The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-01

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch
 Tn view of the prominent mention of f,ongressman oscar W. Underwood Of Alabama, the democratic House leader, In connection with the democratic nomina- tion for the presidency, the New York Times sent a staff correspondent to MT. ITnderwoods home city to investigate his standing and record there and report thereon The report appears In last Sundays issue of the Times, and gives the Alabamian clear and enviable rec ord, and in the same issue our contem- porary makes it the basis Of It's leading editorial. While MT. Underwood IS hlsh- ly complimented in the editorial ne IS only in a sense an incident of our con temporary's discussion, the article being headed "A Southern Candidate" and be- ing addressed broadly to that issue as differentiated from the personal equalioh to the issue of the availablllty or d democratic candidate from the south. IL
 is an article which democrats, both north and south, men, indeed, both north ana
 south, irrespective of party affiliations,
 should read ponder and digest. for It
 takes high, patriotic national ground.
 After stating that it thinks it needless
 to affirm that it is not concerned to ad- vance the interest of any gentleman in this direction Ghe presidency In prefer
 ence to any other," but is only "con- cerned in laying before its readers such information, carefully gathered and lrn-
 partially presented, as will aid in the for-
 nation of sound public opinion and
 choice that will be to the greatest ad- vantage of the nation" the Times comes
 to the element of public feeling, that is'
 sectional feeling, real or imaginary, as involved in the problem. It admits that
 there is d feeling rather than definite
 opinion." which finds expression more
 often. according to it's observation, in the south than in the north, and perhaps
 more often in the democratic than In the
 opposite party" that a mans being
 southerner would prove source or
 weakness to him, if named for the presi-
 dency by the democracy. This the Times
 recognizes is, "of course, & matter not
 easily decided with confidence In ad-
 vance, since there has been no occasion
 for a distinct expression of public sentl- ment regarding it."
 Rut. continuing, the article notes that
 half a century has elapsed since a south
 ern candidate for President came be- fore the nation, that a good deal longer period has elapsed since one was elected, and that great events have intervened and left their impress on the minds and hearts of men, the depth and direction or which no one can surely estimate. Then, in prefacing the contention that the sense or nationality has grown progressively ever since the close of the civil war, that 1t has been steadily strengthened by the conditions of our national life, and especially by the intimate, extensive and increasing intercommunication within our | borders, and that people have for 40 years | literally lived together, and always more | and more closely, the Times makes this | declaration:
 "Our own judgment is that candi- | date from the south--other things being eoual-would not be weaker and might even be the stronger for that fact. In a broad way, it may safely be said that | there is in our people now sense of tried | and proved and established nationality | which might, and probably would well come an opportunity for man&esting | itself"
 | Our contemporary further Judgment | is that seeing it has been a quarter of a | century since the "southern question: | has entered even nominally into na- | tional contest, if it were raised now by | any party and those who would be influ-
 enced by it had to stand up and be
 counted they would be ludicrously few" | And on the other hand, it is confident that, were the issue made, a great many
 voters-chiefy among those who were | most earnest in their loyalty in the civil | war-would by a common impulse of gen.
 erosity and of self respect Incline toward l the southern candidate" Apart from the
 mark of whether the Times confidence is Justified and it's conclusions are correct, and a southern candidate would be avail able, it's logic is sound, its sentiments
 merit the highest applause, and the spirit of it's atricle throughout should inspire the whole nation.