The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-02
HARDING SUFFERS :.
 .VEXATION OVER
 t. O. p. IN SOUTH
Patronage in Georgia, Ala bama and South Carolina Badly ControlIed-1920
 Gains to Fail
By HUGH ". RoBEREs Washington Bureau, The Age-Herald.
 300 DavIdson Suildiu

lnoSe nlgh ana lar hopes enter tained by President Harding in the beginning of his administration of being able by wise and open methods of dispensing patronage to elevate the republican party in the south and thus gain real foothold below the Mason-Dixon line, have been aban- doned.
 It Is said to be clear to the Presi- dent that the republican party, in forthcoming elections. will not only fail to make headway in gaining new territory but will lose that which fell into the G. o. r. column in 1920. It Is known that the failure of the President to impress the south with the ability of southern republicans to select excellent officials for ap- pointment-officials of whom even democrats would approve-has been an acute disappointment to him.
 He was very anxious to be the President of all the people and all the sections. It Is believed that he was not looking solely to party ad- vantage in his plan to appease and gratify the south. On the contrary. 1t Is believed that he had an ambi- tion to impress southern people with the idea that they had nothing to fear during the administration of a republican President.
 Opposed To Negro
 It Is understood that the President concluded in the beginning of his ad- ministration to appoint no negroes to office In the south. It Is known that the fact that negro was Georgia's member of the republican national committee, was offensive to the President, and he took the only avail able course of relieving the situation. He appointed him to an office which would require his resignation as a committeeman and his residence in the District of Columbia. That the Senate rejected the nomination of this negro did not affect the plan of the President-namely, to disassoci- ate the republican party from the negro in southern states.
 It Is singular in view of the Pres ident's effort to build up a worthy party machine in Georgia, 1t was In that state where The most inglori- ous failure was scored. So interest ed in Georgia were national republi- can leaders, and so deeply iabued were they that on account of revo- lutionary political conditions, Geor- gia might follow the ignoble lead of Tennessee, that they went into that state and selected the man they thought would reflect most credit on the party and the administration. But the man selected, J. l.. Phillips, was one of the first against whom the Attorney General proce tied in an at tempt to bring to justice those NF h yfr1or Ad from fraudulent war contracts. Phil lips Is alleged to have profited from sale of surplus government lumber to the extent of s1,So0,00o.
 Affairs In Georgia
 Immediately after the arrest of Phillips. it-became necessary for tho President to appoint a federal judge in Georgia. He gave the plum to a democrat, W. 1T. Barrett of Augusta. It Is openly saidsin Washington that the President had grown disgusted with his party and its leaders in Georgia
 While the saddest failure was scored In Georgia. that state by no means has been the sole contribut. Ing factor In the Presidents disap- pointment In Tennessee, where the President in his election had scored a notable personal triumph. the na- tional committeeman, John W. Over all, Is aheged to have conducted himself in such wise as to merit the criticism to which ss- was subjected. IL was charged by Senator Kenneth D. McK ellar of Tennessee. that Over all was bartering federal patronage. Considerable correspondence alleged to have been exchanged by Overall m offfnaQaal<ara read hefOre the Senate by McKellar, and from that correspondence, he secured evil dence which convinced him that Overall had assessed officeseekers in proportion to salaries they would re- ceive In event of their success to re- numerate him for exoenses to be in- cured In Washington in putting them over.
 While neither the administration. the republicans of Tennessee or law officers took official cognizance of the McKellar expose, 1t is said that since that expose, the President has depended more on C. H. Houston, as- sistant secretary of commerce, and Governor Ali Taylor, than on ,the constituted political referee in Ten nessee.
 Alabama has also been n keen
 disappointment to the President.
 His referees in that state were
 and probably are o. D. Street and
 F. Nj. Long. The one is the nn-
 tionaI committeeman and the
 other chairman of the state com
 mittce. It was supposed that
 these men could abide in har-
 mony if any republicans in the
 south could so nbide. But in the dispensation of the spells, Street
 and Long fell out. and it has
 resulted thnt Long has criticised
 those recommendations by Street
 and vice versa.
 The climax came when Long
 was denied appointment ns
 United States marshal for which job 1t was understood he had
 been slated. Street opposed him, md succeeded in winning the np-
 pointment for one of his own following. It is understood that Street made m unsuccessful at
 tempted to defeat Long for re-
 election as chairman of the state
 committee, and it would cause no
 surprise in Washington were
 Long to make m attempt to de-
 feat Street for reelection as na-
 tiOual committeeman.
 The President has been deeply
 rrieved by the Alabama situa-
 ton. It is known to be true that
 on more than one occasion he has
 appealed to a personal friend,
 Aubrey Thomas, who once repre-
 seuted an Ohio district in Com
 gress, but who is now citizen
 of Alabama. to take charge of
 the situation. Mir. Thomas has
 declined to accede to the wishes
 of the President. His reason
 has been his extensive business
 holdings and the unpleasantness
 of the lob. Hut is will cause no
 .u.ursxe were future appOint-