The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-26

say the many pleasant and truthful
 things that can be said of MT. Under
 wood. both as a man and as represen-
 tative of the people.
 | At this convention I was again hon. ored by election to the presidency of the 1 National Hardware association. It was
 gratifying. of course, as it seems to be
 an Endorsement of the work that have tried to do to further the interests of the
 convention and association for many
 years"
 | Birmingham in Twenty Years
 My business has taken me to all parts
 of this country in the past 25 years, and
 there are few cities of any importance
 that I have not visited" said Jackson F. I Norman of Philadelphia.
 "It seems to me that Birmingham has
 made more substantial progress than any young city in this country. When I was first here in 1891 it had a population of | between 25,oOO and 30,C00 There had been great deal of booming here but the city seemed to have settled down on a | quiet basis. My next visit was in 1896,
 when Birmingham was suffering from the effects of industrial depression. h 1899
 when I came again the city had awak- ened. The steel mill at Ensley had been built, and there was a general air of thrift about the entire district. I was agreeably surprised when I came few years later to see Birmingham branching out along metropolitan lines. When the census of 1910 credited Birmingham with 1So6S5. the whole country took notice. l was amazed and pleased because l had been watching the city with great deal of interest
 Birmingham Is probably the best ad- vertised city of the 100000 class in Amer ica. It's great future Is assured. It may not outstrip Atlanta in population by 1920, for Atlanta is a fast growing town, but by 1850 can imagine that the Ala bama metropolis will have population of fully 500000. Atlanta will hardly be that big. l think Birmingham will take on new and great strides with the opening of the Panama canal. The whole United States will be on a boom then, and of course Birmingham will be among the foremost cities participating in that boom."
 MT. ClcveIands Administration
 The second of a series of interesting and instructive historic papers by James Ford Rhodes on President Cleveland's ad- ministration appears in the surrent issue or Scrfbner's magazine" said an old citi- zen who formerly lived in Washington and who held an office during the second Cleveland administration. Tt has been nearly 15 years since MT Cleveland's sec- ond term expired, and several years since the gerat democrat died. Mir. Cleveland has, therefore, become a historic person. age, and Mir. Rhodes seems to have the proper perspective for a just and calm treatment. Most of the important public acts of President Cleveland are explained and are made clear by certain side lights. and for the most part the articles in oues- tion may be called hearty expectations of the Cleveland administrations
 MT. Rhodes, however, comments ad- versely on Clevelands Venezuelan mes sage. His historic review of the dispute between Venezuela and Great Britain. which began in 1S41, is exceedingly inter- esting, and in 1885 the Venezuelan oues ton became irritating to this country Lord Salisbury, then Englands prime minister and foreign secretary, urged that the Monroe doctrine did not apply to the controversy, which, therefore, was one with which the United States had no ap- parent practical concern. Refusing to submit the case to arbitration, President Cleveland decided to act strenuously. He
 asserted stoutly that the Monroe doctrine did apply to the case; that Great Britain ought to have submitted the controversy to arbitration, but as she would not we must accept the situation, recognizing It's plain requirements and deal with it ac- cordingly. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the United States to take measures to determine with sufficient certainty for its Justification, What is the true di- visional line between the republic of Ven- ezuela and British Guiana Mr. Cleve- lands message to Congress made a pro- found impression. The President had been off on duck hunt Returned to Washington on Sunday, he wrote his message Sunday night and sent 1t to Con- gress on Tuesday. The message was startling, and Wall street was thrown into something of panic. While many business men criticised the President, I always thought it was one of the ablest and bravest of his acts. England was be- coming more and more arrogant in its at titude toward the United States. It need ed calling down good and hard.'- Mir. Cleveland did it. and the lesson was so wholesome as to have enduring effect for good.
 England and America are closer today than they have ever been. They seem to understand each other better, but had it not been for MT. Cleveland's Venezuela message England might have been hec- toring us instead of clasping our hand. MT. Rhodes says that MT. Cleveland re- garded as the greatest two acts of his presidential life the way he handled the Chicago strike and the way he dealt with England in the Venezuelan matter" ProphesyinG for Underwood
 "As goosebone prophet of the weather I have sometimes failed, but as goose bone political prophet-not meaning to be boastful--I have always been success ful,'' said an old citizen. "The only spe- |