The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-10
Matter Is Put Over Until Monday and May Again
 Be Postponed
INSURGENTS SEEM ID BE
 CAUSING MOST TROUBLE
200 Men and Has Cnt the Number Down to Ten or Twelve
 for Selection
BY wA1TERsoN srEALpl


 Washington. December .. a.-fspeciai.)- With the short session of Congress not week old, enough has developed 10 show that the three factions in tho Senate during the last session-rcgular republie- ans, insurgent republicans and demo- orats-wlll retain through the next three months their attitude of the past with the lines clearly drawn between them. The efforts Of President Taft to amal- gamate the two republican factions, gain ing for the administration the support of both. are being moclSed at as futile in the extreme, and the hostility between the insurgents and the regulars is unabated. The latter still continue to be the only supporters of the administration in tue Senate, and the democrats are determined to take what strategic advantage Of fine continuance of the split they can.
 The center of interest for all three fac tions are the judicial and quasi-judioial appointments which the President is eS- pected to announce now at any time. To- day the statement was made at the White House that the appointments would probably be sent in on Monday.
 Action May Be Postponed
 When Monday comes there may be an- other postponement as the policy of the President is to wait until the very last moment before sending them in He has. since he finished his message, conferred with representatives of all clements in his own party as well as democrats, and the more he has conferred the greater have become his endorsements. He found that the democrats insisted upon the selection of at least one democrat for the supreme bench, and having conceded this, tbe demand was next made upop hila 1 by the insurgent republicans, whom he | invited to the White House. that one of his justices at least should be a pre- gressive republican in thorough sympathy with the insurgent idea and cause,
 MT. Taft himself has not been in syn- pathy with either the insurgents or their ideas. If left to himself, he would prob ably appoint justices whose habits or mind and manner of looking upon legisla- tive matters are much as his own. What he will do in the end is not certain. and as late as tonight it was stated that the President had not finally made up his mind.
 Whichever way he acts, the appoints ments are likely to prove q storm center in the Senate. They will be more closely scrutinized by senators of his own party as well as by democrats than have any other judicial appointments submitted Tn years.
 Here are the principal vacancies he Is called upon to fill, all of which are await ed with an interest that is growing more intense every day of delay Two justices of the supreme court of the Unifed States; five judges of the new court ot commerce; one member of the interstate commerce commission
 Naming of Justices Notwithstanding the undeniable tact that there are some of the supreme court justices who view the suggestion or designating Justice Hughes as chief jus tice in the nature of a reflection upon old and more experienced members of that court and violation of precedent since the foundation of the court, the impress sion is growing that Hughes Is certain to be named.
 The two other names which report saNs are now most seriously considered. are those of Associate Justice Francis J. Swayze of New Jersey and District Judge Gordon Russell of Texas, who until his appointment was a member of congress. It is stated that the President has had altogether under more or less serlous consideration the names of 200 men for the various positions on the bench which he is to fill Today 1t is understood he has eliminated all except about ten or twelve from consideration.
 Those still regarded as possibilities in clude former Chief Justice Lamar or Georgia, Circuit Judge William c. HOOK of Kansas District Judge John C. Poi- lock of Kansas Senator Sutherland of Irtah. Chief Justice Winslow of Wiscon- sin and Circuit Judge Willis vanDeventer of Wyoming.
 Judge Hook Favored T,,I of Kansas is favored by Senator Bristow very strongly. Judge Pollock of that state will not be acceptable to Senator Pristow. Senator Bristow was one of the insurgent senators whom Taft invited to the White House, and on the occasion of his call the senator explained his at- titude toward the two men very plainly. ie strongly urged upon the President tha wisdom of appointing Judge Hook should the President name Judge Pollock |, would be a direct slap at Senator Bris- tow. Judge Russell of Texas or Judge Lamar of Georgia are regarded as the most likely of the democratic candidates.
 One thing is certain-and that is if MT. Tafts judicial appointments are unsatis- factory to the insurgent senators they are in a position to cause the President a good deal of embarrassment
 Some of them are determined to hold up any appointment of whose progress siveness they are not assured and in so doing they are likely to get certain amount of democratic support and en- couragement.
 Those close to Mir Taft say he is par ticularly anxious not to have any trouble about his judicial appointments. This. they say, Is the reason he has postponed acting up to this time, and tho opinion seems to be that he will. in his seiec- .ions, try to please the insurgent sen ators.
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