of Florence the
| decision may be reached to permit Sena-
| tor Smith to name the postmaster That
may he done in his home town q mat
| ter of courtesy to the senator. ii is point
! ed out, and not as part Of a policy of
| turning things over to the democrats.
collector of customs at Charleston in place
| of w. d. Crum. negro. the South
Carolina senator's We're not consulted. Mr..
Durant was a republican, also. although
| he was satisfactory to democratic infiu-
/ ences paramount at Charleston.
Nelson May Be Brought Around.
| President Taft desires to again nomi-
nate Milton d. Purdy federal district judge
of Minnesota. He realizes the futility of
uOuiS 50 III senator Nelson remains as
obdurate as he has been in the past year
on the subject.
Mr.. Nelson has prevented confirmation
| Of Mr.. Purdys nomination., sent TO the
Senate by President Roosevelt, and has
so far refused TO yield to strong personal
friends. who have urged him TO permit
the nomination to go through.
Senator Nelson was with the President
1 today He has several times talked over
the judgeship with the President.
| Today the President promised to name
| Harvey sullivan. a Minnesota man, who
! has lived in Alaska several years, as mar
| shall of the new judicial district of the
territory. Sullivan is brother of State
/ Senator Sullivan OF Minnesota. Senator
| Nelson wanted him named.
CALVIN Brown. an associate justice of
| the supreme court of Minnesota. is now
| spoken of as Judge Purdy's successor.
| He is regarded as one of the best law
yers i'll the state.
Kansas Guarantee Law.
Senators Curtis and Bristow of Kansas
| asked the President tod to direct At
fOrnay General \Vickercba,, m on rt,-