The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-08
President Is Fighting For Light In Matter Of ChOOS-
 ing New Judges
DEMOCRATS TAKE VERY
 ACTIVE PART IN AFFAIR
Progressive Republicans Are Also Giving the President Trouble Be- cause They Want Certain
 Men Named
By wArrrRsoN sTg4.LEY

Washington December 7.-(Special) J. President Taft is iri a dilemma over the judicial appointments. On one side are the insurgent republican senators putting It squarely up to the President as to what they do not intend to stand for without a protest. The democratic sen ators are telling the President that one of the supreme court appointments be- longs to their party and not the least inn portant is the hostility in the supreme court itself over the proposed promo ton of the junior member of the court, Justice Hughes, to the chief justiceship. The insurgent republican leaders, all of whom have been to the White House at the invitation of the President to confer about the matter except Senator LaFol- lette, who evaded the presidential invita- ton by sending letter giving his views, are making 1t plain to the President that unless at least one of the new justices, to be named by him. is in sympathy with progressive republican ideas and the kind of man of whom they can approve they will make trouble.
 Appointments May Re Held Up
 The intimation has been rather dis tinctly made that they will join with the democrats in holding up the appointment. The insurgent senators are understood to feel that the time has come when they can no longer stand idly by and permit the supreme court to remain as stop block for the really progressive legisa- ton demanded by the people and en- acted by Congress. The evident attempt of the Presidents to bring the insurgents into the administration camp by invt- ing to conferences at the White House senators whom he formerly tried to read cut of the party is not meeting with en- tire success.
 The insurgent leaders assert that they stand ready to support the Presidents recommendations when they consistent lS can but they do not stand ready to sacrihee any principle or part of a prin- eip,e to do so and they think the time las arrived when the Senate should serutinize with extreme care the appoint ineuts of the President to the supreme bench so as to see that that body does not become a rock in the way of progress. Second only to the supreme court ap- pointments is the concern of the insur- gent senators in the interstate commerce commission changes threatened and in the proposed judges of the new court of commerce.
 New Commerce Court
 The insurgent senators are. with few exceptions, violently opposed to the granting of the advanced rates asked for by the railroad companies of the. country, the decision on which by the interstate commerce commission is now awaited.
 Notwithstanding his ability, capacity and strong inducements of his fine rec ord on the committee, tile general belief is that dle President has determined not to reappolnt ex-Senator F. M. Cockrell of Missouri, whose term expires this month.
 It has also been rumored that one or two of the present commissioners would be transferred by the President to the court of commerce. The insurgents see in these contemplated changes d chance for the railroads to secure the appoint ment on the interstate commerce commits sion of men inclined to take their view of the reasonableness of the rates ad-, vanced. They regard the possibility of the conn mission deciding in favor of the rail- roads on this question little short Of q calamity, and will insist that the Rres- ident appoint men on that court if changes are to be made, who will justly deal with the people, Much comment is made here today upon the practical re- fusal of Senator LaFollette to follow the example of Senators Cummins and Bris- tow and accept the White House invita- ton to d conference. Friends of Senator LaVollette say that the bitterness with which the administration fought him last summer in Wisconsin and the extent to which MT. Taft went in his efforts to hrn al hot la, does not yet feel like embracing the Pres ident nor accepting the overtures.
 LaFolIette's Attitude
 Senator LaFollette's attitude is about the attitude of the other insurgent lead CTS The difference between them an6 LaF'ollette was that they were willing to go to the White House and take it where as LaFollette evidently was not.
 Among the democratic senators there Is a growing determination to demand of President Taft the appointment of at least one democrat to the supreme court They point out that there are now but two democrats on the court, and that it is i5dne-the country that at least one of the new justices be member of their party aiap they do not propose to be satisfied | with the appointment of a democrat who has been voting for republican Pres itents for the last F or 16 years. number of the democratic senators talked things oyer this afternoon, and there is strong determination among some of the leading democrats to do their utmost to hold up the appointments if one at least is not k democrat.
 Senator smith of South Carolina win zee the President tomorrow and urge up- on him the appointment of a democrat to the supreme court. Senator smith has no candidate in mind but he intends telling the President that tie court should not stand seven republicans to two demo- 6rats.
 Hotel Changes Hands
 Florence, December 7.-(Special)-