The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-19
Fifty Men Are Aspirants for Membership of Ways
 and Means
JOHN WALTER SMITH IS
 NEW LEADER FOR PARTY ~--~
Maryland Senator Is Already Picked Out as National Chairman No Matter Who May Re Candi- ---
 date for President
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEy

{ Washington, December 1S-(Special)- J. Democratic congressman are discussing with the utmost interest the forthcoming caucus and the personnel of the " 8 and means committee, which will ir iatc the work of reducing the tariff. Az. added importance has been injected into the matter by the belief that the democrats may finally decide to place in the hands of the ways and means committee the selection of all the House committees with the provision that no member of the committee may hold a chairmanship. This provision is advocated to prevent the committee from doling out chairman ships to It's. own several members.
 The great influence which the commit tee will wield. even if confined to the tariff, has caused already more elec- Pioneering than has been witnessed n Washington in many a day There are fully 50 members mentioned for the II places under prospective Chairman Un- kerwood of Alabama, and the contests have even extended into some of the state delegations.
 In North Carolina Representative Pou,
 
 be opposed for reassignment by Repre- sentative Kitchin. MT. Pou split with his party on the lumber and other sched- ules. The Texas delegation, which is always in a foment over something or other, usually Senator Bailey, is as yet unable to agree enthusiastically on the selection of Representative Randell, a member of the present committee. In Missouri Representative Shackleford wants to go on the committee. Repre- sentative Lloyd, the chairman of the democratic congressional committee Is being boosted for the place.
 The Missouri delegation is said to favor MT. Lloyd's selection, especially in view of the faetsthst he conducted winning campaign and is deserving of the best tho party has in the locker. Other in stances of party rivalry might be men ticned but these are sufficient to show that places on the big committee will not go a-beggIng
 Geography will play no small part in the selection of the committee It is the view of most of the members that the states north of the Ohio river line ex- tended east should have at least five of fhe twelve places. Indiana is said to be decided upon the candidacy of Repre- sentative Dixon, Illinois upon Repre- sentative Rainey and Pennsylvania upon Representative Palmer. In Ohio both Representative Denver and Representa- tive Cox are being talked of by their colleagues. In New York Representative a xxrl,o io o, ~, committee. will seek his states indorse- nient It is thought there will be no diff hculty over the election of Representa- tive Ollie James of Kentucky, and in case the caucus decides to take Ten nessean. Representative Hull is regarded as excellent material
 Many other names are being brought Forward, but those mentioned above are generally regarded as the pick of the democratic side from the standpoint of ability and general political and geo. graphical considerations.
 l' Is taken as matter of course that my committee which the caucus names will be very unsatisfactory to the repub- lican press of the country These guides Of democracy have already found that there's scheme on foot to name a rClark slate" consisting of dependable hemocrats instead of democrats with re- publican proclivities. The presumption naturally is that MT. Clarks friends will control the committee. If they did not they would be in the minority and MT. Clark himself would be beaten for the speakership. The fact. however. that the &7 democrats may vote as they please effectually disposes of any slate" arsu- nent.
 New Leader of Men
 John Walter Smith, the astute Marvan, senator, to whose political acumen is at- trth ted ha hal at of land democracy, s being suietly boomed berc for the chairmanship of the demo- cratic national committee, and as such the directing force in the 1912 campaign.
 Those behind the Smith movement. and there seem to be good many of them, claim that the Maryand senator Is the best organizer in the country and fully measures up to the presidential conflict two years hence. 4s .t4'
 Senator Smith is of the quiet type. He \ doesn't even whisper and never appears to be doing anything Some say when the showdown comes everything Is in his hands.
 It Is, of course, appreciated that pres- hcntial candidate nearly always selects his own campaign manager. There was an exception in 1904, when Judge Alton B. Parker wanted August Belmont, but at the solicitation of his political friends finally consented to the election of Tom Taggart of Indiana. Belmont was very anxious for the place and Parker, feel ing under great obligations to him, was inclined to grant the request The other members of the national committee wouldn't hear of it..
 Those who are talking Smith say that whether Governor Wilson, Governor Marshall, Governor Harmon, or Speaker Clark Is made the standard-bearer it's all the same that the senator Is the man to put him in the White House when the smoke of the convention battle blows away
 Vacancy in Statuary Hall
 Reports from Alabama are to the cf- feet that at the forthcoming session of the legislature an attempt will be made to rescind the action of the legislature by whose vote the statue of J. L. M. Curry was placed in Statuary hall.
 The statue has never been formally ac- cepted by Congress Such acceptance, however. is only customary, and is not required by law, the statue of General Lee, Father Marquette and several otil- CTS being in the same status.
 The claim is made by some Alabamians that Curry Is not a typical representa- five of the state. that the matter was act