The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-07

II M terday about MT. Bryan's charges against him, could not very well explain why these charges were made. Since the present Congress met last winter Mr. Underwoods reputation has grown fast. On all sides it is admit ted that for long time the democrats have had no such accomplished and sem sibe leader. Mr. Bryan sees this. He does not like what he sees. Hence his at- tack on Mir. Underwood.
 All of which reveals no new trait in MT. Bryan's character. He is in many re- spects a high-minded man, with generous and magnanmous impulses. But he 2, Is, a jealous leader To any democrat who differs from him in opinion he is apt
 to impuse unworthy motives. Especially when this democrat is growing all the time more popular and influential. This
 is an old story, unimportant except as a reminder of a weakness that appears to be getting beyond Mr Bryans control.
 The only new thing in the affair is the attitude of the democrats In the House. They applauded MT. Underwood's reply to Mir. Bryan. That applause meant some- thing. It will be generally understood. It
 may even teach MT. Bryan something, though of this we have not much hope.
 Pittsburg Dspatch Underwood's an- swer. delivered yesterday, falls little short of placing the once peerless leader in the
 whole Bryan accusation as an absolute falsehood This, too,, amid what is de- scribed as uproarious democratic ap- plause. The democrats in the House plain ly resent Mr. Bryan's criticisms They have been flattering themselves that they
 have been getting along very well, mak-
 ing excellent campaign material and ex- ercising scruptdous care to avoid their confessed liability to blunder at the crit ical moment. It is rather unkind of MT. Bryan they consider to call attention to their shortcomings. especially when they have to do all the work and he has noth ing to do but criticise.
 Baltimore Sun: This gratuitous insult to the chairman of the ways and means committee will be resented by every dem ocrat who believes in fair play. The tariff legislation of the House has disclosed qualities of statesmanship and character that have aroused the admiration of men of all parties. The record of the House speaks for itself, and that record Is due probably more to Oscar Underwood than to any other man. If he had pursued radical policy, any tariff legislation at this session would have been impossible. The manner In which he has helped to guide his party through the maze of conflicting interests, to put reciprocity, the farmers free list and the wool bill through the House and compelled their consideration by the Senate has disclosed the highest qualities of leadership. If the consumers at this session get partial relief for the high tariff, they will be indebted for it largely to Mr. Underwood and his com mittee. If the President vetoes the re- vision measures passed by Congress, the democratic party will be indebted to MT. Underwood and his democratic associates in the House for an issue upon which it can go before the country confident of success
 Mobile Register: In doubt whether to admire most the cleanness of Congress-
 man Underwood's record as to tariff re- vision or the strength of his presenta-
 tion of that record it is difficult to decide.
 The speech MT. Underwood made Wednes-
 day in reply to MT. Bryan's interview,
 charging him with chicanery and with unfaithfulness to democratic principle, is
 one that will greatly increase the con- gressman's reputation throughout the country. In an altogether legitimate way, and most convincingly, MT. Underwood | warded MT. Bryan's principal thrust away from himself and turned 1t back upon MT. Bryan. In his interview MT. Bryan | cited MT. Kitchin, a member of the ways and means committee, as having inti-
 mated that the failure of the committee r. to report on the iron and steel schedule
 was due to Mr. Underwood's personal in terest in the iron and steel industry, and that even this intimation had not moved MT. Underwod. The Alabama congress- | man first recited the history of the com
 mittees course and what part MT. Un- derwood had taken and how the commit tee, despite MT. Underwood's request to | take up the iron and steel schedule, re- l fused to do so. Then he turned to MT. Kitchin and said: "I ask my friend from North Carolina to take the floor and make | a statement as to whether the facts have stated are true or not"
 | MT. Kitchin did not content himself with simple affirmative, but made speech
 on the subject upholding MT Underwood on every point and declared the man MT. Bryan got his information from was the most badly informed man in the world | Mir Underwood's dignified call upon MT. Bryan to disclose the name of his in formant to investigate the matter and apologize for the wrong he has done the democratic leader should certainly be needed.
 New Orleans mes-Democrat: Repub- licans, who had all but lost faith in their own prophecy that the democratic party's control of the House would result in such bckerings and dissensions as would fn- sure its defeat in the national campaign of 1912, will doubtless try to rebuild both their faith and their hopes upon the con-
 troversy. between MT. Bryan and Chair
 man Underwood of the House ways and means committee. To democrats
 whether their sympathies lie with the one disputant or the other, the spectacle is distinctly modifying. Yet it Is not easy | to see how the Alabamian could be ex- pected, for the sake of party harmony, to