The Delta independent., 1923-12-28

closed other candidates came forward,
notably Senator Hiram johnson OF
California, Governor Pinchot of Penn
sylvania and Senator LaFollette OF
| Wisconsin. For the Democratic nomI-
nation there were several probablll-
ties including Senator Underwood and
William G. McAdoo, avowed candi-
dates, and Senator Ralston OF Indiana,
Gov. AL Smith of New York and Gov
ernor Silzer of New Jersey. There
was much talk of the possible nomi-
nation of Henry Ford by one of the
old parties or by a third party, and
his admirers were exceedingly active.
The Republican national committee,
accedlng to the wishes of the PresI-
dent, selected Cleveland as the place
for the national convention of 1924,
and set June 10 as the date for its
opening. Previous action by which the
representation of the southern states
was reduced was rescinded by the
committee.
Secretary of the Interior Fall retired
from President Harding's cabinet on
March and was succeeded by Hubert
Work, the latter's place as postmaster
general being filled by the appoint
ment of Harry S. New. Attorney Cen
eral Daugherty, against whom i'm
peachment charges had been made the
previous year. was fully exonerated
by the house judiciary committee, the
report being adopted by the house on
January 20. Among the appointments
made by President Harding were Rob
ert Woods Bliss as minister to Swe-
den; Miles PoindeGter as ambassador
to Peru; r. NJ. Tobin as minister to
the Netherlands K. 7. Sanborn as as
sociate justice of the Supreme court
of the United States, and Gen. Frank
T. Hines as director of the veterans
bureau. The latter appointment was
followed by charges of mlsmanAge-
ment, waste. etc, against the former
director, Colonel Forbes, which we're
investigated by senate committee.
Having passed the agricultural cred
its bill and many acts of lesser i'm
pOrtance, and killing the ship-subsidy
bill, the Sixty-seventh congress came
to an end on March 4. The Sixty
eighth congress met on December 3
and the Republican majority was so
slender that bloc of so-called pro
gressiyes held the balance of power.
Speaker Glllett was reelected and
President Coolidge then delivered his
first message, in which he declared
himself in favor of American member
ship in the World court, advocated re
ductlon Of taxes and opposed the sol
diers' bonus.
Two governors got into serious
trouble. Walton of Oklahoma. who
said he was fighting the Ku Klux
klan, came into conflict with the state
legislature and assumed virtually die
tatorial powers. Despite his efforts to
prevent it, the legislature met In spe
clal session, the house lmpeached him
on numerous charges and the senate,
sitting as trial court, found him
guilty and removed him from his Of
fee. Walton was then indicted by u
grand jury. The other state executive
in trouble was Gov. w. 7. McCray OF
Indiana, who got into deep financial en-
tanglements and also was Indicted.
The Supreme court on April 30 de
cided that foreign vessels could not
bring liquor into American ports. even
though sealed, and later the liquor
stores of several liners were seized al
New York. Foreign nations protested
but could not well take any action
However late in the year the govern
ment negotiated an agreement with
Great Britain whereby the right of
search was extended to about twelve
miles from shore, and in return 1t was
expected the ship liquor regulation
would be modified. The extension OF
the search limit was made necessary
by the activities of the smuggling
fleets which kept the country well sup
piled with wretched liquor. On May
the New York legislature repealed
the state prohibition law. In October
a conference of governors on law en-.
forcement was held in Washington,
and President Coolidge pledged the
full aid of the government machinery,
but Insisted each state must assume
its own share Of the burden.
President Coolidge had the appoint
ment of one ambassador last year.
Col. George Harvey resigned his post
at the court of st. James on October
and Frank B. Kellogg was selected
for the place.
Immediately after Its summer vaca-
ton the Supreme court rendered an
important decision upholdlng the laws
Of the Pacific coast states which pro-
hiblt aliens from owning land These
laws, Of course, are directed against
the japanese especially.