Evening star., 1909-05-27
FIGHTING FOR OFFICE
Division Among the Louisiana
Republican Factions.
WIGHT SEES PRESIDENT
Surveyor of Port Of New Orleans
Soon to Be Named.
TAFT IS INVITED TO MOBILE
Porto Ricans Plead for Citizenship
President to Be Elected to Masonic
Lodge in England.

President Taft will send to the Senate
in short time the nomination of a man
to be surveyor of the port Of New Or
leans. Col. Gibson. the former surveyor,
died some weeks ago, and the two fac
tions in the republican party in the state
are fighting over the Office.
The state chairman of the faction large
ly composed of negro voters has put for
ward man named Brookshire. while the
other faction, headed by Pearl Wight,
national committeeman. has indorsed
W. ]. Bryant. The decision will be a
federal recognition of one faction or the
other. Mr.. Wight was in conference with
President Taft today and there seems
little doubt that the President will name
a man agreeable to the national commit
teeman. Whether this man will be Bry-
ant is not known, but it will be- some
man politically friendly to Mr.. Wight.
In the recent appointment of Gen. w.
]. Behan as postmaster of New Orleans
the administration stood by the Wight
faction, although the colored faction did
not consider that a test case, not max
ing serious objection to Gen. Behan.
The republican national committee, be-
fore the Chicago convention. passed res
olutions providing for the reorganization
Of the republican party in Louisiana, but
no steps have been taken In that direction
and none will be taken according to pres
ent plans. The national organization will
recognize the lilly whites as the regular
organization, and practically all the fed
eral patronage will go to its>members.
American Masons in England.
A dispensation, most unusual in the
history of Masonry, has been granted for
the organization of blue lodge of Masons
H.. -
dispensation was granted by the Duke of
Connaught grand master Of the Grand
Lodge of England, and the new lodge will
be instituted in London and cOnsecrated
the evening of June 3. the provincial
grand master of England. Lord Ampthill.
presiding at the ceremony. F. c. Van
Duzer has been designated as the first
master of the lodge. Through Col. NJ. NJ.
Parker Of this city. President Taft. him
self Mason, was today made acquainted
with the facts. He will send a cable mes
sage of appreciation of the action of the
English Grand Lodge and of encourage
ment to the Americans. The President.
the Duke of Connaught and Lord Amp
thill will be made the first honorary men,
bers of the lodge.
President Taft today accepted honorary
membership in the associate society of
Chaplin Post. Grand Army of the Re
public, Buffalo. the largest G. A. r. post
in the world. The certificate of member
presented to the President today by Rep
resentative Alexander Of Buffalo and Col.
John McElroy of this city.
Invited to Mobile.
To a big delegation of Mobile citizens
who called upon him today to invite him
to visit that city next fall President Taft
said that he did not know yet whether he
would go south at the time Of his west
ern trip. but IL he did SO he would GER
tainly visit Mobile.
The delegation. consisting of Mayor P.
J. Lyon and representatives from vari-
GUS bodies Of the city, introduced by
Senators Johnston and Bankhead and
Representatives Taylor and Helm. ex-
the President in Alabama. III. l.. Russell.
chairman of the delegation, told the Pres
ident that the people of the south had
a profound appreciation OF his intelligent
and patriotic course. and were looking
forward to an able and practical admin
istration Of national affairs. The invita-
ton was then formally extended. being
engraved upon large silver plate. The
inscription upon the plate is as follows:
"The citizens Of Mobile request of the
the United States Of America. the honor
of visit on the occasion of his SOUTH
ern trip in the fall OF 1909 A welcome
commensurate with true southern hospi-
toric under the folds of five flags. The
city which stands at the mouth Of the
second largest river system on this CONT
nent is Alabama's outlet to the sea and
the natural gateway to Panama"
Porto Ricans Want Citizenship.
Manuel v. Domenech and Francisco p.
Quinones. representatives of the republi-
can party of Porto Rico. talked for twen-
ty minutes today with President Taft az
to conditions in the island. They came
here following the severe treatment of
Porto Ricans in the special message of
the President to Congress a short time
ago. The republican party in the island
is in the minority, controlling few mu-
inequalities and being in the cold so far
as the legislature Is concerned. Political
ly. the island is dominated by the union
party.
without going into a criticism of the
unionists or of Gov. Post, who Is said to
sympathize with the unonists, the visitors
told the President that good citizens of
Porto Rico were grateful to the United
States for what 1t has done for the island
and that the charge Of ingratitude, made
by the President. should not apply, as a
whole, to the people. The visitors urged
the President to recommend citizenship
for the island in his next message and
said that they would attempt to get an
amendment giving citizenship attached to
the Porto Rican bill pending in Congress.
They believed that Porto Ricans would
be satisfied IL they could feel that they
were citizens of this country and not
merely aliens controlled by the United
States.
The visitors did not refer to Gov. Post
while with the President preferring to
make no charges against him.
The President did not give much en-
couragement as to giving his support to
q citizenship proposition.
Capt. Winslow to Be Rear Admiral.
The President today nominated Capt.
Herbert Winslow to be a rear admiral