The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-25
BANQUET SUBJECT !. OF MUCH COMMENT Underwood Is Grateful for the Honor Conferred FRIENDS ARE ACTIVE Understood That Underwood Clubs Are to Be Formed All Over the
 State at Once-Unanimity
 of Sentiment

l ",rhe banquet Thursday night was, in my opinion, the most brilliant of all which have occurred in Birmingham, and I I am extremely grateful to my friends who so highly honored me-
 This was an expression made yesterday morning by Congressman Oscar w. un- derWood as he reached The Age-Herald office on his round of bidding farewells- He states that he will leave for Washing l ton either this afternoon or early Sunday morning.
 | The brilliant Underwood banquet, served
 at the Country club under the auspices
 of the Birmingham Chamber of Com
 merce. was the subject of general com
 ment through the city yesterday It was universally declared to be the most bril- | liant and the most triumphant ever held
 in this district. In the estimation of the guests. 1t was the handsomest compliment
 ever paid a citizen of this state by his l fellow citizens.
 | While at the banquet the candidacy Of MT Underwood for the presidency was | not launched, for it would have been con- trary to the wishes of the guest of honor had such occurred, there is no doubt but | that his boom was accentuated to a marked degree. And had the understand l ing not been general that the banquet was | only semi-political in its nature, scarcely nothing could have restrained the people | in their evident desire to go the very limit in honorlng the Ninth district congress- man.
 | The feature of the banquet was the ab-
 solute unanimity of opinion that Alabama
 should go whole hearted for Underwood Every Section Represented | Practically every section of the state was represented at the banquet and every
 section came forward with the same chorus-JJnderwood The enthusiastic in terest in the congressman which Birming-
 ham displays was reflected with additional force by the other sections of the state Congressman Washington Taylor and Frederick l. Thompson, editor of the Mobile Register, were present to speak for the First district. Major Wallace W.
 Screws, editor of the Montgomery Adver- tser, spoke for the Second. Congressman Henry D. Clayton sent a telegram indi- eating the political pulse in reference to Underwood of the Third. Congressman Blackmon stood sponsor for the Fourth. Congressman Hefin of the Fifth paid MT. Underwood many brilliant compliments.
 pr. w. B. Stafford, acting president of the
 University of Alabama, a prominent rep
 resentative of the Sixth, spoke of the en- l 1f dictr ba l probability" and w. B. Bankhead, also of that section of the state. declared that everyone was heartily in accord with the l sentiment of the Ninth. Congressman John l.. Burnett brought news of the en- I thusiasm of the Seventh, and Congress- man Richardson and Speaker of the House | Almon spoke for the Eighth
 Another straw which indicated the di- | rection of the wind consisted of the ex- | pressons of regret teiegraphed from var ious points of the compass by leaders of thought and industry and politics. Gov ernor O'Neal wired his regrets from New York, and spoke of the high com plments that MT. Underwood was receiv- ing in the east. Senator Bailey wired kind words from Texas, Champ Clark ex- pressed keen disappointment in being un- able to attend and found satisfaction in expressing to the people of Alabama his high regard for the favorite son of the state. Tn addition to these there were a score of others coming from MT. Under- woods colleagues In the House of Repre- sentatives and from others who, aware of his worth, seemingly take pleasure in ad- ding their mite to the general contribu- tion of praise.
 Will Outline Work
 MT. Underwood, as stated, will prob- ably leave for Washington this afternoon not to return before the conclusion of the next session of Congress. He will at once call a meeting of the ways and means committee, and considerable plan ming will take place prior to the conven- ing of the House. Immediately following the departure of MT. Underwood, plans for properly presenting his name a worthy standard bearer of the democratic party will materialiZe. Already preliml- nary work has been accomplished. Un- derwood clubs will be formed in pract- cally every county of the state. and general Underwood committed. the mem- bers to represent every county, will be named An address will be published by central committee and this will be mailed to every resident of the state. At the banquet so many remarks were made concerning the opportunity of Alabama and of the south that there is hardly doubt but that active work towards gain ing the delegation of other southern states will be undertaken.
 It is planned to call a meeting of the general committee in the near future for the purpose of reaching conclusion as to what course should be pursued in ref erence to either a primary or a conyen-
 tion It is generally admitted that the decision of this committee will be fa-
 vorably acted upon by the state demo-
 cratic executive committed, every mem
 ber of which. 1t is believed, is ardently
 in favor of Underwood, first, last and
 all the time.'
 Compliment to Morrow
 At the Underwood banquet there was
 almost launching of a campaign for
 Hugh Morrow. who presided with fine
 spirit as toastmaster. The reception ac-
 corded MT. Morrow was second only to
 that accorded MT. Underwood. As soon
 as MT. Morrow had taken stand to ex
 press 'his surprise that he had been
 chosen to preside,' someone in loud
 voice exclamed:
 "Our next governor.
 This was the cue for a general applause
 and a general repititon of the nomination
 for the high office. For some time there
 has been a more or less general discussion
 concerning Mir. Morrow as an ideal man
 to sit in the governors chair, and there
 was little surprise when this undercur-
 rent swept to the fore at the banQuet. Mir.