Evening star., 1912-11-08
"Big Bill" Edwards Proposed
for Inauguration Post.
RUMOR FROM NEW YORK
Is Intimate Friend of Chairman
w. F. McCombs.
COMMITTEE HEAD SUGGESTIONS
E. j. Stellwagen and d. j. Callahan
Are Mentioned for Position
of Chairman.

| Big Bill' Edwards will be the grand
marshal of the inaugural parade March
4, according to an active rumor which
comes to Washington from New York.
The rumor has gained considerable Gre
dence here because of the fact that Mr..
Edwards is a close friend of w. +. Nc
Combs. chairman of the democratic ma
!, tional committee. shares apartments with
him and is "A confidant of the most in
| innate kind.
/ 4 Washington man who visited the
| joint apartments of Mr.. McCombs and
| Mr.. Edwards recently says that the
| chairman of the committee has told the
| former Princeton foot ball captain that
if he wants the position as grand marshal
| he can have 1t.
| Edwards was grand marshal of the big
| Columbus day parade in New York, and
was also marshal of the Wilson rally
| there last Monday.
Better get into practice on parades,
I Bill" McCombs is understood to have
said, because we'll need you when it
comes to marshaling the Wilson inaugu-
raj parade"
big Bill is friend of Woodrow Will
son, and, as a Princeton man, gained
| immortal fame as captain of a team that
Il D
in 1899. and has made most successful
street cleaning commissioner of Greater
New York.
Would Upset Calculations.
| If the former Princetonian foot ball
| player is made grand marshal it will up
| set the calculations of several army Of
| ficers and retired army officers 1t is
| we'll known that Maj. Gen. Charles T..
Humphrey, L. S. A., retired, has been
the choice of John Costello. national COM
mitteeman. Gen. Humphrey has had
forty years of army life, having enlisted
when ne was nineteen years old, and
since that time has passed through sue
cessive stages of line and staff service
until his voluntary retirement five years
ago. In addition to the prestige of long
service he is medal of honor man.
Has Had Experience.
Politics will not play much of a part
in the makeup OF the inaugural COM
mittee, the selection of a chairman and
the appointment OF aids. subchairmen,
etc. according to the present views OF
John Costello, democratic national COM
uitteeman for the District of Columbia.
The first real consideration of a recon-
mendation for chairman of the inaugural
when several Of the more active demo-
Gratis conferred with Mr.. Costello. AL
though none of them will say much about
| the proba bilities of Mr.. Costello's recon-
mendation, the name of r. j. Stellwagen
| was spoken with a significance which
might be prophetic.
! The reasons for Mr.. Stellwagen being
considered are that he is looked upon by
| the national committeeman as being a
| representative Washingtonian, thoroughly
capable, and with the added advantage
of experience in the Taft inaugural cere
| monies.
Not Going to Play Politics.
Il am not going to play politics in the
recommendation for a chairman for the
committee" said Mr.. Costello today. "All
I want is to find the best man for the
position, be he an active democrat or not.
In this inaugural matter we Washing
tonians must stand together, ignore fac
tions and do our very best to insure a.
splendid inaugural for the incoming Pres
ident-"
Mr.. Costello will recommend a chair
man within few days, in all probability
Chairman McCombs will make the ap-
pointment, and after that, if previous ex-
periences are followed in the coming in
augural committee makeup, the local
democracy headed by Mr.. Costello, will
have considerable to say in the appoint
ment Of subcharmen.
Favor Mr.. Callahan.
d. ]. Callahan as chairman Of the COM
mittee has been suggested to Mr.. Costel-
10. One OF the suggestions came from
| T. Lincoln Townsend, who directed the
work of the League of Republican Clubs
here. After the election of Wilson Mr.
Townsend wrote Mr.. Costello a letter
OF congratulation, in which he mentioned
the name Of Mr. Callahan as having been
suggested by many democrats. Mr.. Co.'S
tello's reply was to say that he would be
glad to consider the suggestion. In part
Of this letter Mr.. Costello paid this kind
ly tribute 10 President Taft:
II want TO thank you for your kind
letter Of congratulation, and rejoice with
you that the people have rebuked man
who appealed to their prejudices and mis-
| understandings. /, in common with many
| other democrats, have the kindliest feel
! ings for Mr.. Taft. and believe. with them.
that he did not get square deal from
men who had been in his own party and
| had been given every honor that the
party could confer.
/ Mr. Townsend was at the White House
today. and in talking about the kindly
feeling of democrats for President Taft
said: When / was raising the funds
here to conduct our campaign and to helI
the national committee l got as much
money from democratic business men as
from republicans. They wanted Taft
elected If Wilson could not go through
One of the first Taft subscriptions l haG
was from a prominent democrat That
shows how the thinking people of the
country regard President Taft
| Suggest Robert N. Harper.
In addition to those who have alread,
been mentioned as possibilities for tn,
position of committee chairman the nam.
of Robert n. Harper. president of tn,
District National Bank, was discussed
today by leading democrats here. 1t was
pointed out that Mr.. Harper has been {
/, resident of the District for twenty-f -fiv,
wears and had taken q prominent part ii
the democratic campaigns for man,
wears. During the recent campaign Mr.
Harper was treasurer of the District O
Columbia auxiliary committee to tn,
democratic congressional committee. be
sides taking part ia the campaign in tn,
Leesburg section Of Virginia, where h,
votes.
Plans Wilson Home Coming.
STAUNTON. Va. November s.-Staun
2 ton the place of Gov. Wilson's birth Il