The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-10

From the Houston Post.
 In the meantime, let us see who Oscar W. Underwood is. A person with the
 Shallowest understanding is bound to know that he would not be chairman of the ways and means committee of the house of representatives unless he were a man of parts. That distinction carries with it the floor leadership of the dom inant party in the popular branch of Con- gress, and it has been held by such dem ocrats as William R. Morrison, Roger O.
 Mills and William L. Wilson. Underwood took his seat in the House of Representa- lives more than 16 years ago and he has served in Congress ever since.
 From the very beginning he was recog-
 nized as a man of integrity and ability. From fthe beginning his influence has grown, because he was recognized as a stalwart democrat who was at all times faithful to his personal and party ob,i- gations, and because he had at all times cool head, a sound heart and a good conscience. When the democrats gained control of the House last March, the first time during, Underwood's long service in that body, he became the real leader of the majority, not through the favor of the speaker but at the hands of his dem ocratic colleagues.
 His fitness for the honor of leadership was not disputed No other member con- tested with him for the honor. He was the unanimous choice. Not only that, to MT. Underwood and his committee was given greater authority than the majority of a ways and means committee had ever enjoyed before. The duty of selecting committee chairmen and making commit tee assignments was assigned to the democratic leader and his colleagues on the committee.
 An assault, therefore. upon the integri- ty of the chairman of the ways and means committee becomes a serious mat ter, especially when it comes from an exalted party source. He is accused by the Commoner, not only of being taint- ed with protection, but that he is opposed to his party's tariff policy as represented by the speaker. MT. Underwood's direct answer is all that is needed by those who know him, but his confreres of the ways and means committee and the speaker himself refute the charge directly, just as Mir Underwood's whole record in Con- gress refutes it.
 This all happens at a time when MT. Underwood is being widely mentioned as one worthy of the presidential nomina- tion A former Texas congressman sugz gested him as an available man some time ago, and the Alabama democracy has taken the matter seriously enough to make him her favorite son. It has already been determined that when the roll call of states for nominations begins in the national convention next year that Ala bama is going to present the name of Underwood. Not only that, but Under woods brilliant leadership has made such an impression upon the country that other states are giving his claims serious consideration.
 Alabama is clearly within her rights In asking the democracy of the country to consider the availability of her brilliant son and his conspicuous service in Con- gress, and his demonstrated skill anu ability as a leader are sufficient to war rant the democratic party in listing him
 among those who are worthy of the
 honor. This fact affords no excuse for attacks upon his party and personal in tegrity. This is why his colleagues in the House shared by an almost unprece- dented demonstration the resentment he expressed that he should have been so
 unjustly aspersed merely because he hap
 pened to be persona non grata with one
 member of the party.