The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-07
UNDERWOOD AND BRYAN

be abandoned more readily than one that
 bears in it some elements of truth; for it can plausibly be ascribed to rnis-state-
 ment so gross on the part of the in-
 formant as to have required spiteful-
 ness or unfairness on the part of the ut-
 terer or unfairness to give it it's char
 aeter Such a refuge IS this is the best
 that is held out as possible for MT. Bryan.
 even by the friend who came nearest to
 standing up for him on the floor of the House yesterday. That he will avail him.
 self of it is very likely but. while it may weaken the force of the blow dealt him by
 the Alabama congressman, it will still
 leave him in far worse position than
 any in which the peerless leader has yet found himself.
 savannah News: The truth is that MT. Underwod in the democratic caucus not
 only didn't oppose taking up the steel
 schedule for revision, but urged that it
 be taken up immediately, frankly giving
 his reason for so doing. That this is the
 fact In the case is evident, because Mr. Underwood's reply on the floor of the
 House to the attack was vigorously ap-
 plauded. If the facts had been other
 wise Mir. Underwood wouldn't have at-
 tempted to reply to MT Bryan on the
 floor of the House, where there were
 scores of witnesses as to his attitude
 in the caucus. Besides, not long ago MT.
 Bryan, in a dispatch to Representative
 James of Kentucky, congratulated MT. Underwood ''on his great work" Al pointed out by Mir. Underwood, MT. Bryea
 had fault to find with him until he re- fused to accept MT. Bryan's advice in shaping the wool bill.
 It is difficult to see how Mir Bryan can explain his attock on MT. Underwood By Mr. Underwood's reply he is placed in position that requires a reply of some sort. If he remains silent he will
 practically admit that he wantonly sought to discredit MT. Underwood and bring him
 into disrepute with his party. If he says was ignorant of what took place in the democratic caucus, and if he does that
 he will leave the impression that he was
 willing to make so damaging a charge against a leader of the party without in- vestigating to find out if it were true. 4NCWss me ueinoh- | stration in the House of Representatives yesterday when MT. Underwood, chairman of the ways and means committed. served
 notice on MT. Bryan that his bulldozing tactics and general assumption of the right to dictate the course of the demo-
 crats in Washington are not going to be
 tolerated any longer shows the warm hold
 the chairman has upon his colleagues and also that the democrats are not living in
 the belief that the sun rises and sets in Nebraska.
 With his usual sound judgment, Mir. Un-
 derwood waited until he had MT. Bryan in
 a position from which he will find it hard
 to escape. The charge against the Ala bamian is that he has permitted his own interests in the steel and iron business to control his action, and that he has sought to keep the democrats away from the iron
 and steel schedule in order to protect his own pocketbook and that of his constit- uents.
 Aside from being a very tactful indi- fvidual, MT. Underwood is not a political
 novice. Recognizing that his political ene- mics might bring the charge that Mr.
 Bryan has brought, it appears that Mr. Underwood frankly stated the facts to
 the democratic caucus and sought to avert the making of that sort of political capi- tai by urging the caucus to do the very thing which MT. Bryan says he tried to prevent. In other words, MT. Bryan has | slandered and endeavored to embarrass, | the leader of the majority. who, by com | mon consent, has done more than any | nfb fn hold
 and give it standing and dignity before | the country.
 | The prompt acceptance of the challenge
 and the treatment of the challenger will
 add to MT. Underwood's prestige-and
 that, after all, is what seems to annoy MT. Bryan.
 1 Nashville Banner: MT. Bryan's attack
 on the Hon. Oscar Underwood was entire- | y gratuitous. Viewed from the stand
 point of either public duty or party poll
 icy, it was uncalled for. This would
 be true accepting the premise that Mir.
 Bryan felt sure of the truth of the accu- sation he brings, and since MT. Under
 wood has made positive denial of the fact
 and it has developed from MT. Bryan's own statement thta he relied solely for
 the basis of his criticism on Washing | ton dispatch to an Oklahoma paper, 1t ap- pears that the Nebraskan was eagerly in
 search of an opportunity for such an out | break.
 | This unjustiied attack on the demo- l cratic leader on the floor, of the National | House of Representatives tends to confirm
 the suspicion that MT. Bryan is mainly in- | fuenced by a purpose to keep himself and the Commoner in the limelight of public view, and also argues the truth of what has been often charged, that he does not desire the triumph of the democratic party unless it means personal triumph | for him.
 Washington Herald: It was splendid Land deserved tribute which the democratic I members of the House of Representatives yesterday paid to Representative Under
 wood, chairman of the ways and means committee, when he squarely and em- phatically answered the surring insinua-
 tions of William Jennings Bryan. The
 latter accused Mr. Underwood of treach-
 cry to his party, in that he deliberately | postponed the revision of the iron and steel schedule. .l...-.
 This is not the first time since the ex-
 traordnary session of Congress assem- bled that MT. Bryan has appeared in tho