The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-02
MAY NAME PANAMA CANAL
FORT AFTER ]. T. MORGAN
Senator Banhead Anxious That Such Tribute Be Paid Late
Alabama Senator, Who Played So Important Part
in Making the Canal Reality

Washington, October Especial .)-Sen-
ator Bankhead is making a fight to have
one of the principal forts of the Panama
canal named Fort John T. Morgan, in
honor of Alabama's late distinguished SEN
ator, whose long and faithful fight for an
isthmus canal finally resulted In the
achievement at Panama about to be con-
summated.
1T is fitting that the country should rec
ognize tire efforts of Senator Morgan In
advancing the sthmus canal idea by
naming one of the forts of the Panama
Is an affable and courteous gentleman
with many friends in Congress.
Cordell Hull of Tennessee who wrote
teh income tax section of the tariff bill. is
also looming up as a possible candidate
for the leadership.
Winfield s. Hammond of Minnesota
comes next on the committee, and the
lowest man on teh list, but one sure to be
strongly backed for leader is A. Mitchell
Palmer of Pennsylvania.
Palmer Strong Man
Mr.. Palmer was one of the most ac-
the pre-convention campaign, and was
offered the post of Secretary of War in
the Wilso ncabinet, but declined 1t be-
cause of his Quaker affiliations He Is
now chairman of the caucus, having sue
eeeded Albert S. Bnrleson when the latter
became Postmaster General Mr. Pal
mer has ambitions outside of the House
and may contest for the democratic NOM
ination for governor of Pennsylvania
Though "a unarobpr n the 81 nd
means committee, Representative Rob-
ert L. Henry of Texas will have strong
support for the House leadership. His
work as chairman of the rules committee
and in the money trust investigation
stamped him a resourceful and game
fighter. The present prospects are that
the race will be between Mr.. Henry, Mr.
Palmer and Mr. Kitchen.
Should Mr.. Palmer win the Pennsyl-
vania governorship, Lincoln Dixon of In
diana, would loom up as the most formi-
dable candidate against the tive southern
representatives.
Leaders All From South
The history of the House shows that
the leaders have invariably been chosen
from the southern states. John Sharp
Williams of Mississippi who is now in
the Senate. was the leader before Champ
Clark. Charles s. Crisp of Georgia was
leader and speaker or the House in his
day James Richardson of Tennessee,
sometimes designated slim JIM WAS
the leader of the minority when Mr.. I'm
derwood first entered the House, and
coached the young Alabamian in his early
congressional career. OF course, one ex-
planation of this honor going to a south
ern man is the fixed habit of the south
in erturning democratic representatives
for term after term. These men thus
advance to the front of committees while
their colleagues from the doubtful north.
ern states go in and out on the waves
of political fortune.
Already the various candidates are
pluming themselves for this contest, and
when II is well under way it will become
one of absorbing interest to the country.
The leadership is of such vast impor-
tance to the administration it is possible
that the President himself may at least
indicate a preference, and if so, it will
have great weight in the final determine
ton of the question.