The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-03
CALLS COLLEAGUES
 TO PROVE FACTS AS
 HE PRESENTS THEM
Bryan Attack Is Interview in Com moner Charging Underwood With Protecting Iron and Steel Industry Because He was Interested
 Therein and Declaring Him
 Unfit for Floor Leader
pv WALTER i, ARPER


 e..rd,ny rnon chairs, waving handker- cb,efs and yelling at e tops of their ] yo,ces. democratic representatives today I acclaimed Representative Oscar w. Un- aerwood of Alabama, democratic leader of the House, when he fired Vefpai hroadside at William Jennings Bryan for crticising his position on extension oi tho tariff revision programme. It was the most remarkable scene In the House .;,ce inc beginning of the extra session Of Congress.
 Excorciating the three times presioentiai candidate of the democratic party, MT Underwood denounced rfr. Bryan's state ments as false. The speaker defended his own attitude as to revision or the Iron and steel tariff schedules and said Bryan had placed upon every democratic mem her implications {. 'ounded in fact lie called on his dem cratic colleagues pr inc ways and means committee for cor roboration of his attitude in committee and caucus.
 Mr Underwood was backed up in similarly striking speech by Representa- tive Kitchin of North Carolina, long devoted friend of Bryan. Mir ktchin ex- pressed surprise that any democrat should 50 malign MT. Underwood and the party. IT all came about from a published in- terviey, which purported to be author izeds by Mir. Bryan, declaring 1t was tune nomocratic Leader Underwood was un- masked''
 Like Crack of Gunshot
 r,o renlv of MT. Underwoo dto the charges of Bryan came like the
 .lxr crack of a gunshot. It. was reaoy the instant the peerless democratic ieaoer read the Bryan charge in the morning papers It had the snap of truth ana honesty that carried his hearers Ike a storm, The sustained ovation accorded MT Underwood has never been surpassed on the floors of Congress
 At the close of MT Underwoods reply, which was off-hand and devere- With out reference to a note, the speaker was unable to regain order untii aiter the democratic members had filed by MT. Un- derwood's desk and grasped his hand. The ovation to MT. Underwood was a complete vindicaton of the course Of the new leader of the party and an unmis- takable repudiation of Bryan.
 There are members of the party on the floor who had differed with MT. Under wood. but they surrendered completely to him today His reply was manly, hon. est, straightforward and compelling. More over, the sustained ovation prolonging the delivery of the speech did not turn MT. Inderwood's s head. He was performing sn unpleasant duty and did it with a nanliness and firmness that was mag Lifcent.
 It was easily the most sensational event of the present session.
 Greeted With Applause
 MT. Underwood arose amid wild ap- plause that lasted for several minutes
 MT. Speaker he said, T thank my friends for the confidence they express in me.
 ''I rise, MT. Speaker, to question of personal privilege (applause on the dem- ocratic side). 1 sent to the clerks desk an article which appeared in the Wash ington Herald of this morning and other papers and ask the clerk to read it.'
 The clerk read the Bryan interview. MT. Underwood continued:
 MT. Speaker, the statements that are contained in that article are absolutely false Qoud and prolonged applause on the democratic side).
 MT Speaker. if the reflections which that paper contains rested only on my self l would not attempt to take the time of this House to answer them (applause). But the statement contained in that ar- ticle are a reflection on the only body of democracy that is in control of this government (applause), and as the rep resentative leader on the floor of this house of this majority, would be untrue to myself and untrue to you if I did not arise here this morning and stamp those utterances with the brand of falsehood, as you know they are loud and con- tnued applause).
 The Facts
 'Now, MT. Speaker, as to the facts The gentlemanx who has issued that state ment MT. William Jennings Bryan of Ne- braska daughter on the republican side). charges that the chairman of the ways and means committee. standing in the in- terest of protective tariff, has led this house into lines that were unworthy Of any democrat in the land (applause).
 1T know it is false. MT. Speaker. You know it is false and so does the democracy of this side of the house (applause). But we must let the country know it is false.
 The gentleman from Nebraska says that my leadership of this side of the House could not stand in the open There is not a democratic member here who does not know that if for one moment misrepresented the democracy of this House in bearing my commission, would send my resignation to the speakers desk (appause).
 The gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bryan) nsinuates that I have attempted 10 prevent a consideration of the iron and steel schedule by this House at this Congress. l do not know from what source the gentleman has obtained his facts, but that that statement is falSe intend to prove to you and to the country this morning (applause).
 When the ways and means commit xrroo ffru< ox>fu ua1 fn vUo RA Legislation for the consideration of this House, as It's chairman, stated to the ~ committee that was willing to take up any schedule, for consideration first, that the committee desired to consider, but, coming from an iron and steel district and being personally Interested ~~>~---~--~----------
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