The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-18
Declines to Approve the Re-
 moval of Thompson
TAFT LEADERS BACK
Claim It Is Nothing But President s Goodness of Heart That Pre- vents His Taking Sum-
 mary Revenge
Fly CLYDE W. ENNIS

The Alabama referees of President Taft have returned from a visit to the White House. While there the diners al one conference were only the President T. IT, Aldrich, a relative of the President and postmaster at Birmingham, Pope NJ Long, United States marshal, and Maj Prelate D. Barker, national committee man and postmaster at Mobile. The en- tire outlook for the administration re. endorsement at the hands of the repub- licans in Alabama was gone oyer and the general situation canyassed as t6 what shall be done toward eliminating the disloyal omiceholders in this state That question has not only caused tn, "ins" considerable thought but has wor rled not ineonsiderably some of the mel who are still at the pie counter ana drawing pay
 The local republicans have been consid edaby enlivened by the statement made by one of the party on the trip as to tht Presidents attitude. It is said that oui of pure goodness of heart President Taf is not inclined now to remove any Roose- welt followers. He told the local crowd in positive words that he did not intend to remove Joseph o. Thompson. collector of internal revenue at Birmingham. His scalp is the one most wanted here by Taft adherents. The President is sad to have been quite as positive as this toward other removals requested. Boiled down, the general situation appears tC indicate that the bull moose convention Is not being put forward as cause for ae- tion It is simply the disinclination oi the President to invoke revenge upor his opponents in that way.
 From what can be learned, the Secre tary of the Treasury is willing and anx ious 10 remove MT Thompson, and tha is the consummation devoutly wished bS the Taft people in this state. And thai would be achieved but for the Presiden of the United States. His opinion must be changed before any official heads fal into the basket from now on However the local crowd has not given mp hope They are persuaded that when the cam paien is finally determined upon, the President will be brought to see ths error of his position and will eventually sign the political officeholding death war rant of not only Mir Thompson here, bul other offieeholders in this state.
 They hope to convince the President that these Roosevelt followers have de- serted the g. 0. D., are no longer faithful and should not profit by the victory. II will be pointed out that fights within the camp are all right, but when il comes to the actual rush on the enemy the time for sentiment has passed. Eventually they say the President will give the sig nal of thumbs down 10 many of the former faithful
 - As to the removals heretofore the Taft men assert that although charged to pos litical activity such is not the case, as that has been battled against continually by the President.
 Mir. Thompson. around whose official head the storm is still brewing. despite the attitude of the President was out of the city yesterday. However. his po- sition is well known as 10 the removal as he thinks his time is short. Some of his friends understand that his desk has even been cleared mp in anticipa tior of the~SfrOke.